I was driving in the SL on the highway today, and pulled up next to a new E-CDI. My top was down, so I could hear everything, but, alas, the new CDIs make no noise. All I heard was tires.

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Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

Its the sound insulation.

Remove the padded stuff, and you'll hear the familiar clatter.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

Those engines, even with the hood up are amazingly quiet...there is NO clatter. I just looked at one of the new Bluetec engines and listened to it with the hood up and couldn't tell it was a diesel. The salesman didn't even know it was a V6 as opposed to the CDI I-6, so I taught him a few things.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Yup, that's too bad; nice cars but no character.

Give me a break.

Sounding like a Cummins is NOT character.

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Kent Christensen
Albuquerque
'07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster
Two BMW motorcycles

Not the lack of "diesel" sound, the whole car.

Don't get me wrong, they are very nice modern cars and if I had any interest in owning a modern car I would be driving one. I simply do not find them very interesting. To each his own.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the Bluetec, but the CDI that I test drove (an '06 model) still had a recognizable diesel clatter at idle when standing in front of the car, especially with the hood up. In fact my OM606 isn't much louder. I don't need my diesel cars to sound like a Cummins truck, but I do need at least some diesel clatter at idle when standing outside, otherwise I might as well buy a gasser.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

+1

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#dieselFLEET
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'97 E300
'99 E300

I can hear the turbo whine on the new Sprinters which are equipped with the same engine.. minus bluetec

Yeah they are very quite, but more importantly they are fast! The new ones have some pretty decent balls.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

You need to take off the engine cover. There's a giant foam blanket that helps to muffle the clatter (it can also gets ruined when the high pressure rail develops leaks).

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

That's weird. The video linked below has some samples of a bluetec idling with the hood up. Much to my relief, these engines still have a very healthy diesel clatter. I don't know why you couldn't hear it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M9Iki0-3_YI

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

Frankly I wouldn't want to hear any clatter from the inside of a 50+ thousand dollar car.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I would want to hear "just enough" clatter, assuming I wanted any "modern car." I certainly wouldn't want it to sound like one of those silly domestic diesel pick-ups (viagra time), but it doesn't need to sound like a honda accord. You have to remember that our old ones were actually more expensive than these in corrected U.S. dollars. I wouldn't call a $50K car "expensive" today, at most these a mid-range commuter cars.

Yep, as my dad said. "why do you want a diesel in an expensive car, sounds like a freaken John Deer all the time."

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200