Super Charger Chirp from Clutch. Useful info Hope it helps
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Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 171
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From: CT
2005 E55
Super Charger Chirp from Clutch. Useful info Hope it helps
Sorry for the long post but I had a lot of details and info i didnt want to leave out. Just trying to help people find some answers
I have a 2005 E55 and it has the famous supercharger chirp. I brought it to a dealer and they didnt want to fix it under warranty and said it was normal. So I brought it to an independent shop that has been around for 30years and only works on Mercedes. As soon as I told him about the problem he said that is a problem on all Mercedes with a Kompressor and its not a problem with the clutch. He said the clutch is designed to engage instantly and the belt slips a bit trying to catchup and thats where the chirp comes from.
He inspected my clutch and said nothing was wrong with it. He did say that a bad belt or a bad tensioner pulley make the chirp louder than it should be. He checked my tensioner pulley and it was wobling which is bad and that wore out the belt prematuraly. I changed the belt and pulley and the chirp is not as loud.
But he said there is a fix for the chirp to get rid of it all together. About 2 years ago Mercedes came up with a new clutch design that got totally rid of the chirp. They started installing it halfway into the 2006 production year. So some 2006s have it and some dont. But the clutch is identical to the original it just engages slower and slips a little. Instead of engaging instantly it takes a couple of seconds to lock and doesnt make the belt slip. He said you actually loose a couple of tenths in the 1/4mile if you change the clutch because of that delay.
He said he would change the clutch with the updated 2006 clutch but since he knows im into performance he suggested i dont because i wont be happy with the results.
He said the only reason why mercedes came up with the new design was to keep all of the complainers of the chirping noise happy. But there is nothing wrong with the original design other than that it locks instantly for max performance. He also said that if and when my supercharger clutch does go bad the old design where it locks instantly is no longer available and I will be stuck with the new design but that the original clutch can last up to 100,000miles.
I beleive The guy considering the experience he has with benzs and the fact that he could have changed my clutch and made money but told me not to.
I have a 2005 E55 and it has the famous supercharger chirp. I brought it to a dealer and they didnt want to fix it under warranty and said it was normal. So I brought it to an independent shop that has been around for 30years and only works on Mercedes. As soon as I told him about the problem he said that is a problem on all Mercedes with a Kompressor and its not a problem with the clutch. He said the clutch is designed to engage instantly and the belt slips a bit trying to catchup and thats where the chirp comes from.
He inspected my clutch and said nothing was wrong with it. He did say that a bad belt or a bad tensioner pulley make the chirp louder than it should be. He checked my tensioner pulley and it was wobling which is bad and that wore out the belt prematuraly. I changed the belt and pulley and the chirp is not as loud.
But he said there is a fix for the chirp to get rid of it all together. About 2 years ago Mercedes came up with a new clutch design that got totally rid of the chirp. They started installing it halfway into the 2006 production year. So some 2006s have it and some dont. But the clutch is identical to the original it just engages slower and slips a little. Instead of engaging instantly it takes a couple of seconds to lock and doesnt make the belt slip. He said you actually loose a couple of tenths in the 1/4mile if you change the clutch because of that delay.
He said he would change the clutch with the updated 2006 clutch but since he knows im into performance he suggested i dont because i wont be happy with the results.
He said the only reason why mercedes came up with the new design was to keep all of the complainers of the chirping noise happy. But there is nothing wrong with the original design other than that it locks instantly for max performance. He also said that if and when my supercharger clutch does go bad the old design where it locks instantly is no longer available and I will be stuck with the new design but that the original clutch can last up to 100,000miles.
I beleive The guy considering the experience he has with benzs and the fact that he could have changed my clutch and made money but told me not to.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,143
Likes: 1
From: South Orange County, CA
4 wheels
Sorry for the long post but I had a lot of details and info i didnt want to leave out. Just trying to help people find some answers
I have a 2005 E55 and it has the famous supercharger chirp. I brought it to a dealer and they didnt want to fix it under warranty and said it was normal. So I brought it to an independent shop that has been around for 30years and only works on Mercedes. As soon as I told him about the problem he said that is a problem on all Mercedes with a Kompressor and its not a problem with the clutch. He said the clutch is designed to engage instantly and the belt slips a bit trying to catchup and thats where the chirp comes from.
He inspected my clutch and said nothing was wrong with it. He did say that a bad belt or a bad tensioner pulley make the chirp louder than it should be. He checked my tensioner pulley and it was wobling which is bad and that wore out the belt prematuraly. I changed the belt and pulley and the chirp is not as loud.
But he said there is a fix for the chirp to get rid of it all together. About 2 years ago Mercedes came up with a new clutch design that got totally rid of the chirp. They started installing it halfway into the 2006 production year. So some 2006s have it and some dont. But the clutch is identical to the original it just engages slower and slips a little. Instead of engaging instantly it takes a couple of seconds to lock and doesnt make the belt slip. He said you actually loose a couple of tenths in the 1/4mile if you change the clutch because of that delay.
He said he would change the clutch with the updated 2006 clutch but since he knows im into performance he suggested i dont because i wont be happy with the results.
