..either thru warranty or your own doing? I think I've got my clunk narrowed down to that or my engine mounts....If you've changed either, would you let me know? And what was the problem that precipitated that? Thanks for the info....

 

Really? Not engine mounts either? I can see that some of you have had it
done another posts...tell me your symptoms..

 

I m sorry, my friend, but your post is not very informative. You need to describe what you see, hear, feel in what conditions. For example, acceleration, going over bumps, cornering, breaking. We have little to go on here. Also tell us what the vehicle it is.

 

If you have been following, there have been numerous posts about front end noises for months. About the only things I have not replaced are the front struts and the engine mounts.I'm

​ looking to determine, for those who have had these items replaced (particularly under warranty), what the symptoms were on your RO, and what the tech says was your fix.15 63s with barely 30k miles.my symptoms are a remarkably "loose" front end, though it tracks perfectly straight,, and a nasty rubber/metallic "click" forward of the hood. It's ruining my good time completely.
Better now?

 

Regarding the nasty click, if it is the engine mounts, you should sense rough idle (vibrations). I recommend to open the hood, look through the bottom opening, and sharply rev the engine a few times. If the engine tries to jump out of the bay (typically on the driver's side), then it most certainly is the failed engine mount. You may also want to drop the bottom panels and examine engine mounts for visible damage and check fasteners. Does the click occur on acceleration, deceleration, extreme breaking, over bumps? You may want to look for something loose like a forgotten wrench or something that fell into the bumper cover, grille, or between the radiators. An inexpensive bore camera can help.

Loose front end could relate to the front struts. Recommend to check visible leaks, by which I mean wet/dirty parts of the front struts. Best is to raise the vehicle and take off wheels to examine with flashlight. For what it's worth, I replaced front airbags/struts on W211 M156 and X164 M273 to address wear around 45K. Clunk sound on X164 and failing airmatic (compression) on W211. After the replacements, the clunk was gone, and cornering improved, but not a whole lot. Different suspension though. Also recommend to reflect on your configuration: rim size, tire aggressiveness, tire pressure. Without knowing your config, I can tell that going from a UHP stiff summer tire to an all-season soft tire can feel like a different car.

Hope this helps.

 

I was getting clicking from one of my front strut mounts. There is a TSB about it.

 

Already done it. Both sides. Thanks for trying...

 

At this point, the noise is getting stronger. That leads me to believe it is likely the engine mounts. This is a pretty big thunk, which makes me think that the entire engine assembly is moving up and down on impacts. But no strange vibration at idle. Maybe I'm just immune to it at this point.
It seems ridiculous at 30k miles to me, but suppose it is possible. I guess I need the trans mount too, any other suggestions?

 

Agreed, 30K miles for engine mounts is a very short life span. In my experience, the trans mount is rarely affected and can likely be left alone at 30K. Does the 'thunk' sound happen when you let off throttle? Were you able to test with open hood?

 

no offense intended sir, and I hope none taken....but although this is an aggravating situation, the steps you have mentioned are the most rudimentary ones. Yes, they should be carried out, but in a nice way, we passed those steps 5 minutes after the car was first in the air. .
Still, the problem persists..
If you have been watching, you are aware that several folks here have had engine mounts replaced under warranty (some with less miles than me--(this is the Mercedes of the new millenium you know, not the old one that cared), and some under their own expense. I am trying to determine if, after the replacement, what their RO from the dealer states, if any help at all. It has nothing to do with all weather tires, pressures, etc.
The 212 has sort of unusual engine mounts that really cannot be adjudged visually without removal. Trying to get as much info as I can before we replace.. Again, no insult intended, I've just been dealing with performance suspensions for over 40 years, and have never run into something quite like this.
Thanks for trying. .

 

You got it. No problem. Saying nothing is the easiest, but this is not what you seemingly need being frustrated and all. Once, I had the same crap with A/C, and after months of diagnosis and recharging, decided to take the gunshot approach and replace the most likely to least likely. Two dealers advised against it, but I went ahead and replaced the A/C compressor which fixed the issue. Moral is that sometimes there is not enough data to go on, and it may be time to bite the bullet. Sorry.

 

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate your trying and if you didn't know me, I would have said the same thing. I am just so aggravated with it at this point that i"m willing to throw the kitchen sink at it as the racedrviers do...
It make s such a loud thunk that it leeads me to believe the problem is something heavy moving around, hence the engine mounts..
If you have anymore good thoughts I appreciate them...

