Rattle noise C180. Pinking ?

[Chris Bates]

Hi,

I brought my first Merc a year ago C180 w202 1998, Elegance, now with 71K miles on the clock.

Can anyone help please or at least put my mind at rest to the problem?

Over the last month, I have noticed a rattle noise at low revs and the engine is under some load. i.e. idling with air-con on or pulling away slowly. I believe he noise is described as pinking.

The sound appears to be coming from the front of the engine, fan belt area.

Also I have noticed that it's idling slightly rougher than it used to.

Searching the web I have heard talk of a charcoal filter, located under the N/S front wing.

The rattle is the same when the engine is cold or warmed up. Whilst at higher revs the rattle disappears and the engine runs smooth, even when accelerating hard.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?

On a secondary issue, can anyone recommend any reading matter or manuals for the C180 W202?

 

[lackofgrip]

would be interested to find that out myself(for future reference) as i own a C180 on a 1998 plate too. as im a new member i dont know much myself about the engines yet, but reading wise i dont think you can beat a haynes manual.

 

[BUTLINSBAZ]

rattle?

hi, whilst i am by no means anexpert and have asked for advise on this site myself, i have just parted with a 1996 180c elegance and had exactly the same symptoms, it turned out to be a timing chain rattle and was caused by the wear of the timing chain tensioner, alledgedly the tensioner is rubber? and the chain wears a groove in the tensioner, i am open to being told i am wrong or missinformed, but the diagnosis was from a mechanic and not me personally, hope this helps as the symptoms i had sound identical.

 

[television]

hi, whilst i am by no means anexpert and have asked for advise on this site myself, i have just parted with a 1996 180c elegance and had exactly the same symptoms, it turned out to be a timing chain rattle and was caused by the wear of the timing chain tensioner, alledgedly the tensioner is rubber? and the chain wears a groove in the tensioner, i am open to being told i am wrong or missinformed, but the diagnosis was from a mechanic and not me personally, hope this helps as the symptoms i had sound identical.

I was in the middle of writing the same thing about the tensioner when your post came up, It normally is the tensioner.

Malcolm

 

[C220GJS]

First buy a Haynes manual,No.3511 covers your car and is adequate for routine servicing and even more major work after you find your way about your car.
Regarding your noise, slip off the ancillary drive belt and run your engine, if the noise is gone then it is either the water pump or the belt tensioner pulley bearing which is worn, if the noise is still there then it may be the timing chain tensioner but very unlikely on an engine that has only done 71k miles.

 

[Chris Bates]

Thanks.

I am working away at the moment and will have another look when I return home in a week or so. I will also report back, to help others.

 

[Chris Bates]

Update on the problem

It was the tensioner pulley for the auxiliary belt.. You could tell as it made a squeaky noise when it was levered with a socket.

I got a replacement tensioner pulley and fitted it and the engine idles far quieter and smoother. I brought a Haynes manual and a workshop manual on computer DVD from eBay. I found the DVD most helpful as it goes into quite far more detailed drawings than the Haynes manual.

It appears that there are two types of tensioner fitted. One that requires a gas dampener and one that doesn’t. The one that does has an extra hole for the fixing of the dampener.

I found the job easy to do. The bits were £70 and it took me a couple of hours. My advice, have a go.

That was Tuesday.

On Wednesday I parked it on the road outside my house. (As the window fitters had their vans on my drive). And someone drove straight into it. No one was serious hurt, but I suspect my Merc may be written off. It was bad !

 

[television]

So sorry to hear that, if it is written off I do hope that you replace it with a MB

 

[ae1whia]

I know this is an old post but our C180 has the same noise - do you know the MB part numbers?
Cheers
Andy

 

[C220GJS]

Identify your car using the first 6 figures of your Vin No on here ;http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb0.asp?TP=1 ;then work your way in and you will find the part nos. you need.Also you can try ;http://www.eurocarparts.co.uk/;they have a place on the airport freight road just off the Maybury junction.

 

[ae1whia]

Thank you, didn't know they had a place there.

Andy

 

[anyweb]

my car also has this ticking noise, so is it part number 26 in the following?

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...221a232014&CT=M&cat=19K&SID=20&SGR=045&SGN=03

cheers
anyweb

 

[television]

Hi Niall, its 5 in the link

 

[anyweb]

thanks malcolm, but chris said

It was the tensioner pulley for the auxiliary belt.. You could tell as it made a squeaky noise when it was levered with a socket.

I got a replacement tensioner pulley and fitted it and the engine idles far quieter and smoother. I brought a Haynes manual and a workshop manual on computer DVD from eBay. I found the DVD most helpful as it goes into quite far more detailed drawings than the Haynes manual.

It appears that there are two types of tensioner fitted. One that requires a gas dampener and one that doesn’t. The one that does has an extra hole for the fixing of the dampener.

so isnt that part number (the pulley) number 20 in the pic ? or do i need to get part number 5 in the pic replaced to resolve ?

 

[anyweb]

hi guys, as above, what part should i replace to get rid of the ticking sound ? i'd like to talk to my indie about it (was particularly noisey this morning in the cold)

 

[anyweb]

can anyone confirm what I need to replace, i'm confused...

 

[Nuclear Bob]

Hi, this thread interests me in that my C220 CDI W203 now sounds quite rattly on start up. 115000 miles. Is there a similasr tensioner on the W203 diesel?

 

[anyweb]

ok my car is with my local indie today and i asked him to look at this problem while servicing it, he called me over just now and showed me what was the actual problem

it's part number 29 in the following photo

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...221a232014&CT=M&cat=19K&SID=20&SGR=045&SGN=03

pressing it while the engine is running (watch your fingers) completly stops the rattle noise in the engine so he will replace it tomorrow,

just wanted to let you know incase someone else has the same problem

cheers
anyweb

 

[television]

Hi Niall,have not seen this post before,29 in the link , its the damper thats worn out

 

[anyweb]

yeah it is, and i'm looking forward to hearing what the engine sounds like when it's replaced,

is it difficult to replace ?