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  #1  
Old 01-13-2003, 02:07 PM
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Identify this sound??

I was driving on the Interstate last night in the 85 300TD. Travelling about 60 MPH there was a metallic rattling sound for about a second and a half. I sounded like a playing card in bicycle spokes but far more metallic. Before I had a chance to react and do anything like shut off the engine, it stopped. I did look at the oil pressure gauge and there was no indication, at the time I looked, of fluctuating oil pressure. If pressed, I would say that the sound came from the engine compartment directly in front of the driver.
The only other problem I have noticed is that I have had low vacuum for about a week since the engine is sometimes not shutting off until a second or two after I turn off the key.

Can anyone give a diagnosis. I hate hearing metal on metal sounds.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
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1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #2  
Old 01-13-2003, 02:31 PM
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The sound you heard may have been some carbon breaking loose and slapping around in the cylinder. Mine did the same thing once and really got my attention. The low vacuume should not have had anything at all to do with with you heard
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Elliott Fager

1977 240D Hell Blau (Verkauft)
1981 240D Weiss (Gestorben)
1984 300D Dunkel Rot (Verkauft)
1982 240D Dunkel Blau (225k) "Panzer Wagen"
1981 300SD Beige (175k) "Kampfwagen"
1981 300SD Beige (205K) "Panzerkampwagen"
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  #3  
Old 01-13-2003, 04:10 PM
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rattling sound

This sounds like a fan being whacked to me.

I would check the fan and the viscous coupling, because this is what that sort of noise sounds like to me. My 1990 300D made the same noises when the fan coupling went out. It did not seem to affect the temperature, which was pretty much the same as before.
If a fanbelt went out, I suppose it could hang somewhere and whack a fan as well.

Good luck.
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  #4  
Old 01-13-2003, 11:32 PM
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Thanks for the comments. I don't think it was the fan. No evidence of problems on the fan blades or shroud and it sounded as if the noise was coming from the back of the engine. Also all belts are fine. I've never heard carbon coming loose before. I did change the glow plugs a week or so ago. Perhaps that broke a piece of carbon loose. I'll go with that hypothesis at the moment until someone else comes up with something better.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #5  
Old 01-14-2003, 07:18 AM
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Remove your aircleaner and check your mounting bracket for it. Bracket cracked and slowly disappeared on one leg on mine. Really, pieces kept breaking off until I replaced the whole thing. Made a metallic noise from time-to-time till big piece fell off, then got loud and that's when I found it. My 300D does shake a bit.
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  #6  
Old 01-14-2003, 08:50 AM
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Quote:
I did change the glow plugs a week or so ago. Perhaps that broke a piece of carbon loose. I'll go with that hypothesis at the moment until someone else comes up with something better.
FWIW, the glow plugs turn themselves off after the car is started, so I doubt if they did anything. And if they don't work, believe me, you will know it, cuz that sucka ain't gonna start easy!

I would definintely check the air cleaner mounts, they are notorious! And the metal air cleaner housing starts rattling against the manifold and causes a huge noise. There are three of them and are fairly cheap to replace. I have had some luck glueing them back together with epoxy.
the thing that bothers me is that you said it came from the drivers side. the air cleaner is on the passenger side, but it could still be it!

As to vacuum, SPARE ME!
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1981 300CD (Benzina)
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1976 Jaguar XJS-saved a V-12 from the chevy curse, what a great engine!
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  #7  
Old 01-14-2003, 09:23 AM
PaulC
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I like the motor mount/fan theory, but (and pardon my gas engine-bred ignorance) could part of the new glow plug have broken off and rattled around the combustion chamber for a few seconds before being swept downstream?

My diesel engine experience is limited to the time I walked behind a Greyhound bus as the driver started the engine. I'm still cleaning soot from my ears.
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  #8  
Old 01-14-2003, 09:32 AM
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I have heard of rare instances of glow plug pieces breaking off (from this forum) and I believe that there were no ill effects---wouldn't want to do it everyday though. Years ago, I worked at a Diesel shop for a summer to earn some money for college. Anyway, small chunks of carbon have been known to break off an rattle around a bit in the cylinder until pulverized. This, I am told, also happened to my dad on his way to Alaska in a diesel cruiser. All theories are possible as stated above. The good news is that all the suggestions as to what happened are not major items with major consequences. I'd just keep your ears alert on the remote chance the sound returns. IMHO, I do not believe it will, nor do you have anything to worry about
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Elliott Fager

1977 240D Hell Blau (Verkauft)
1981 240D Weiss (Gestorben)
1984 300D Dunkel Rot (Verkauft)
1982 240D Dunkel Blau (225k) "Panzer Wagen"
1981 300SD Beige (175k) "Kampfwagen"
1981 300SD Beige (205K) "Panzerkampwagen"
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  #9  
Old 01-14-2003, 10:51 PM
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About 20 years ago, my 200D made that sound. A week later it lost a cylinder. It had dropped a chunk of the head into the cylinder. I hope yours was just a bit of carbon, but cross your fingers.
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  #10  
Old 01-14-2003, 10:59 PM
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Palangi:
Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
What piece of the head dropped into the cylinder and why did it do it?

Kerry
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #11  
Old 01-15-2003, 12:06 AM
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The head had a lot of tiny cracks. It was just a small sliver of metal from between a couple cracks. MB went through a period of a couple years back then when the metal in the engines wasn't so good.
Another interesting story.... I sold the car to an MB dealership mechanic in Dallas who was going to rebuild the engine. Never saw the car again. I got out of MBs for quite a few years. Got an MB 4 or 5 years ago, and bought a bunch of back issues of the Star magazine. Ran across an article by one of the MBCA wheels (also from Dallas), basically a transcript if an MBCA tech session meeting. He described an old 200D where they had replaced the engine 2 or 3 times before they figured out that it had a bad injector (leaking, I imagine) which was wrecking the engines. I would bet a paycheck that was the very same car. There just weren't that many 200D's around. If I ever meet the guy, I want to ask him what color that car was.
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2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE
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  #12  
Old 01-15-2003, 06:56 AM
Randall Kress
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I had that noise too, but mine came at low parking lot speeds... Not the air cleaner mounts, mine are brand new... Not the fan shroud, my motor mounts are 2 years old... Sounds like a lug nut is loose in the hub cap. But I don't have hub caps.
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  #13  
Old 01-15-2003, 12:44 PM
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I had that problem in my 300D... After much checking, I finally found it. At the engine side of the middle muffler(resonator), like a heat shield of some sort, going from the front edge of the muffler to the pipe. This piece of metal is attached to the pipe that goes from the exhaust manifold to the muffler. It is attached by a big hose clamp of some sort. This clamp is made of a metal different from that which the exhaust pipe is made. Over time, the clamp will break due to rust (my pipe had two holes in it as well, on either side of where the clamp was), and the broken clamp will make a rattling noise similar to what you stated. It is more or less at the center of the car, but definitely makes it sound like its coming from the front.
Hope this helps

JMH
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  #14  
Old 01-15-2003, 08:44 PM
dutchman830
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I had a similar noise that occurred for a couple of seconds at a time, it turned out to be a fan clutch.
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  #15  
Old 05-20-2004, 01:24 PM
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Yes I have the same problem...

came up on this post while doing a search. I hate the sound it drives me crazy. I know its not the air cleaner or Fan..I am going to put the car up on Jackstands this weekend..

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