1999 C43 AMG engine rattles/knocks

[Sulaco]

The car still pulls and behaves perfectly well.

I expected some mystery rattles, pangs, and knocks on an engine with so many miles. Bought it at 238k, now is at 252k.

Took a quick cell phone video of the engine bay running after first start in the AM, so it's still cold. *** NOTE: The mic in the camera phone is apparently very sensitive. This video makes the noises sound much louder than they actually are in real life. My wife claims she can't even hear the sounds I'm talking about, bless her.

You can hear some of the valve or lifter noise when I remove the oil cap for a second.

The sound that has me worried is what doesn't appear to be accessories. I can hear light rattles and wobbles coming down there, and those don't concern me.

You can hear the deepest knock throughout the video. It speeds up with the RPMs of the engine, but when I raise the REV's higher than about 1k, the sound of the engine/exhaust drowns it out and you can't even hear the knock or any of the other rattles.

Ideas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-7uI1TNtyc

[hvmercy]

That's very concerning. Did you check underneath if it may be much more pronounced under there? Wild guess would be the oil pump hitting the oil pan. But who knows.

[Sulaco]

Times like this I miss my m104. Half-considering getting a C36 instead of a C43... Or just keeping the C43 AND getting a C36!

[hvmercy]

I wish I can have both but it doesn't make economic sense for me to have another car on the driveway.
Just recently bought a BMW family car so now I'm trying to get rid of the family minivan.

I hope the knocking sound on your C43 is an easy and cheap fix. Good luck.


Times like this I miss my m104. Half-considering getting a C36 instead of a C43... Or just keeping the C43 AND getting a C36!

[cameron_1292]

hmmm it sounds like a lifter. thats the exact same sound my dad had on his ford explorer. but yours does seem to be a bit louder than his. i would run some sea foam threw the break booster. mine started ticking and had a weird idle. 2 days later i dumped half a can of sea foam in the vacuum line then the other half in the gas. my idle instantly evened out and the engine is as quite as ever. stuff really works lol. but i hope that its a little problem and maybe your just over thinking it! good luck man keep us updated

[hipnimahop]

sounds like diesel man, are you sure last time you went to pump you didn't put diesel fuel in lol ??

[Sulaco]

Problem identified. Water pump pulley was whacking the base of the water pump as it rotated. Water pump bearing completely failed, as well, and is now gushing coolant.

THANK GOD.

[mbsickness]

Problem identified. Water pump pulley was whacking the base of the water pump as it rotated. Water pump bearing completely failed, as well, and is now gushing coolant.

THANK GOD.

Never thought I would see the day when someone would be happy about a waterpump failure.

[strictlyspeakin]

lol.

[Sulaco]

And now this. Uh oh...
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=HvWwCEyWSx0

[taz069]

Your project is getting larger. If the balacer is seperating replace it if not?? Then brother it gonna be in the crank. Then think of this with that much vibration on the front side just think what it's doing to the trany. Had to throw that in sorry.