mercedes slk kompressor engine vibration problem

Now using tippex or other marking aid, mark off the position of the flex joint and diff input spyder. Pull back the rubber boot that protects the splines on the shaft just ahead of the support bearing, mark the shaft position in relation to the spline position so that on reassembly the two halves can fit together in the exact position as they were in before removal. Note the position of the captive support spring clip for the oxygen sensor connector, it is attached at the bottom left pin of the plate, if you were lying under the vehicle with your feet towards the front. Now remove the forward rectangular protection plate that bridges the transmission tunnel by removing its four 13mm pins and washers. Begin by undoing and removing the three 19mm nuts and pins that go through the differential input spyder that hold the rubber flex disc. If you decide to replace the centre bearing it is quite a simple job on the SLK200 R170 and should take no longer than an hour start to finish, other models may involve the removal of some exhaust components to gain full access however assess the job before you start. If you can see any signs of rusty powder or corrosion dryness this may indicate the races are failing and have become gritty, producing that rubbing worn bearing noise we spoke about earlier. Turning attention to the ball bearing in the centre of the support, located just as the propshaft section passes through. The grinding/whirring noise often heard as soon as you begin to move off, is simply the worn centre bearing race transmitting noise to the transmission tunnel and surrounding chassis through the support bracket. This induces vibration, this usually lessens when you apply power as the shaft will self-straighten under load and spin centrally once more, only to relax again to the ‘bent knee’ when you lift off the accelerator. What actually happens is the propshaft sags in the centre, and on overrun it rotates out of line rather similar to a bent knee. If it is seen to lift as the wheel is turned against the static gearbox the joint must be further inspected. Get an assistant to look at the centre bearing with a torch. There is another way of determining wear of the propshaft centre support bearing and that is to elevate one rear wheel and whilst the vehicle is in either park or first (manual box) rotate the wheel. Grasp the prop shaft and try and lift it against the supporting bearing, any easy movement here is also pretty indicative of a failing/failed unit. Any sign of sagging downward with the rubber at the bottom of the circular bearing housing, being either split or compressed is a sure sign of a tired support bearing. You should be looking for the prop to be central in the rubber bushing as it passes through. Once elevated crawl under the centre of the vehicle with a torch and inspect the centre bearing that you find approximately half way down the propshaft just before its sliding splines. To inspect the propshaft centre bearing it will be necessary to lift the rear of the vehicle onto ramps. While this type of noise and the issues connected are discussed in relation to a Mercedes SLK R170, it is probable that similar issues could exist on many models of vehicle not just Mercedes and not specifically just this model. There was no apparent vibration through the gearstick, although the noise did seem to be coming from the gearbox/transmission tunnel area and was quite loud at sub 35mph speeds. Immediately you had toed-off the power, the noise returned. The only characteristic to this noise was at slower speeds it was slightly lower in tone and when power was applied, even lightly, the noise lessened. It did not change note in any way if you dipped the clutch (This was a 6 speed manual model) or selected neutral whilst rolling.

It was present in all gears and became almost unnoticeable at about 60mph and above.

As soon as the vehicle started rolling at even the slowest speeds, there was a bearing noise usually associated with a gearbox problems. We recently picked up a 2001 facelift Mercedes SLK200 from South Wales and on the way back to Staffordshire it was obvious all was not well with the driveline.

Mercedes slk kompressor engine vibration problem