I am having some strange noises coming from the drive belt on my 98 w210. I changed the belt tensioner and pulley about 5k miles ago. It sounds like a squeaky rumble at idle and sometimes when the engine is cold it sounds like rocks in a tin can. It really sounds like the tensioner, but could it be something else like the fan clutch. Any help is appreciated.

The tensioner pivot arm does not have any bearings in it so it is probably not the problem. Bad news is that IT is about the cheapest of the items the belt uses.

While helping me with a similar issue, Gilly recently suggested removing the fan belt and spinning each pulley until you hear or feel the one with drag or resistance.

You should also look at the lower end of your damper shock with a bright light and see if it is vibrating causing the sound.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I had the bearing in my A/C clutch pulley go bad. Check it and ALL other rotating items as suggested above.

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2005 Pathfinder LE
2001 E55
1998 M3
1982 320i

Narrowed down one of the noises. Sounds like the cat converter, or it is in that area. The sound goes away after the car comes up to temp. I need to do a little more investigating to see if it is the cat or if the exhaust is loose. When I start the car up cold the noise goes away when I push on the exhaust by the cat. Could that be bad hangers or something else?

Your profile doesnt say what kind of car you have and the post only states E class?

The "rocks in a tin can" bit could certainly describe a failing cat. At some point the CEL should come on.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Sorry, it is a 1998 E320. I found the problem this morning. The bracket that joins the exhaust pipes between the cat and the muffler had rusted and broken loose causing the pipes to rattle. The quick fix was to bend the bracket up a little to give it clearance. Problem fixed. I am in Tennessee and the car is from Cleveland, OH. These cars do not take the "rust belt" very well(i.e. spring perches, body panels, exhaust system). They will rust if not properly cared for.
The cats are still good, knock on wood!