 

First, my last car was a w211 55 and I chased a front clunk for a while and ultimately it was within the shocks. It was the sas valves and not something visually or das determinable. Took the approach to replace a “good” shock with different newer used shock. Clunk went away. As those shocks wore, the clunks returned. That car also ate engine mounts, VERY quickly.

Is that perhaps another reason we do not have front airmatic? Don’t know but I wonder.

So on to the 212. I have a 13 63s wagon (USA). This car has a very similar front clunk. I first had my trusted mechanic and race car teacher and track time mechanic tell me he MAYBE could attribute it to a sway bar end link.

I bought the car last August and it’s clunked since. After having some pdr, paint, and other little body issues fixed at a certified Mercedes center, I actually found out they also performed the recall for steering bolts. I found this out by going to Mercedes and saying “please inspect this And please perform the recall” I was alerted that the bolts were replaced but not the steering rack. I said I am a blank check with a full platinum fidelity warranty, please find a problem. I left it with them for two days, they could not find the problem. They were unwilling to even charge me. I also had them recheck and they still did not charge me. I did not buy the vehicle from this dealership either. Top-notch service but no answer to the problem.

I have suspected engine mounts, front struts, and the swaybar link. Due to covid and a terrible back, I have not done the link yet.

As an aside, I live in Baltimore County and work in the city and the roads are some of the worst in the nation that I travel through so it’s either drive the old SUV every day or drive the car that I love and know that the suspension is not going to last very long. The combination of the stiffness and the roads will always do this in My case.

And my very last thing that leads me to believe it is possibly related to the engine mounts is that sometimes I feel a brake pump as the transmission down shifts, the brake pedal pumps up and I feel the same type of looseness as if something leaped underneath. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt in any car but I think is attributed to the mct...

Hope that helps at all. I’d love to know if mounts do the trick. My engine moves a tiny bit.

TLDR. Shocks, sway bar end link, motor mounts and steering rack.

gary

 

Interesting experience, Gary. Totally agree about road condition in most of MD. I wonder if the sway bar links could give anything like what is described. In my experience, they rattle especially at low speed and over washboard surface. I would place sway bar links at bottom in the list of suspects. To that end, here is a list of issues on my mind. I know that some of this may have been looked at already:
.

1. Shocks
2. Shock mounts
3. Lower control arm ball joints
4. Lower control arm bushings
5. Engine mounts
6. Steering column to rack u-joint
7. Sway bar bushings
8. Steering end rods
9. Sway bar links

 

Thank you Gary, I don't feel so crazy now....but still no solution. It's gotta be in the engine mounts or struts...

 

I had a clunk that ended up being an engine mount and trans mount. The clunk occurred when i accelerated, I could feel through the accelerator pedal as well. This was at 45K miles.

 

I feel like we have it noarrowed down to struts and /or engine mounts. Either way, that's a pretty sad statement of durability on a Mercedes Benz.
Mine show up primarily on impacts, like pavement changes, potholes, even small debris in the road.
Did you get a look at your faulty engine mount? It looks like the centers of them just give up. And I always do the trans mount too.

Thanks again for the info. You did feel an appreciable inprovement I suspect? and your noise is gone or nearly so?

 

Does FCP or others have the engine mounts?
i don't know anywhere to buy the struts except the dealer...

 

East coast euro llc makes upgraded mounts.

 

I had a similar issue with a distinct clunk when going over typically small to very small bumps. I had MB diagnose the problem and could only identify that something was faulty within the strut assembly.
Yesterday I had the strut and top mount replaced and the problem has completely gone. Not sure exactly what component within the assembly was faulty but definitely a strut assembly issue.

 

We replaced both the strut tower mounts about 6 months ago, but no change. I'm feeling more confident that the noise is in the struts itself, or perhaps the motor mounts..
Thanks again....

 

If you are changing the motor mounts, obviously change out the trans mount as well. That is the only part that has made noises in my car when there are quick elevation changes on the roads (or some bumps). However, I think your problem might be the struts themselves

 

Sill not to do the trans mount while you're there. I see that some people have had an issue with the angle that the trans mount is allowing re: the drive shaft, and I' guess I'll look at that too.

Thanks for your responses guys, all info is good info...