Whining Noise from the Rear @ 60mph???

[Matt_EClass]

Hi All - As per title! Strange one, Car is a 2001 220cdi 210 Eclass, when crusing at around 60mph I get the sound of a slight whine in the car, and no it aint the missus! It happens when i have my foot on the accelorator pedal maintaining a constant speed. if I lift off the pedal the whine stops, if I re-apply the accelorator the whine starts. At any other speed there is no whine?

Changed the Diff oil at the weekend, had the noise before I changed the diff oil and still have it - although the diff is definately quieter - I still get the whining noise - dont get me wrong its not loud I can just hear it - hopfully theres no trouble brewing??

Thanks

 

[television]

Hello Mathew,,sorry to say the is the pinion bearing on the diff, and not an easy fix

 

[Matt_EClass]

Hi Television thanks for the quick response, Damn, thats not what I wanted to hear!! When you say its not an easy fix .......how not easy? What would have caused it? the car only has 110k on the clock? - Ive had fords and vauxhalls with stacks more miles on them than the Merc and never had issues - is it just bad luck?

Thanks

 

[television]

There is no reason why the odd one fails or gets noisy, towing can cause it.

Its easier to get a diff from a breaker as few firms fit the new bearings now,, the pinion nose cannot be taken off on a MB

 

[Matt_EClass]

Thanks Television - Dont think the cars ever been used for towing - ie dont think a towbars ever been fitted - must just be bad luck!!! The amount of money I need to spend on the old girl is slowley racking up, she needs a B service, some new injectors, a new diff and a new instrument cluster (missing pixels)!!! better get onto Mercman to see if he has a diff - just one last thing, is there any ID marks on the diff to show me its for a 220 cdi?

Thanks

 

[Junes]

I seem to have the same problem on my E240 '99 (100,000 miles) but the whine has become more constant when the car is cruising at a constant speed or when cold. The Merc dealership adviced that changing the oil will make no difference and estimated a R25,000 (~1,750 pound) job to fix it.

The problem is I can't find a s/h replacement diff

 

[television]

Any good engineer should be able to change the pinion bearings, its a matter of unbolting it all and removing the crown wheel ass, fit new pinion bearings and thats it.

The snag with this is that if the car is driven too long then the face of the gears wears and you will never stop any whine, but in most cases a huge improvement can be made

 

[Dale Minton]

Hi Malcolm, and all you other guy's on this topic. My R129 SL320 has the same slight diff whine exactly as described by Matt, in the real world it ain't that bad, but knowing it shouldn't be there is an irritation as it seems to be around such a common cruising speed. The car has done only 55K with it being the 'dream car' for the woman who was its previous owner (I've spoken to her 'bout the car's history, she bought it before it was 12 months old) she certainly wasn't some young highway hooligan who took pleasure in flooring it everywhere, it seems she really did have a pride in it. That aside, I've seen it suggested now on several occassions that such a whine could indeed be nothing more than universal joints (one or both). Could that be true, or at only 55K am I just one of the unlucky ones.

Regards
Dale.

 

[television]

U/J and prop components cannot cause a whine.

The whine is caused by the crown wheel being out of mesh with the pinion. Never heard in the over run as the pinion is forced back to the opposite gear face, they just hum / slight whine.

The set up is different across the years, there are vents either at the dive haft ends on a fixed axle or on IRS the diff casing its self,many have a vent on top because hypoid oil foams when it is hot and over a period of time this can get blocked, and then the oil is forced out through the seals.

We had a post yesterday where this vent was found to be blocked solid.

The oil level should be checked, and there are additives on the market that can improve it

 

[Junes]

Malcolm, the merc dealer said that changing the oil will have no benefit. Other feedback suggested to first change the oil and see if it doesn't solve the problem. Is the E240 (2.4) W210 a sealed unit? Can the oil be changed easily? I've received recommendations to replace the oil with Royal Purple Gear Max (?). Driving a car that is this quiet the sound (whine) is very intrusive.

 

[television]

Why not change it, you have nothing to lose

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.463&CT=F&cat=45P&SID=35&SGR=015&SGN=01

I do not think that there is a drain plug, but it can be sucked out, the last post that I read a good improvement was made and do clean that vent at the same time

 

[Dale Minton]

Malcolm, the diff oil was changed 'bout 2 weeks ago (before anyone asks, it was the right stuff), I will admit that it seemed a tad better, but these things can be in the mind. I'm aware that there are additives available that claim to be beneficial for this sort of thing, but again, opinions seems to differ as to their real efficiency and whether they actually do more harm than good. You mentioned additives on the market - what ones are you referring to and what is your experience/opinions with them technical or otherwise.

Dale.

 

[television]

I am of mixed mind over additives, the diff is not a high tech object we had a post a few weeks back where it was said that a good result was had.

Ask these people

http://www.hardyengineering.co.uk/content_modern.htm

http://www.wimbornemotors.co.uk/

Additives do not put the gears back into mesh, check the prices out, I used to do my own

 

[Dale Minton]

Malcolm, does the 320 R129 have a L.S.D. - (I really should know that) :? because as the whine I have is very slight, I might be tempted to give it a dose of the appropriate MolySlip product, or can you tell me that as well ?

Dale.

 

[television]

I had the 129064 and that did not, and I have no record of LSD on the 12063 they did have a ETC though, but not the same thing

 

[Dale Minton]

Of course! they've got traction control, unlikely to have LSD as well, I'll have to switch it off and give it some large in the damp to make sure. What's the difference between the 129064 and 129063 anyhow ?

 

[television]

Of course! they've got traction control, unlikely to have LSD as well, I'll have to switch it off and give it some large in the damp to make sure. What's the difference between the 129064 and 129063 anyhow ?

The 164 is the V6 and virtually ever thing that was extra on the 164 was thrown in,I believe that 17" wheels became standard, the face lift inside took place for 1996. The 164 came out 08-98 and the car stayed the same to the end of the run in 2001 with just a few cosmetic changes.

Not much difference all in all and some like the inline 6 better

 

[rapide]

diff whine / oil change W 210 ,E230. 1998

Hi, i did post before about the problem i had with a leaky diff and after having seals changed by indie! 9.000mls on slight diff / pinion whine on very light throttle 70mph, dropped the oil only got out 1ltr of black filth, so i got conned! as ex fitter ,mercs in the seventies it smarts a bit! I put in 2ltrs EP80 gear oil with full satchet of moly diff additive great improvement .the car is a good drive but worth nothing and not worth investing large amounts to cure slight whine, buy heavy rock cd play loud enjoy the ride! regards rapido.

 

[Dale Minton]

Thanks for that, mine is one of the very last with the straight six (July 98), I think it's superb unit. I know it's detail, but I prefer the 163 steering wheel design to the latter 164 one, also the classic 8-whole alloys are the ones that suit this car down to the ground, classy. To me, other styles make it look like your try'in to make it something it was never meant to be. My SL's in Silver and I'm blessed with the polished version of the alloys with the centre emblems in blue - looks good.

Dale