Center pipe/resonator and muffler were installed 10 days ago with new OE hangers from the dealer. First thing I looked at when I pulled over.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I think you ran over a water bottle.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Assuming it was a 20-gallon one, that could work....

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

An empty 20 ounce one with the cap firmly on makes quite a loud noise. Ask me how I know.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I left work and cracked the fuel cap. Sure enough, woosh. I left it on loose, thinking there we go, probably the issue.

No.

On the way home I was on a secondary highway going about 50 mph when there was a loud noise from the rear, this time a prolonged GROANNNNN and I could feel the car pull as though the left rear brake had been applied. (This morning, there was no pull like that.)

I was not able to stop, as I was on a bridge with no shoulder. I had to drive some distance and get off the highway. Nothing was evident. I drove home on secondary roads with no issues.

I just got home and changed, so I can get a look underneath.

Welcome any thoughts.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Hmmm........possibly a trailing arm bushing? It can be difficult to tell how badly they are worn until the arm is lowered.

Have you noticed any rear tire wear recently? Mine just started to show on the inside edge and the bushing was rubbing metal-to-metal. (If this turns out to be the problem, the rear axle bearing seal may have suffered as well.)

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Rear wheel bearing failure of the catastrophic kind. Look in your center caps for metal shavings. My 124 wagon was doing the same random pop, and like the brakes where applied. Then would go away.

I pulled over 4 times before I figured it out

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

That would fit with the muffled growling, probably from the left rear, that I had been hearing for the last two weeks or so, when I made tight left turns.

I am going to order up the bearing kit if no one else has an all-singing, all-dancing theory....

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Now he says!

If it is the bearing then there is going to be some noticeable play. The specs are really tight (I'll look 'em up if you want). Basically if you can feel any movement or even suspect movement on the back the wheels then the bearings are not correctly pre-loaded

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Well he did say the above pretty early in the thread. 20/20 hindsight!

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

http://i.imgur.com/LslW733.jpg

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Visit the W123 page on iFixit for over 70 helpful DIY guides!

Actually, Stretch, I continued the thread last night as a knee-jerk reaction, but upon reflection should have started a new one.

I am 97 percent certain the noise I heard yesterday morning, the BOOM that started the thread, was not related to the bearing. I am confident it was the fuel tank. It was not a mechanical noise.

What happened last night sounded exterior to the car. And it wasn't hard to associate it to a bearing.

When it rains it pours, etc.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

i think its worth just visually checking all the springs as well, while you are looking over everything.
when the front spring blew on my 240 parked, it was loud enough to wake me up all the way on the other side of a house asleep. i was convinced someone fired a big rifle or a transformer had exploded, it was such a loud hollow boom. since it was a front spring, it was obvious, but i recall i had a 300td some years back where both rear springs were actually snapped inside the cup of the trailing arm, and it wasnt noticable on height. just a 3rd of one coil was broken and it was still sitting on it.

id check that part of the rear springs just to be sure, but it sounds like once you remove the panel in the trunk to check the tank, it may be obvious. the noise description really sounds like a spring to me though

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Wouldn't a broken spring be evident through ride height on that side, or through noise when the suspension is working?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Depends how badly it snapped...if a small piece it would likely not be noticeable.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I had a front spring break on my 300D and is was VERY evident. Not sure how I drove it to shop for repair. But on another car, same thing happened and I didnt even know about it until I had it in for service and mechanic noticed it. In that case just one turn had broken and spring had reseated itself.

Were you able to inspect car last night? Weather looks good for weekend - interested in hearing what you find!

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5