This has been getting on my nerves for quite some time now, and I wanted to get all of your opinions on this. My C-class's front passenger door has a hollow sound to it when it closes. It does not sound like any of my other doors. The other doors sound solid and normal, while this door sounds dinky. I notice it EVERY time the door is closed. Well a few months ago I took of the door panels off all of my doors, and noticed that the plastic protective covering was a lighter, thinner material than the rest of the doors. I also noticed that the 3 visible screws in the door (one on the plastic door peice that latches the door, the one on the bottom of the panel, and the one in the door handle) were ALL loose. They all seem to be wrong size screws, or loose. None of them will go in. They are the same size as the driver's door's screws, but screw in loosely and always come back out. That door's speaker also rattles (maybe from loose screws though) sometimes. I ran carfax a short while after noticing all of this, but everything came up clean. The door otherwise looks identical to the rest of the car, inside and out. Does this sound like a possbility that this car was in an accident before? The thing that really makes me wonder is that hollow, tin sound every time the door closes. Opinions?

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

Is the painting of your right door different in terms of

1.Colour
2.Flatness of the paint or the door surface
3.the extent of the wind noise at high speed comparing to the left side.??

For 1, if your car is in metallic paint, there can be a chance that the new paint is a bit different from the original one especially under sunshine.

For 2, If the door had a damage, the door will never be as smooth and flat as a new untouched one regardless of how good the job is done.(Unless the whole door skin has been replaced)

For 3, If the door has been taken off for repair or replacement, the wind noise is likely to be a bit noticable due to the adjustment of the door hinge may not be as good as factory work.(Every car has a individual adjustment of the door fixing in factory to collect the mouldings variation with assistance of computer measurement.)

Hope this helps!

Visually, there is no difference at all that I can tell. Same with smoothness, it's as smooth as the rest of the car. Presume it hadn't been in an accident, then what in the world could be the reasoning for the hollowness or the different covering (door worked on before?) ??
I suppose it's possible that the skin of the door was replaced after an accident, that could/would explain hollowness sound in SOME way? Agghh, I'm confusing myself!

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

I am unsure whether we have the same problem of hollowness but its a try.

All doors in the 300se shuts with a beautiful "thud", except one. The rear passenger door shuts with a hollowness and we discovered why. 3 clips of the side-skirt is loose and thus we have the "echo" effect. Once the clips were replaced (plastic kinda cone-clips), the door was good again.

Yes - the inside panel had clips too ... which was also loose and replaced.

It all made sense.

Now the doors close happily ever after ...

__________________
... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.

If anything about the door is not original, you should see it by the sealant on the inside edges of the door.
The different steel skins are sealed (with kit) at the innerside of the door. Nobody can make the seal look as good as mercedes does with the original doors. If one replaces a damaged door with a new, original door after an accident, mercedes delivers a door without the sealant.

If the door looks the same and no traces of possible damage can be found, the car hasn't been in an accident.
I would stick with the suggestion John wrote down and have a look whether all parts are still in good shape (no broken clamps/clips) and have a look whether the tare plate is stick inside the door (if this tare plate is missing, the "thud" sound is gone as well).
If all is alright; don't bother any longer...enjoy your car! (instead of looking for all possible (minor) malfunctions)

greetingz,

__________________
1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

Yes they are MBenz! My car sits in a garage with flourescent lighting! That's why I always think my car needs to be waxed again! I'll check that out about the clips on the inside.
But what clips are on the outside? or what you talking about? Thanks.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

...the trim on the outside of the door is fixed with clips/clamps...
If one (or more) is broken or missing, the trim can cause a different sound whilst closing the door as well.

greetingz,

__________________
1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

There should be a id tag on the door with the VIN if it's the original door. Look on the forward edge of the door near the hinges. All major body parts are all tagged with the VIN during manufacture. Replacement parts may have a tag, but it is generic.

DaveK & MB, I'll check out both of those to see for sure. Thanks for the idea. I'll let you know what the deal is.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)