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"Whining" sound from the front when stopping the car

22K views 42 replies 23 participants last post by  200_S_AWD 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys,

Just want to check with you before I ask the dealer but here's the issue. I noticed, a few weeks ago, that when I stop my car, if I get out of it and stand in front of the car, there's a small "whining" or "buzzing" sound coming from Under the Hood. It lasts a few minutes then stops.

Last night, I had time to troubleshoot so I went for a quick ride then came back to my garage, stopped the car and popped the Hood to listen. It is very hard to tell where it comes from, if I listen from the right of the engine (V6), it sounds like it is the car's computer that whines, but if I listen from the left side of the engine, it seems to come from that side. Anyway, it is very easy to hear, it is not a loud sound but if you are standing close to the car, you can hear it.

The car is performing well, no error messages but I'm not sure that this sound is not normal.

Any input appreciated.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Sorry nothing helpful besides that mine does the same thing. I thought it was my garage light at first since it was a fairly faint electrical type sound. I haven't decided what to do yet as I am becoming frustrated with the people that sold me this car and promises they made in writing that they are not fulfilling. I just bought the car and I was hoping it had something to do with the unusual weather here, lots of ice on the bottom of my car etc...
 
#5 ·
As the guy who posted that thread, I still have no idea. The noise is super loud sometimes, quiet others... seems to change pitch and happens whether the headlights are on or off. The HID's have their own sound, as well... no where near as loud as this noise.

The guy at the local dealer said it was the computer, but in my experience this noise is closer to electrical arcing and that sound coming from anything electronic is NEVER good. I have extremely sensitive hearing, so I thought maybe it was just me... but I'm seeing more and more people commenting on it. Hopefully OP can figure something out. I'll bring it up at my 3000 mile service in a few weeks, but it sounds like the local guys are just going to brush it off.
 
#4 ·
I did not get the premium lighting package so no HID... I didn't notice if the lights were still on when I heard the noise. I'll check it out when I get my car back from the tint shop.
 
#6 ·
I too get this when it's cold out. I might be wrong, but I'm thinking it has something to do with our key in proximity of the car. Because when I walk a certain distance away from the car, the whine stops. But had I stayed near the car while it whines, the whine stays.

Plus, I don't have the HID lights.
 
#7 ·
I just called my dealer and found....they have no idea what it could be and don't want to speculate over the phone on whether or not it's a normal issue. So I'm taking my car in on Saturday to hopefully show them what it does. We'll see if the car actually performs or not.
 
#8 ·
could it possibly be the inverter that powers the AC outlet in the center console?
 
#9 ·
Hey Fern, its coming out of the back of the 8.4 screen, I know because I just had mine out. Don't believe me pull the bezel off its just clips, 4 phillips screws around he screen and its out, the thing sings like a canary. I think its the Bluetooth module that stays on that makes that high pitch electronic whistle. Or it could be the flux capacitor.
 
#10 ·
Rizzo, it is not coming from Inside the car, you can't hear anything from Inside, I notices it when I park the car and circle around it. It is from the front, Under the Hood, close to the lights and/or computer.

Just to specify to the other posters, I don't have the premium package lighting but the lights discharging or whatever could make sense. It doesn't do it every single time (didn't do it today) but it does it quite often.

One other thing, my headlights and fog lights are always set to AUTO and it does it whether the lights are on or off.

I have an appointment at the dealership for the first oïl change next Tuesday so I will definitely talk to them about it.
 
#11 ·
Tonight, I pulled into the garage, got out and heard the same thing. I have HID lights. The lights shut off and the sound was still there. It goes away after a couple minutes.
Most of my issues are now fixed so this just doesn't bother me.
 
#14 ·
If you do an internet search on noises under the hood, after shutting off the car, you might be surprised at the number of hits you'll get.
With the new vehicles high concentration of electronics and other electrical devices, I don't think it is anything to worry about.
Since we don't park our 200 in the garage ( that is for my C Class ) then it is not something I might hear.

Short story though.
Shortly after getting my C Class, I noticed after shutting the car off, and it was quiet inside the cabin, I heard faint whirling or maybe vacuum noises. Couldn't really tell what is was or where it was coming from. At the first service I mentioned it to the adviser and he asked if I wanted them to look into it.
I declined.
I knew that if an eventual problem occurred, it would be covered under warranty.