He said the only reason why mercedes came up with the new design was to keep all of the complainers of the chirping noise happy. But there is nothing wrong with the original design other than that it locks instantly for max performance. He also said that if and when my supercharger clutch does go bad the old design where it locks instantly is no longer available and I will be stuck with the new design but that the original clutch can last up to 100,000miles.
I beleive The guy considering the experience he has with benzs and the fact that he could have changed my clutch and made money but told me not to.
I have a 2005 E55 and it has the famous supercharger chirp. I brought it to a dealer and they didnt want to fix it under warranty and said it was normal. So I brought it to an independent shop that has been around for 30years and only works on Mercedes. As soon as I told him about the problem he said that is a problem on all Mercedes with a Kompressor and its not a problem with the clutch. He said the clutch is designed to engage instantly and the belt slips a bit trying to catchup and thats where the chirp comes from.
He inspected my clutch and said nothing was wrong with it. He did say that a bad belt or a bad tensioner pulley make the chirp louder than it should be. He checked my tensioner pulley and it was wobling which is bad and that wore out the belt prematuraly. I changed the belt and pulley and the chirp is not as loud.
But he said there is a fix for the chirp to get rid of it all together. About 2 years ago Mercedes came up with a new clutch design that got totally rid of the chirp. They started installing it halfway into the 2006 production year. So some 2006s have it and some dont. But the clutch is identical to the original it just engages slower and slips a little. Instead of engaging instantly it takes a couple of seconds to lock and doesnt make the belt slip. He said you actually loose a couple of tenths in the 1/4mile if you change the clutch because of that delay.
He said he would change the clutch with the updated 2006 clutch but since he knows im into performance he suggested i dont because i wont be happy with the results.
He said the only reason why mercedes came up with the new design was to keep all of the complainers of the chirping noise happy. But there is nothing wrong with the original design other than that it locks instantly for max performance. He also said that if and when my supercharger clutch does go bad the old design where it locks instantly is no longer available and I will be stuck with the new design but that the original clutch can last up to 100,000miles.
I beleive The guy considering the experience he has with benzs and the fact that he could have changed my clutch and made money but told me not to.
Good information indeed.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,394
Likes: 6
From: San Diego
2015 S212
Very nice post, especially the intent of sharing info!!
Just to clarify a few things. I am not attacking your independent service one bit, but the conspiracy theory isn't exactly right.
MB did update the clutch pack, beginning on all '06s made in '06. My '05 had the "old" style and my '06 has the "new" style. The reason for the change wasn't complaints, but rather burnt clutchs. These clutches are electromagnetic AND centrifugal. As the clutch springs wear, the clutch engages at higher RPMs which adds stress (heat) and tends to wear the other pulleys quickly.
The new clutch pack is not much different. It also wears, but not as fast.
I don't know that there is any evidence on the performance differences and judging by the digs I'd say there isn't any. Once you "prime" the SC with a little throttle, it locks up much faster. Mine only gets dull if I really keep the revs low and steady.
Last thing, there needs to be some clarification between the SC chirp and belt slip in general. The chirp is very normal and very similar to a bird. The slip is more of a shreek and is NOT normal. The car makes the squeel if you stomp the throttle then let go as the SC begins to wind up.
Long story short, take a look at the clutch pack. If the dark metal looks blueish, then it is a sign of extreme heat that comes from slipping. If not, you are good.
Just to clarify a few things. I am not attacking your independent service one bit, but the conspiracy theory isn't exactly right.
MB did update the clutch pack, beginning on all '06s made in '06. My '05 had the "old" style and my '06 has the "new" style. The reason for the change wasn't complaints, but rather burnt clutchs. These clutches are electromagnetic AND centrifugal. As the clutch springs wear, the clutch engages at higher RPMs which adds stress (heat) and tends to wear the other pulleys quickly.
The new clutch pack is not much different. It also wears, but not as fast.
I don't know that there is any evidence on the performance differences and judging by the digs I'd say there isn't any. Once you "prime" the SC with a little throttle, it locks up much faster. Mine only gets dull if I really keep the revs low and steady.
Last thing, there needs to be some clarification between the SC chirp and belt slip in general. The chirp is very normal and very similar to a bird. The slip is more of a shreek and is NOT normal. The car makes the squeel if you stomp the throttle then let go as the SC begins to wind up.
Long story short, take a look at the clutch pack. If the dark metal looks blueish, then it is a sign of extreme heat that comes from slipping. If not, you are good.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: CT
2005 E55
Very nice post, especially the intent of sharing info!!
Just to clarify a few things. I am not attacking your independent service one bit, but the conspiracy theory isn't exactly right.
MB did update the clutch pack, beginning on all '06s made in '06. My '05 had the "old" style and my '06 has the "new" style. The reason for the change wasn't complaints, but rather burnt clutchs. These clutches are electromagnetic AND centrifugal. As the clutch springs wear, the clutch engages at higher RPMs which adds stress (heat) and tends to wear the other pulleys quickly.
The new clutch pack is not much different. It also wears, but not as fast.
