SLK/R171: Rattle in the Back
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Seattle, WA
2005 SLK350, Mars Red - Tan Interiors
Rattle in the Back
Originally Posted by Shinigami
There are 3 reasons why your car could rattle:
1) Seat belt buckle is not seated ON the seat, but rather between the seat and the door, where it vibrates against the side of the seat that is not covered by leather.
2) There is a problem with the lock mechanism on some cars that were delivered. A piece was installed upside down and this causes rattling when you drive. This can be fixed.
3) The roof may indeed be broken and rattles. The roof mechanism has multiple points where screws are used to seat it in place where it functions correctly. One, or several of these screws may be loose and needs to be fastened correctly. You may additionally have seated the safety net incorrectly which results in a rattling noise...
1) Seat belt buckle is not seated ON the seat, but rather between the seat and the door, where it vibrates against the side of the seat that is not covered by leather.
2) There is a problem with the lock mechanism on some cars that were delivered. A piece was installed upside down and this causes rattling when you drive. This can be fixed.
3) The roof may indeed be broken and rattles. The roof mechanism has multiple points where screws are used to seat it in place where it functions correctly. One, or several of these screws may be loose and needs to be fastened correctly. You may additionally have seated the safety net incorrectly which results in a rattling noise...
I have a small rattle, that only occurs on the drivers side. Sounds like it is coming behind my left ear, right behind the roll bar.
It ONLY occurs when the top is down, but only SOMETIMES when the top is down. If it is not occurring with the top down, then it will not occur as long as I keep the top down. If it is occurring, then it will not go away until I put the top up. If I do put the top up, and then back down again I can usually get it to go away; and as I said, once it is gone, it is gone at least until the next time I put the top back up or down again.
Thus it seems to be related to some variability in the particular putting the top down event. I would say it occurs about half the times I put the top down. So if I put the top back up and down again, I have about a 50% chance of making it go away.
Has anyone experienced anything like this. Could it be either #2 or #3 above? (Does not seem likely given its intermittent nature, linked to the top going down.)
What is the "safety net" referred to above? Do you mean the black mesh wind screen that goes between the roll bars?
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Athens, Greece
'05 SLK 200
Maverick, I have the exact same problem as you do. I have 8,000 km on the car and the problem developed 1,000 km ago. The knocking sound is louder when the roof is closed, when the roof is open, i can't hear the knocking sound so much due the surrounding noise. I can even hear the noise when i step on the gas suddendly. I have noticed that the knocking sound is been created even when i go on low speeds over minor bumps on the road. It only stops when i open my door (while driving on low speeds over bumps), so i guess the sound is coming out apparently from the door when its closed. I checked for loose screws at the locking area but eveything seems to be in place. The sound is kind of annoying isn't it.
Last edited by DE VOSS; Jul 21, 2005 at 04:52 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Lausanne, Switzerland
SLK 55 AMG
There's been some talk about the rattling in the other MB forum, and this rattling is either the seat belt buckle rattling against the side of the passenger seat (assuming the driver always buckles up), or the lock mechanism of the door, which was installed upside down on some of the cars (and requires a remounting of the lock).
I suggest you guys get hold of your dealer and have them verify at least this at first. It shouldn't be hard to verify, and it's a known issue confirmed by several people.
Finally, it could be a part of the roof which rattles, so if the previous fixes don't fix it, time to do a throughout diagnostic.
Good luck
I suggest you guys get hold of your dealer and have them verify at least this at first. It shouldn't be hard to verify, and it's a known issue confirmed by several people.
Finally, it could be a part of the roof which rattles, so if the previous fixes don't fix it, time to do a throughout diagnostic.
Good luck
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Seattle, WA
2005 SLK350, Mars Red - Tan Interiors
Originally Posted by DE VOSS
Maverick, I have the exact same problem as you do. I have 8,000 km on the car and the problem developed 1,000 km ago. The knocking sound is louder when the roof is closed, ... The sound is kind of annoying isn't it.
Shinigami: Thanks for the help. I know it is not the seatbelt-- the sound is on my side, the passenger belt is sitting in the middle of the seat, and I am wearing my belt.
The reason I don't think it is the door, is that I have tried locking and unlocking the door when it the rattle is present, and that does not seem to change anything. Also, I have trouble believing it a rattle coming from the door lock would only be present when the top was down.
I'll have the dealer look at it when I take it in next time (when the iPod interface becomes available), but knowing the nature of rattles, it will be impossible to reproduce as soon as I drive across the dealer's driveway. (Or did that only happen with MG-B's?) I was just hoping someone else might have had and solved the same problem.
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From: Clifton, VA
2005 SLK350 - firemist red & beige interior
Originally Posted by Maverick
Also, I have trouble believing it a rattle coming from the door lock would only be present when the top was down.
If the rattle is caused by the door lock latch and/or striker plate as described elsewhere on this forum, (and remedied by various tape(s) and lubricant(s) applied by MB service techs), then maybe the rattle happens with the top down because there is just enough body rigidity lost without the top up that the door latch and catch flex just a hair, too? I could be wrong. (I usually am!)
...Karl
ps. I experience the same unpredictable rattle phenom you're describing, too.
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From: Seattle, WA
2005 SLK350, Mars Red - Tan Interiors
Originally Posted by KarlS
...then maybe the rattle happens with the top down because there is just enough body rigidity lost without the top up that the door latch and catch flex just a hair, too?
Honestly though, I think the sound is slightly further aft than the door. It really sounds like it is near the rear windowlet, or just behind that.
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clunking noise
I have this problem too (I think it's the same problem) - I only notice the clunking noice when I'm stopped or at very slow speeds and it's not all of the time. I found another thread (sorry, can't remember if it was even in this discussion group) that said that the dealer replaced the "vent valve" and the "charcoal canister recirculation valve" - the dealer did the recirculation valve on mine as well and that worked for a few months.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Seattle, WA
2005 SLK350, Mars Red - Tan Interiors
Originally Posted by mnt
I have this problem too (I think it's the same problem) - I only notice the clunking noice when I'm stopped or at very slow speeds
