Funny noise in 55 plate E350...

[Johnniem]

I purchased a 55 plate E350 in November last year with all the possible buttons and bells. Had some minor niggles sorted by Mercedes under warranty. Nothing much to speak of. However, on start up there is a vibration/pumping/motor noise under the bonnet (not insignificant in noise level) which lasts about 4 - 6 seconds. This, I am told by Mercedes service manager, is the management system pumping the hydraulics for the EBC (?) braking system.

I also have a vibration behind the dashboard (steering wheel area) which I am told is perfectly normal but is, again, quite loud and vibrates the steering wheel every five minutes or so. In fact, when cold the vibration happens two or three times in the first few minutes of pulling away, the first time when in reverse backing out of the drive and then maybe 30 seconds later. In other words, very often. I am assured that this is perfectly normal but I can't get it out of my head that for an expensive saloon it just shouldn't be like that and I am probably being fobbed off. Having had three XJ Jags, all with air con, I know that there is an internal temperature sensor in cars such as these which, in the Jags, make a faint hissing noise. The noise in the E350 is really very loud and frankly can't be right for this sort of car.

Is anyone able to suggest whether or not this is a 'fob off' and if I should push the matter. If you have a 55 plate E Class is this something you have noticed? Any help would be appreciated.

Johnnie M

[angusc43]

The first one sounds like the SBC pump to me. SBC disappeared after the facelift but mine is a Feb 05 pre-facelift (04 plate)and it has SBC and makes the noise. SBC pumps were notoriously unreliable and often got swapped out under warranty, apparently.

It's intermittent, often happens just after start up and sporadically thereafter.

My local indie was laughing at mine the other day when I took it in for a service. I asked him if it was faulty but he said "no they all do that". I've just filed it under "ignore".

Don't what the other noise is, sorry.

BTW is it a 350 petrol? If so, how do you find it? It was also on my shortlist when I got the 500.

Edited by angusc43 on Wednesday 9th March 11:59

[Johnniem]

Thanks Angus. It looks like I have to either hope it fails and gets replaced under warranty before November 2011 or do as you have done and ignore. It just seems such a loud and excessive noise for a manufacturer of luxury cars to think to himself 'yeah, that's all OK and the car is now ready to sell new for £40k+'.

So far the E350 has been good. If truth be told I am more of a Jag man but my passion has been my TVR for the past 4 years and the Merc is a replacement for my wifes A Class. She loves the buttons and bells but I must admit that they can be confusing. Being a bloke the chance of me picking up the manual (which is longer than War and Peace!) is nil. Hence I sit in the car and try to work stuff out. Like, for instance, where is the reset button? No feckin' idea but its fun playing!

Being a former supercharged Jag owner and current TVR enthusiast there is little to say about the performance. It's generally OK and plenty for Mrs JohnnieM. I love the comfort and the miles fade very quickly without fatigue. It does more than we need and I feel safe and cosseted in it. That is all really. In short, its a bit of a eurobox but a very nice one nonetheless.

And yes, it is a petrol version. Getting 33.2 mpg on a run, which isn't too bad I guess!

JohnnieM

Edited by Johnniem on Wednesday 9th March 12:57

[angusc43]

Johnniem said:

Thanks Angus. It looks like I have to either hope it fails and gets replaced under warranty before November 2011 or do as you have done and ignore. It just seems such a loud and excessive noise for a manufacturer of luxury cars to think to himself 'yeah, that's all OK and the car is now ready to sell new for £40k+'.

That's why my indie was laughing. I think he hadn't been in a 211 with SBC for ages and had forgotten how incongrous that noise is. Maybe the are quiter new, I don't know. Mine had done 90k + when I got it.

Johnniem said:

So far the E350 has been good. If truth be told I am more of a Jag man but my passion has been my TVR for the past 4 years and the Merc is a replacement for my wifes A Class. She loves the buttons and bells but I must admit that they can be confusing. Being a bloke the chance of me picking up the manual (which is longer than War and Peace!) is nil. Hence I sit in the car and try to work stuff out. Like, for instance, where is the reset button? No feckin' idea but its fun playing!

Go to mbclub.co.uk, say you're a newbie and people will be happy to chip in. That's what I did. I did actually try the manual when I wanted to change the timewhich had stayed on BST for several months. I spent 30 mins flicking through the 500 pages of the car manual and the 300 pages or so of the COMAND manual then gave up. Then found the option completely by random when I as doing something else

Johnniem said:

Being a former supercharged Jag owner and current TVR enthusiast there is little to say about the performance. It's generally OK and plenty for Mrs JohnnieM. I love the comfort and the miles fade very quickly without fatigue. It does more than we need and I feel safe and cosseted in it. That is all really. In short, its a bit of a eurobox but a very nice one nonetheless.

Well it's not an XJR - you need the 55 or 63 for that. but yes safe, wafty mile eater

Johnniem said:

And yes, it is a petrol version. Getting 33.2 mpg on a run, which isn't too bad I guess!

Yeah that's good - I can't past the high 20's. The 350 is just about the same performance wise but less juicy, so I'm told. I looked but there even rarer than the 500's as everyone went oil burner or AMG at that point.

JohnnieM

Edited by Johnniem on Wednesday 9th March 12:57