Roof rattles & creaks on R230

[H1 NPW]

Hi

My local MB independent has given me the response of "they all do that" to this problem but I find it hard to believe that MB would have signed the car off for production with the racket that my roof makes when it's up!

I've ordered some Gummi Pflege to put on the seals after reading other threads. This may cure the creaking, but I can't believe that it will cure the rattling.

Can anyone give me any advice?

Cheers
Nigel

 

[LostKiwi]

They do all do that I'm afraid!

 

[flowrider]

My roof doesn't rattle unless i mistakenly go over a pothole. Check that the front roof catches engage properly.

 

[Blobcat]

As per above although some are worse than others. Normal fix is turn the radio up...

 

[LostKiwi]

As per above although some are worse than others. Normal fix is turn the radio up...

My normal fix is put the roof down!

 

[Blobcat]

My normal fix is put the roof down!

I put mine up for parking (most of the time)

 

[LostKiwi]

I put mine up for parking (most of the time)

Doesn't rattle when it's parked!

 

[John Laidlaw]

My 230 had the roof down on any available occasion - with it up it had more rattles than Mothercare

 

[ajlsl600]

i must have been lucky a number of r230 things irritated me but roof rattle never seemed to be an issue there are a number of posts on how to mitigate this as much as possible.

 

[SL63 Mark]

My roof does not rattle. I have had the car seven years and it has never rattled or squeaked to date. OK there was a squeak a couple of years ago, but gummi pfeldge cured that. It needs treating every few years, or the rubber seals will dry out and crack, which is an expensive job to replace.

 

[noonboots]

This thread appears to contradict all the given fixes of posts from years gone by. If you read them, replacing two bolts somewhere on the C pillars and coating the seals apparently fixes the squeaks and rattles. So is this not the case? My roof creaks and knocks around the passenger side c pillar over rough surfaces. No amount of Krytox on any seals has made an iota of difference to it. I suppose I might try changing those two pivot bolts just for the sake of it. (if I ever pluck up the resolve to talk to the dozy local dealer again to try to order them. )

 

[SL63 Mark]

This thread appears to contradict all the given fixes of posts from years gone by. If you read them, replacing two bolts somewhere on the C pillars and coating the seals apparently fixes the squeaks and rattles. So is this not the case? My roof creaks and knocks around the passenger side c pillar over rough surfaces. No amount of Krytox on any seals has made an iota of difference to it. I suppose I might try changing those two pivot bolts just for the sake of it. (if I ever pluck up the resolve to talk to the dozy local dealer again to try to order them. )

It's usually the rubber seals that make the noise, and an easy fix, so the first thing to try. Don't know anything about bolts somewhere on the C pillars, but there are many nuts, bolts, catches, switches, levers, arms, and cables in the roof , which should not really be messed with, unless you know what you are doing, as you are likely to cause more serious problems.

 

[noonboots]

It's usually the rubber seals that make the noise, and an easy fix, so the first thing to try. Don't know anything about bolts somewhere on the C pillars, but there are many nuts, bolts, catches, switches, levers, arms, and cables in the roof , which should not really be messed with, unless you know what you are doing, as you are likely to cause more serious problems.

Here's the thread that usually gets referred to.
https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/r230-roof-rattle.61071/

 

[SL63 Mark]

Here's the thread that usually gets referred to.
https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/r230-roof-rattle.61071/

See post #18 of Malcolm's thread. Only applies to cars up to the middle of 2003, so not relevant here.

 

[noonboots]

See post #18 of Malcolm's thread. Only applies to cars up to the middle of 2003, so not relevant here.

Nobody has mentioned age here in this thread, unless I've missed it.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Nobody has mentioned age here in this thread, unless I've missed it.

Not on here but I seem to remember 2007 on another thread?
I gummi’d my rubbers so no creaks but the rattles I just couldn’t track down , so as said reverting to having the roof down whenever humanly possible ( but not below -7 of course )

 

[sl500amgsport]

On my R231 I have noticed a slight flex type squeek (hope that is an accurate description) on some road surfaces) and a very light rattle when travelling on rough road surfaces, Gummi was deployed last year on all exposed seals but no perceived difference.

I know it is not unusual as the SLK R171 rattles 70% more and my regular mechanic also told me "all hard tops rattle a bit, just some more than others"....

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[Blobcat]

On my R231 I have noticed a slight flex type squeek (hope that is an accurate description) on some road surfaces) and a very light rattle when travelling on rough road surfaces, Gummi was deployed last year on all exposed seals but no perceived difference.

I know it is not unusual as the SLK R171 rattles 70% more and my regular mechanic also told me "all hard tops rattle a bit, just some more than others"....

Mercedes SL500 R231

No rattles with the top down on the R171 - occasional scream from Pax seat but that is rarely filled...
With top up there can be a few noises until everything finds it's home again but then quiet

 

[00slk]

Luckily we have some of the few none rattling ones
Though my 55 developed a knocking noise from the roof which in turn started to drip water when it rained heavily or we took it through the car wash (please note no more car washing done through the machines these days )
I adjusted the roof mechanism above the passenger sunvisor which killed two birds with one stone, no drips and no knocking noise