[quest4mike]

I am new to the slk scene. I noticed when i take off or when the the engine is under a load the is sounds much like an exuast leak.. I brought this to mercedes and they checked it out and showed them how i hear it. ie sound bouncing off of other cars when driving next to a whole bunch of parked cars or driving along a wall. The dealer says thats how they are. he even took me on a test drive with other slk's. yup exactly the same noise. WOW! I would expect mercedes to be a quiet car.. I love the car but hate the noise. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF IT? Heavier oil? new typ of air filter? something?
Thanks MIke

 

[Katika]

If you drive an slk230 you are stuck with that lawn mower acceleration sound unless you install a different muffler, or exhaust system that will alter the sound like a Brabus or Remus or Supersprint system. Just remember you still have a 4 banger hooked up to a supercharger - and yes, MB dropped the ball on that one. They could have engineered the sound a lot different than they did, but oh well. Your options are few - but at least you do have options. Some forum members have installed Supersprint or Brabus and they love the new sound, it's all up to you how much you want to pay to make your car sound right for you.

And . . . welcome to the forum!! I hope this helps.

 

[quest4mike]

ok let me get this straight.. this sounds like i am probably not getting enough flow. is that why im hearing that sound? if i change out the exuast will it alter the sound from the muffler? or the engine area? becuase im sure i am hearing it from under the engine area. Has anyone experienced any diffrence when changing out the stock exuast.. MIke

 

[430]

quest4mike - 3/13/2005 1:54 PM

ok let me get this straight.. this sounds like i am probably not getting enough flow. is that why im hearing that sound? if i change out the exuast will it alter the sound from the muffler? or the engine area? becuase im sure i am hearing it from under the engine area. Has anyone experienced any diffrence when changing out the stock exuast.. MIke

You will not be able to tell if you are getting enough flow from the sound of your muffler. What you can tell is the quality of the sound. Muffler/exhuast systems are tuned to a number of parameter - sound quality, sound level, cost, backpressure, etc. In this case you might get a small improvement in flow by changing the mufflers but you can get a huge improvement in sound quality. Most likely the sound quality will be accompanied by an increase in sound level.

 

[Billy Bob]

Mercedes did away with the supercharger clutch on the 2001 so the supercharger is engaged all the time so you may hear more under the hood sounds than I do on mine. I only hear a sound when the supercharger engages at start up and when I put my foot down hard on the gas.

I have an Eisenmann sport exhaust and the sound difference is like night and day. I love the sound of my car now.

 

[slknow]

I have a 99 and it sounds like an exhaust leak underneath the passenger side firewall. I'm in the same situation of a MB sounding like a '81 escort. Its embarassing, slam on the pedal, and you hear this crap. Look its a bird, its a plane, its..its..its..a SLK!!. What the hell.....

 

[MrLan1]

I too suffer from this...comparing it to a lawn-mower was very accurate! When I bought my car they had two on the lot and both made the exact same noise. When I first start up in the morning, it sounds much worse.

My noise comes from the passenger side near the supercharger. Since the exhaust should not be connected to the SC, it has to be some sort of valve or pressure relief. The muffler is farther down the pipe so I don't see how that could be the cause. I'm going to do some teardown this weekend and see where it's coming from.

99 Sport SLK with Rear Bag & Mulching Option... [}]

 

[Shinigami]

Yes, my 98 also made a weak sound during the first 5 minutes when cold. Luckily, the Brabus exhaust kicked in after warming up and made a delightful rumble []

I miss my old car [] Might have to buy one in the future (when I'm rich) to relive the experience []

 

[quest4mike]

I was wondering. Has anyone else with an aftermarket header/exaust notice a diffrence after installing it. I am really about do it. I am fed up. I hate that sound. I need to resolve this. (so i roll up the windows and then im happy again).. this sucks.

 

[silverslk]

quest4mike - 3/18/2005 12:31 AM

I was wondering. Has anyone else with an aftermarket header/exaust notice a diffrence after installing it. I am really about do it. I am fed up. I hate that sound. I need to resolve this. (so i roll up the windows and then im happy again).. this sucks.

You know whats funny? I forgot all about this sound, mine did it when I first bought it. Either it went away with the new intake or I just got used to it.

 

[YellowSLK230]

MrLan1 - 3/16/2005 3:53 AM

I too suffer from this...comparing it to a lawn-mower was very accurate! When I bought my car they had two on the lot and both made the exact same noise. When I first start up in the morning, it sounds much worse.

[}]

On startup, the supercharger is engaged but its output is routed to the exhaust to reduce emissions during the early warmup phase. You will hear the whine, but not feel the additional power that usually comes from being on boost. The automatic transmission will also hold lower gears longer to increase RPM and reduce warmup times. It usually takes about a minute (in our Florida climate) for the engine to warm sufficiently to revert to normal operation.

 

[barndogz]

Billy Bob - 3/13/2005 9:27 PM


I have an Eisenmann sport exhaust and the sound difference is like night and day. I love the sound of my car now.

i also have a 2000 slk230, not to be too nosy: but, what did you pay for your eisenmann exhaust sytem?

thankx

 

[Billy Bob]

barndogz - 3/18/2005 9:29 PM

Billy Bob - 3/13/2005 9:27 PM


I have an Eisenmann sport exhaust and the sound difference is like night and day. I love the sound of my car now.

i also have a 2000 slk230, not to be too nosy: but, what did you pay for your eisenmann exhaust sytem?

thankx

With shiiping and handling with a connecting pipe it was $627.43 I have a sport so I did not have to do any cutting to make it fit.

 

[docrings]

Not a leak... just the stock noise (agree with above posts.) Mine has made the same "leak" nose at startup for years.

But why am I sooo tired all the time when I drive it??? [xx(]

Just kidding...[]

Aftermarket exhaust sounds like the hot tip!

 

[slknow]

What will solve this problem? A new header? A new cat-back exhaust? A new header and cat-back exhaust? Since the sound seems to be coming from the passenger side firewall, replacing the header might solve the problem.

 

[quest4mike]

Thanks slknow. ill try that. anywhere i can get a header? oh by the way the noise is not only at start up. this noise is worse on start up but continues when driving on the gas. Thanks guys.

 

[DickB]

YellowSLK230 - 3/18/2005 10:33 AM
On startup, the supercharger is engaged but its output is routed to the exhaust to reduce emissions during the early warmup phase.

On startup the supercharger is engaged but the output is not routed to the exhaust. There is a valve controlled by the ECU to allow recirculation of output to input, which is used to regulate the amount of boost. Output goes either to the intercooler or back to the input or both.

 

[slknow]

Would you guys think #1 (below) is accurate to the noise you hear?

"Actually, the SLK is the most reliable MB, and the 2.3L engine designed to last many 100K mi. Problem areas exist, though:
1. Exhaust headers are prone to premature failure, a whistling noise will announce their failure
2. Small oil leaks on engine or transmission can occur but are usually not severe enough to cause problems
3. The heated seats sometimes fail - especially the heater element in the seats' back (as opposed to the cushion); you can repair this yourself but it requires a weekend, patience and some dexterity.
4. Door covers come loose and need to be replaced
5. Early models (98 and before) had leaky A/Cs
6. The manual transmission is below average quality compared to most other cars on the road; it can be quite balky, or reasonable but is never as slick as a BMW's or Honda's. More significant transmission failures have been reported too, but fortunately not as often as above quirks.
7. Squeaks and rattles develop over time, not unexpected in a convertible. Some are simnply due to fading lubricant, and can be easily fixed DIY with e.g., W40 (streering column, seat, roof).
8. The roof sensors also fail at times, and need replacement."