Krister

I've had this annoying rattle for a while and it usually comes only when driving over 60mph. It goes away if I push the steering wheel up with my knees or pull it down. So it has something to do with the steering column. This is on a W218, but as the car is essentially the same as a W212 I posted it here to get more views. Do I need to remove the steering wheel to get access to the steering column plastics?

You need to turn up the volume to hear it on the video.

konigstiger

See attachments, dashboard sheet illustrations depict column plastics, damping, etc.

badkarmacreepin

Anyone figure out what this rattle was? I have the identical sound in a 2016 W212 and would like to narrow it down before I start ripping things apart...

Thanks!

CaliBenzDriver

I could not hear any rattle in the video.
Perhaps this is the convenience-entry tilt mechanism. The comments say that holding wheen with the knee quiet things well.

Can you provide an mp3 sound clip ??

badkarmacreepin

You have to turn the vol way up on the video from OP. I had to put the phone to my ear to hear it, but it sounds like intermittent high-pitched scratching from the steering column. Or worse, lower dash.

It only occurs when I'm driving on unsmooth pavement. Otherwise, no 'rattle' and all is good. Almost like a loose bolt or a small piece of plastic bouncing around somewhere on the interior that gets moving/bouncing at a particular suspension frequency.

Edit - and I've got my auto-convenience thing turned off.

CaliBenzDriver

Yeah, me too! There's a design defect that keeps loosening a captive bolt.

Originally I lubed the friction then recently I glued it with 5mn epoxy and kept the whole tilt PITA disabled

Try removing your under dash plastic cover 3x screws to hear louder noise....

badkarmacreepin

So it IS a loose bolt. I f'ing knew it and it's been driving (pun intended) me crazy on roadtrips!!

Getting out there now to remedy this annoyance.

Edit - wait...maybe not. Is the captive bolt even accessible to tighten?

CaliBenzDriver

I don't want to sway your troubleshooting in the wrong direction because I don't think that nut itself can rattle.

steering tilt troublesome nut... glued!

Search for evidence of your rattle source then apply solution. These cars interior is pretty good for not rattling - The engine does that instead