On my 1985 w123, I have developed a serious clattering sound when going over bumps with the passenger side front wheel. It seems like metal-on-metal, or sometimes like I have dinner plates rattling against each other inside the dash. It is pretty loud, like it's inside the car (but I have been fooled on that before).

I had a previous thread on this, where Grissom suggested the sway bar bushing. I pulled the battery tray and tested the bushing and it's like new. Everything is solid under the hood.

I have had two people sit in the passenger seat while driving. They swear it sounds like it's coming from right behind the vent at the end of the dash. I have the glove compartment and lower panel removed so they have actually felt around inside in that exact place as I was driving. There is nothing in there that could even produce such a sound.

My car is an '85 so it has a couple of items bolted to the tub inside the kickpanel on that side, but they are solidly in place.

The only other possibility is inside the cowl but there is nothing at that end of the cowl except the drain and I have never even had the cowl covers off this car. The other remote possibility is the wiper linkage I guess.

Any ideas?

My wrench swears the guide rod mount bushings are fine (they don't look that old actually, the PO maintained the car at the dealer and it came to me with lots done).

I can't think of anything else that could transmit sound to that spot. Is there anything in the windshield A pillar on the passenger side that could come loose?

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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

It might be the fresh air flaps inside the evaporator box, they are fairly fragile (ask me how i know) but you should be able to feel the flap through the glovebox opening, underneath the speaker.

Is your '85 a California or Federal? Federal has the big round air cleaner that hangs out over the top of the engine. If it is Federal, may be a broken air cleaner mounting bracket. They can make a hell of a racket.

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

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I'm open to just about any suggestion and will follow up on these.

The sound is almost exactly like driving with two metal objects hitting one another in the glove compartment (once I threw some sockets and a ratchet into the glove compartment when leaving a PnP and forgot about them until they started clanking/tapping together over bumps).

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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

Checking the wiper linkage is fairly simple. Using a small punch, punch the center of the rivets on the cowl grills. The rivets will fall through into the cowl area, remove the grill and check the linkage. Retrieve both parts of each rivet and you can re-use them.

My 1980 240D developed a rattle clunking sound like it is behind the Glove Box. This has been going on for the past 6 or 8 months.
It is not happening continuously, I go a ways and will hear it again. Seem to notice it more on rough road or with bumps.

Well I have all the front end parts ordered to completely replace every bushing and BJ etc... all Lemforder parts except for the 4 little sway bar Bushing at the upper Control Arms, and they are Meyle.

I removed the battery and Tray, the MC and Brake Booster to get to the two large Bushing on the Fire Wall.
I did say Iam replacing everything.

Well the Pass side bushing is the worse, The hole the bar goes through is really wallered out. The hole is about twice the size of the bar, and the little holes that go around the circumference, the rubber is worn away about to the top ones.

Both upper Control Arm BJ`s have quite a lot of wear. The BJ shaft can be easily moved by hand and has very noticeable in and out play. sort of a thunk thunk feel.

Iam thinking it is a combination of these two parts that may be a source of the clunking rattle Iam hearing.
I`ll know for sure when I get her together and aligned. Almost 389K miles and some tired parts.


Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

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I don't know how that particular system works but the AC system in the '85 W201's has a switchover valve behind the glove box. When it fails you get a constant clicking noise that's hard to isolate. That could be the same in these cars. Only remedy is replacement. Never had the problem, but I keep a 'spare' for what is a common problem.

Well, that could the problem right there! Maybe their belt buckles are clanging together.. Let one of them ride in the back and the problem might just disappear.

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Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D

I did not get a chance to take off the cowl cover this weekend... weird weather here.

I should have mentioned that the lower balljoints and upper control arms/balljoints are about two years old. I drove my old wagon with the bushings literally disintegrated on the upper arms and this is not the same sort of clunking sound at all.

We checked everything on the hoist - front end, exhaust, suspension - and everything seems tight. Used pry bars to try to find anything that could be moving or making contact. Everything is solid.

Also the noise isn't audible outside the car.

One thing I did not mention is that it started shortly after the blower motor was changed.

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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

Had come to the conclusion it must be a heater box flap. Bzzzt, wrong.

Found it was the blower motor. The shaft was loose. The tapping of the shaft movement was being amplified through the heater box... and sounded like it was around the right vent.

The most infuriating thing I have had to troubleshoot on any of my Mercedes.

I can't really explain how it amplified to be as loud as it was... but it did and it was.

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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