W210 E320 V6 - ticking/tinkling noise from footwell

B

bigalxyz

Guest
Hello forum.

I own a 1997 W210 E320 with the V6 engine.

Engine only has 80k miles & seems to run very nicely, but there's one thing that concerns me a bit.

Sometimes, under acceleration or when going uphill (so that I'm pushing firmly on the throttle) I hear a faint but noticeable fast ticking/tinkling noise. The harder I push on the throttle, the more noticeable the noise is. And yet it only happens occasionally - it's hard to reproduce.

At first I thought it might be pinking - it's a similar sound, although what doesn't add up is that it sounds like it's coming from the footwell (or behind the footwell) rather than from the main engine block. And do modern (if 1997 can be called modern!) cars suffer from pinking anyway?

Also the sound is very regular - a fast, regular rhythm - whereas pinking (as I know it from the knackered old Fiat that I drove in the late 80s) was a more irregular, erratic sound.

Grateful for any suggestions. Maybe it's normal. There are no other signs of trouble with the engine - it revs smoothly, has plenty of power, doesn't misfire, etc.

Thanks.
Alan.
 

Triv

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Messages
1,166
Reaction score
0
Location
Bristol
Your Mercedes
A brace of s210 1998 e300 turborustbuckets. Toyota HiLux Surf kzn185 3.0L
Is it vacuum related?
Try changing the ventilation flap positions (the right hand knob) whilst driving around, to see if the sound goes away. It may be a stuck flap.
Look through my posts / search for 'ticking noise from passenger foot well'. There are videos of it, with sound, on YouTube.
I've discovered that the noise seems to go away after a reset (presumably on star), by an Indie.
After a while the sound returns. My valve replacement did nothing!

I also have a rhythmical tinkling that seems to come from the transmission tunnel area but is generally heard when cold and moving slowly.
I assumed it was something touching the propshaft, handbrake cable perhaps?
 

rpe2

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
2,866
Reaction score
3
Age
46
Location
Silchester
Your Mercedes
His: 2018 E220 d; Hers: 2016 SMAX
Cat breaking up?
 
OP
B

bigalxyz

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
@Triv - thanks, had a play with the ventilation controls. Was able to hear the ticking noise fairly faintly, but when I moved the airflow around using the right hand knob, it didn't make any difference

@rpe2 - not sure - is the noise that I described consistent with that? (I don't know the first thing about cats, I will happily admit) Any way of knowing (without expensive garage bills!)?
 

rpe2

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
2,866
Reaction score
3
Age
46
Location
Silchester
Your Mercedes
His: 2018 E220 d; Hers: 2016 SMAX
It's easy to check on a ramp, give the cat a thump.
 

shah2105

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
120
Reaction score
0
Location
London, Docklands
Your Mercedes
Mercedes C240 Sport W202 1999 (Obsidian Black)
Hello forum.

I own a 1997 W210 E320 with the V6 engine.

Engine only has 80k miles & seems to run very nicely, but there's one thing that concerns me a bit.

Sometimes, under acceleration or when going uphill (so that I'm pushing firmly on the throttle) I hear a faint but noticeable fast ticking/tinkling noise. The harder I push on the throttle, the more noticeable the noise is. And yet it only happens occasionally - it's hard to reproduce.

At first I thought it might be pinking - it's a similar sound, although what doesn't add up is that it sounds like it's coming from the footwell (or behind the footwell) rather than from the main engine block. And do modern (if 1997 can be called modern!) cars suffer from pinking anyway?

Also the sound is very regular - a fast, regular rhythm - whereas pinking (as I know it from the knackered old Fiat that I drove in the late 80s) was a more irregular, erratic sound.

Grateful for any suggestions. Maybe it's normal. There are no other signs of trouble with the engine - it revs smoothly, has plenty of power, doesn't misfire, etc.

Thanks.
Alan.

Are you sure it is coming from the footwell if so, which one?
Assuming it is drivers side,
Check the headlight adjuster switch on different settings whilst driving and accelerte a bit hard to see if there is a difference in the ticking/tinkling noise.

I had a similar problem, under hard acceleration there was this ticking noise it took me a while to figure it out, in the end it turned out to be the headlight adjuster switch. All I did was change it to a different setting (so my headlights point more downwards) and the noise went away I never bothered changing the switch.

Hope this helps
 
OP
B

bigalxyz

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Thanks - yes, sounds like footwell or the area behind the footwell. Driver's side. Will try headlight adjustment idea although...why would that result in a noise that varies with throttle pressure/engine load? *scratches head*
 

shah2105

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
120
Reaction score
0
Location
London, Docklands
Your Mercedes
Mercedes C240 Sport W202 1999 (Obsidian Black)
Thanks - yes, sounds like footwell or the area behind the footwell. Driver's side. Will try headlight adjustment idea although...why would that result in a noise that varies with throttle pressure/engine load? *scratches head*

Yes I scrathed my head too and have less hair for it lol

I think its the vibration that effects the switch (10 - 15 years old) in a particular way so that it makes this annoying ticking noise, I mean it did to mine anyway.
 

bigasotonuk

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
5,331
Reaction score
58
Age
56
Location
Southampton UK
Your Mercedes
C43/55 AMG 1999 / C230K 1997
Thanks - yes, sounds like footwell or the area behind the footwell. Driver's side. Will try headlight adjustment idea although...why would that result in a noise that varies with throttle pressure/engine load? *scratches head*

As previously said this is almost certainly one of the lower cats breaking up. Unless the noise really annoys you leave it. If you want to fix it you can either replace it or get the guts removed from both your lower cats, it will still pass the emissions as the upper two cats can cope more than adequetly.
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
The source of the noise will be what it will be, and I have no better guesses, but...

Sometimes it is just the lower steering column gaiter that is split, which allows a LOT of noise up from the footwell, and is a common issue on the W210.
The noise may be normal for the engine bay (impossible to quantify without hearing it), but more pronounced in the cabin because of that gaiter.
 
Last edited:

Avantgarde Automotive, Mercedes-Benz and SLR McLaren specialists. Service, repairs, diagnosis and motorsport preparation.
Unit 14 Hither Green Trading Estate, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6XU Tel: 01275 217270 Email:steve@avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
www.avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
Top Bottom