Well my car is now 7 years old, still makes the noise and it hasn't affected or done anything that I notice.
Still on my original battery also. That indicates it isn't electrically driven in my case, but who knows.

Sometimes the more you listen for something the louder it gets. In the end, it may be a normal noise for these new vehicles.
 
#16 ·
The noise being caused by the cold makes sense as I started noticing it when got cold and it hasn't warmed up yet here so I'll probably be able to compare when the weather starts getting better.

Also as stated, car is acting normally so I'm not worried about it for now but it is still a weird noise.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Just registered but I've been lurking here for a while (thanks for all the great info on my car). My car has been doing the same thing this winter. It's especially noticeable when I park in my garage and is definitely coming from under the hood. I've only had the car since September but it seems to only have started when it got cold out.

I've found videos on YouTube of other cars making the exact same sound. It seems like on some cars it's been determined that the sound is caused by an electric "after-run" coolant pump circulating the coolant for a little while after shutdown. No idea if the Pentastar has one of these but I figured I'd throw that out there in case it does.
 
#21 ·
The noise to my car has stopped since the temperature is now out of the single digits. I would assume if it really was a problem, we would continue hearing it no matter what temperature. The positive thing is, it's not creating any problems with these cars. It's just a new thing we all have to get used to.

johnner1999, that is hilarious!
 
#23 ·
So I got home from work yesterday, and went to shovel some snow in my driveway. Came back in the garage maybe 5 minutes later and the "whining" noise was louder than ever (approached the car from the rear passenger side). I noticed it actually was coming in and out, getting louder and quieter. It sounded like a car alarm going off. I tried to get my phone out to record video of it, but before I could start it got extremely quiet and then stopped. This is the first time I've heard it actually have a pattern like that... very odd. If it happens again today when I get home I'll have my phone ready to record it.
 
#24 ·
I did catch a very nice video of it yesterday and the sound is very clear on it. I will try to post later tonight.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Here's the link to the video. You'll hear the sound fade towards the end and then peak and fade.

Condition is: V6 Engine is hot (has run), powered off, nothing on in the car, everything is off.

Seems to be coming from the left side.

Sorry it is in French for my dealer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiWntjGgS1c&feature=youtu.be

Any idea what it can be, let me know.
 
#26 ·
Here's the link to the video. You'll hear the sound fade towards the end and then peak and fade.

Condition is: V6 Engine is hot (has run), powered off, nothing on in the car, everything is off.

Seems to be coming from the left side.

Sorry it is in French for my dealer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiWntjGgS1c&feature=youtu.be

Any idea what it can be, let me know.
That is the EXACT noise. Even had the car alarm-style fading in and out at the end. That CAN NOT be a normal noise...
 
#29 ·
Sorry to ask but I'm not a light expert AT ALL...Are the HID the ones coming with the premium lighting group (whitish) or the ones coming with the standard lights (yellowish)?

Mine are the standard one, I DON'T have the premium lighting group on my car.

As RESPDOC said, other than being an annoying sound, the car has been performing perfectly, so at this point in time, it is not considered an issue. Since I have an appointment at my dealership on Tuesday for the first oïl change, I will use the occasion to show them the video just in case they could tell me what it is.
 
#31 ·
Ferboy61, that's the exact same noise my car was doing when it was colder out. I've noticed that it only occurs when the temperature is in single Fahrenheit digits.

My car too doesn't have HID since I didn't get the premium lights. BUT, is it possible the front parking lamps are HID and would make this noise?
 
#36 ·
Funny how the technicians can be stupid sometimes. While I was at the dealer today, I showed the technical advisor my video of that sound and his reaction was "wow, this can't be normal" so he decided to add this issue to the workorder, stating to the tech to see me to have more explanation about it.

When everything was done, I looked at the work order and all the technician did was write "car didn't do sound"...HA HA HA!!! never came to me or asked any question, the dude just didn't hear anything and decided that his investigation was stopping there so I can't tell you more today...Maybe next time...
 
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