So my C230 coupe is the apple of my eye...except this one little nagging problem-
Cold starts are a little noisy/rough. I know that is pretty much "normal" for the 2.3L engine, but it's the TAPPING that kills me...
For about 30-40 seconds, I hear what sounds like a lifter tapping. It ticks away like mad and then magically shuts up when the "normal" high idle pipes down. It seems like oil isn't getting up there for those 30-40 seconds. If the car is driven to operating temp, and then shut off (for instance, going to work), it will NOT tap when I start it some time later, like to go to lunch. It taps after sitting for extended periods, like all night.
I just got this car, with the only warranty being an extended 36k breakdown warranty on the powertrain. it has 85k miles and is otherwise perfect. I have been scouring this forum to find anyone with a similar issue on this engine. The service advisor at MB advised some sort of gas additive with my oil change, which I let them do. He blames it on "carbon" and of course I can't duplicate it for him because one has to DRIVE over to the dealer, where the sound is, of course, gone.
Well, the magic MB gas additive has failed to correct the sound.
I have heard of those cam oiler tubes going bad and causing something like my tap. Has anyone replaced those on the 2.3L? Did your tap fade into oblivion forever?
My last MB was a 240D with about a billion miles on it. It tapped- But it was supposed to!
All C230's are really rough on cold start. I too have the tapping and I have been told that it is 100% normal and not to worry... this is from this forum, my indy and my service advisor at the dealer.
Mine doesn't last more than 10 seconds at the most though.
I would leave the car at the dealer over night and in the morning go over there and let your advisor and a technician hear the sound.
Also, he may be on to something with the additive... run a bottle of Chevron's Techron (for 20gal tank) through another tank of gas... premium of course... I recommend Chevron, and see if it helps any.
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2000 C230K -- Travertine Beige Metallic
2002 ML320 -- Alabaster White
2002 ML320 -- Brilliant Silver - Dad's
1991 300CE -- Blue Black Metallic -- 129,000 miles -- Sold
1981 300SD -- Classic White -- 190,000 miles -- Sold
1977 240D -- Over 300k miles (Wrecked) -- My 1st car
I have a 2002 C320. I ran the car in front of my mechanic and showed him what was making the same tapping noise I think you are talking about. He said it is a device that has something to do with the smog converter (?) and that the noise was normal. I've attached a picture. The device is in the front right section of the engine compartment near the left headlight.
Thanks for your help guys-
So I added another tank of premium and some of the gas additive recommended. If that doesn't cure it, it is going to aggravate the hell out of me! To the poster who commented about the "smog control," did your car only tap at start up? If so, can I replace the doohickey and make that rapping go away?
I can hear the sound pretty loudly when first started, then it completely silences after about 30-40 seconds.
My SA says it "isn't worth worrying about," but hell, who wants to start up your Mercedes and have it sound awful next to the neighbor's smoothly idling Kia? I will search and destroy this TAP TAP TAP TAP!!
Thanks for all your suggestions! I appreciate any and all assistance.
northsea86: yes, I've only noticed the tapping from a cold start and it lasts sometimes for 1-2 minutes and then goes away. According to my mechanic, that's normal, so I took his word for it.
Thanks! I'll add that to my list of things to check out. I have a 200 mile trip to make tomorrow, so if that additive was going to make a difference, I think I should see it after running the car for all that time on the freeway.
With your C230 coupe, have you also noticed an annoying change in the display cluster during warm/hot weather? Mine loses some pixels when it gets hot outside but returns to normal when it's cool. So basically, I've got a beautiful, adored automobile with a temperature intolerance! I have taken to putting a windscreen cover in during the day when it is parked outside to prevent the little screen from getting warm...
First of all, if the sound is indeed a lifter/lash adjuster, a fuel additive will never cure the problem because the lifters are nowhere near the fuel system. If you are going to try an additive, it must be an oil additive, and the bottle must say it frees sticking valves and lifters. Sometimes, if the car was driven short distances where the engine doesn't reach normal operating temperature long enough, humidity condenses on the interior of the engine instead of being evaporated. The resulting water/oil mixture then gets spread around the oiling system, getting trapped in small devices such as lifters.
And mbpc320, that is the evap canister purge solenoid. As far as I know, it doesn't do anything at start-up, but a little while later, though, and it does sound like one lash adjuster is out of whack.
UPDATE: After the 200 mile trip, plus 2x more tanks of premium, the tap remains on cold start. I suppose since it seems several of you have a tick on startup that this is benign. I really, really hate the screen pixels going in the heat though. They are absolutely perfect in the cool but are borderline illegible in the GA afternoon heat! Passengers roll their eyes when the sun shade goes in the windsheild just to pop into the store, but the secret is...I HATE looking at that screen when it gets all hot and garbled! Yeah, I'll just admit I'm one of those "car freak" people...thanks for all your advice and input!!!
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