Just bought 2000 C230, in park it idles smooth, in reverse, no noise, but as soon as you put it in drive it feels like metal to metal contact, and as you drive off it keeps it up.

Another potential buyer took it to a indie shop who said the noise was caused by a flex disk and it would be a $700 repair because the transmission had to be removed.

I checked the rear flex disk, it looks in better shape than my 240's.

Are engine mounts a common failure item on a W202? I do my own work, and tricks? Is the engine suppossed to sit straight upright? mine seems to lean slightly to the passenger side.

TIA. Chuck

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2000 C230 Kompressor "Frosty"

2007 PT Cruiser
2001 VW TDI Beetle
1999 Landrover Discovery II
1971 Corvette

Gone: 97 Cabrio, 83 240D, 93 VW Eurovan, 95 Volvo 850, 93 Chevy Astro Van, 77 VW Bus, 99 VW Jetta, 74 VW Bus

For what it's worth, I just replaced the engine mounts on my '93 190E. The original ones were causing the engine to sit low and the engine was not smooth at idle. After replacing the mounts, I had to readjust the fan shroud because the new mounts raised the engine over an inch and the fan blade was very close to the shroud.
Now the engine idles very smooth and you don't see the hood vibrate like it did before.
I have also replaced flex discs, and I could replace the front or rear without taking anything out.

Dave

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1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible

My 83 just had motor mounts replaced
Never really noticed any difference in idle or ride
but I would suppose the engine could be higher

Engine is far from fan shroud but I guess everything is still lining up.

Are motor mounts same as engine?

Seems engine mounts do go. Mine were totally falling apart & I'm glad that Enrique caught it & replaced them for me.


I wonder why your car is ok in reverse?

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83 500 SEC Euro 198K

If your "Mechanic" tells you he has to remove the transmission to replace flexdics, find another mechanic real fast!
It should take a real mechanic about 1.5 - 2 hours to replace both ( front & rear ).
May want to take a look at the transmission mount.
That one took me about 1/2 hour to replace.

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2007 C 230 Sport.

trans does not have to come out, be moved, or even really touched for the flex disk R and R. It isnt an easy job, can be messed up ( can add vibration to the drive shaft if done wrong) but is not an impossible DIY job. Heck, i paid an Indy to do it and ended up with a vibration in my 190E 2.6 (Sold)

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Christopher Henkel
1990 190E 2.6 - Arctic white SOLD
1986 190E-16v - Blauswartze
1993 300CE - SOLD
2003 W208 CLK 320 Cabriolet - Magma Red

I had the same vibration issue when in drive in my 95 E320. I replaced both engine mounts and problem was 100% solved. If you don't feel the vibration in reverse, is probably because the transmission mount is still ok. Is your fan centeres in the fan shroud? If blades are closer to the bottom, motor mounts are probablly colapsed. An experienced mechanic can tell if the monts are collapsed just by taking a good look at them.

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Juan
1995 E320 Sedan
2008 Ford Escape
RC Helicopter

Engine mount or trans mount. Probably engine mount - at 7 years it's probably about due. If the vibration is only when the car is moving or slowing down, then possibly driveshaft center bearing support or the flex discs.

I don't know what the measure is for the newer engines, on the 80s/90s vintage ones I think the wear tolerance was about 13mm from crossmember to the lip on the mount, although you may have drivability problems earlier than that.

Yep, was the passenger side engine mount. Removed old one, is about a half inch compressed compared to new one. When you shake it you here the fluid sloshing, like it's missing or has leaked out. The new one has a rubber heat shield of some sort, drivers side is plain. Cost for the two was about $120, put the car in the air on jack stands, a floor jack and piece of wood under engine. Bottom bolt was 13mm and easy to loosen, top bolts are 16mm or 5/8 and passenger was a pain, reached from above and behind could feel it, not see it. Once bolts loose, lift engine slightly to take strain off, remove both bolts and the raise engine to remove and replace new mount. Totoal time for both was about 1.5 hours, including water breaks and clean up. Way, way easier than doing mounts on my 240D.

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2000 C230 Kompressor "Frosty"

2007 PT Cruiser
2001 VW TDI Beetle
1999 Landrover Discovery II
1971 Corvette

Gone: 97 Cabrio, 83 240D, 93 VW Eurovan, 95 Volvo 850, 93 Chevy Astro Van, 77 VW Bus, 99 VW Jetta, 74 VW Bus

Gents:

I have the shakes too. Mine is audible right from startup.

There's got to be a DIY shadetree test to decipher what the old girl is telling me is wrong.

Is there a surefire way to test before ordering parts?

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On mine it was quiet in park or neutral, but with the car stopped in drive or reverse was noisey. I believe the biggest noise was the exhaust hitting the subframe on the passenger side. As you took of from a stop, the noise would stop as soon as you were up to 20mph or so.

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2000 C230 Kompressor "Frosty"

2007 PT Cruiser
2001 VW TDI Beetle
1999 Landrover Discovery II
1971 Corvette

Gone: 97 Cabrio, 83 240D, 93 VW Eurovan, 95 Volvo 850, 93 Chevy Astro Van, 77 VW Bus, 99 VW Jetta, 74 VW Bus

I am having a similar problem with noise. It is like a rattling when I go over a speed bump or rough road. My mechanic told me the control arm bushings & shocks had to be replaced. I had him replace the bushings and I replaced the shocks, but I still have the noise. I called my mechanic and he assured me the ball joints were good. My mechanic also said my engine mounts were flat. I wonder if that could be causing my problem.

I had a motor mount fail and beside the shaking/vibration at idle it sometimes made the noise you describe. Replacing the worn motor mount cured both.

I also noticed that the tips of the fan blades were slightly worn, as if they were rubbing on the shroud. With the engine off there was proper clearance, but under accelleration I think the worn mounts allowed the engine to move enough for the fan to hit.

Thanks John, that might be it, I also noticed a sound like the fan hitting something once in a while. When I stopped at a red light and put it in neutral the noise went away. Also the tips of the fan blades were slightly worn, but of course checking them while the engine was not running there was plenty of clearance from the shroud.