Can any of y'all identify what this noise is....it seems to happen mostly when the car is just getting started, or cold....it is a noise that grinds and seems to come from the front wheel well, left and perhaps also the right. Oddly, when the car is warm (been driven for awhile, anyway) the noise can't be reproduced.

98 E300 turbodiesel....83 k miles

best

98E300MAN

Could be the bearings. Mine produced that symptom just before failure. Only on 1 side though.

The exact same thing happen to my 98 E300.
I have 145K on my car.
Let me know what you find.

My '99 E300td was making some strange noises when cold and when turning to the left. The noise sounded like groaning/grinding.On close inspection, my tech discovered that the engine mounts had failed. New mounts were installed and presto--no more noise. The car has about 80k.

Steve

Mine did something similar and new engine mounts eradicated the problem. Have not our colleagues pointed out that the weight and power of this motor take a toll of the engine mounts? I bought mine with 108 thousand miles and had to do much to the engine mounts, wheel bearings, as well as front end bits. It drives wonderfully now...save that the fan clutch seized up and ate the radiator....but I still am very fond of the car, despite all its wretched, cheap plastic bits that seem prone to breakage.

While in Germany, I bought: Dieter Korp, Jetzt Helfe ich Mir Selbst, MB E Klasse, Dieselmodelle (Stuttgart, 2001) isbn 3613020904. It is very useful, but one's automotive German has to be in good form.