I don't know that there is any evidence on the performance differences and judging by the digs I'd say there isn't any. Once you "prime" the SC with a little throttle, it locks up much faster. Mine only gets dull if I really keep the revs low and steady.
Last thing, there needs to be some clarification between the SC chirp and belt slip in general. The chirp is very normal and very similar to a bird. The slip is more of a shreek and is NOT normal. The car makes the squeel if you stomp the throttle then let go as the SC begins to wind up.
Long story short, take a look at the clutch pack. If the dark metal looks blueish, then it is a sign of extreme heat that comes from slipping. If not, you are good.
Just to clarify a few things. I am not attacking your independent service one bit, but the conspiracy theory isn't exactly right.
MB did update the clutch pack, beginning on all '06s made in '06. My '05 had the "old" style and my '06 has the "new" style. The reason for the change wasn't complaints, but rather burnt clutchs. These clutches are electromagnetic AND centrifugal. As the clutch springs wear, the clutch engages at higher RPMs which adds stress (heat) and tends to wear the other pulleys quickly.
The new clutch pack is not much different. It also wears, but not as fast.
I don't know that there is any evidence on the performance differences and judging by the digs I'd say there isn't any. Once you "prime" the SC with a little throttle, it locks up much faster. Mine only gets dull if I really keep the revs low and steady.
Last thing, there needs to be some clarification between the SC chirp and belt slip in general. The chirp is very normal and very similar to a bird. The slip is more of a shreek and is NOT normal. The car makes the squeel if you stomp the throttle then let go as the SC begins to wind up.
Long story short, take a look at the clutch pack. If the dark metal looks blueish, then it is a sign of extreme heat that comes from slipping. If not, you are good.
Thanks for the additional info. I actually didnt have the belt squeel when I let off the throttle after the peddle was to the floor. Do you know what causes that? Is that the sign of a bad clutch or is at a whole other problem?
ALso you stated to look for the bluing of the black metal. Where do i look for this? Do you mean the clutch pulley where it contacts the belt? Not sure where to look.
By the way is it true that the 06s have no chirp? Does yours chirp at all. How does it compare to the feel of your 2005? Does it feel as fast right out of the dig say at 2k rpm?
Thanks in advance.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,394
Likes: 6
From: San Diego
2015 S212
Thanks for the additional info. I actually didnt have the belt squeel when I let off the throttle after the peddle was to the floor. Do you know what causes that? Is that the sign of a bad clutch or is at a whole other problem?
That really isn't a problem. it is bad driving. You have lots of power and can't just wind it up and then let go. It just shows how much power and weight we are dealing with.
ALso you stated to look for the bluing of the black metal. Where do i look for this? Do you mean the clutch pulley where it contacts the belt? Not sure where to look.
Look on the clutch pack housing. NOT the top pulley, but right behind it, like a neck. It is normally black.
By the way is it true that the 06s have no chirp? Does yours chirp at all. How does it compare to the feel of your 2005? Does it feel as fast right out of the dig say at 2k rpm?
Mine chirps very little. My '05 chirpped every time (but I liked it). The feel is more responsive on the '06, since it was engaging much quicker early on. That meant the difference between the clutch spinning and the belt isn't as much and so no chirp. Powerwise, I'd take the '06 from a dig over anything. It simply jumps out, but I have the largest pulley out now, too.
Thanks in advance.
That really isn't a problem. it is bad driving. You have lots of power and can't just wind it up and then let go. It just shows how much power and weight we are dealing with.
ALso you stated to look for the bluing of the black metal. Where do i look for this? Do you mean the clutch pulley where it contacts the belt? Not sure where to look.
Look on the clutch pack housing. NOT the top pulley, but right behind it, like a neck. It is normally black.
By the way is it true that the 06s have no chirp? Does yours chirp at all. How does it compare to the feel of your 2005? Does it feel as fast right out of the dig say at 2k rpm?
Mine chirps very little. My '05 chirpped every time (but I liked it). The feel is more responsive on the '06, since it was engaging much quicker early on. That meant the difference between the clutch spinning and the belt isn't as much and so no chirp. Powerwise, I'd take the '06 from a dig over anything. It simply jumps out, but I have the largest pulley out now, too.
Thanks in advance.
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From: South Carolina
2005 E55 ///AMG
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Georgia
E 63S Wagon Renntech, E55 Renntech, SL65, SL 55 030, ML, bunch of old ones--they come, they go...
Just a little more info....
my Wagon was hooking up quite abruptly. I compleined about it on the RO, and the tech and the SA both looked, but there is no TSB or campaign SPECIFICALLY for rough engagement, at least that we can find between the three of us. There IS a TSB about the chirp, so that's what you frequently have to complain about to get results. More importantly, here is what made the biggest difference in my car (which is an 05 with 12/04 production)--the transmission mounts were broken. I've seen it mentioned here before, but I cannot believe how much difference it made in the smoothness. If the mounts on your 55 have not been checked or replaced, I would encourage you do so. Just FYI.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: CT
2005 E55
Jangy thanks for the advice. I listened to you and had my clutch changed. Got it back tonite and it feels like a different car. very smoth no chirp at all.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,394
Likes: 6
From: San Diego
2015 S212
