Kind of an odd title, but I've been trying to get my doors to have that solid sound when I shut them. The W126 and W201 doors sound great, but the W124(at least the ones I've owned) never sounded quite that good. My right front door sounds better that the left, and the rears sound kinda "tinny". Is it just that they don't sound that good? or is there something that wears out, or a combination of things. I've heard people describe W124's as sounding like a "bank vault". Am I missing something? What should I be checking/adjusting/tightening/lubing? Everything in the driver's door has been thoroughly lubed, and everything works well, It's just lacking that satisfying shut sound.
-
Hi Guest !
Welcome to the 500Eboard forum.
Since its founding in late 2008, 500Eboard has become the leading resource on the Internet for all things related to the Mercedes-Benz 500E and E500. In recent years, we have also expanded to include the 400E and E420 models, which are directly related to the 500E/E500.
We invite you to browse and take advantage of the information and resources here on the site. If you find helpful information, please register for full membership, and you'll find even more resources available. Feel free to ask questions, and make liberal use of the "Search" function to find answers.
We hope you will become an active contributor to the community!
Sincerely,
500Eboard Management
How to get that solid door sound.
- Thread starter landspeed
- Start date
E class S class, there is a difference. Coupe doors are longer, have heavier glass, more steel and steel regulators versus aluminum and plastic regulators. Two different engineering concepts as well. I do not have an SEL, but I am pretty sure a 91 SEL is like my 91 SEC, bank vault. My E500 has new seals around all the doors, that helps things, but it take considerably less force to close them, and the vault sound is faint. Locking mechanisms are very different as well, with the W126 being designed with heavy units and the W124 is rather basic materials -minimalist. May have been very different cafe standards as well to keep weight down and get performance and fuel standards to match.
FWIW, my front driver's door improved considerable after replacing the plastic window guide piece. If this little guide is completely broken and sitting at the bottom of the door, you will hear the glass rattle against the vertical rail when you close the door. But the guide could just be cracked or worn out. The piece isn't that expensive, assuming it's still available.
On my rear doors, they look aligned from the outside (symmetrical gaps) but after they are closed, if I "but" them with my rear, as I usually do when hands are full, it will push in slightly and make a noise as if the seals may be worn and they are allowing the door to travel further inboard then rebound a bit to the flush closed position.
I am afraid to even look on the availability of door seals for the W124. It could be the striker plate needs an adjustment but I never looked at it close enough.
On my rear doors, they look aligned from the outside (symmetrical gaps) but after they are closed, if I "but" them with my rear, as I usually do when hands are full, it will push in slightly and make a noise as if the seals may be worn and they are allowing the door to travel further inboard then rebound a bit to the flush closed position.
I am afraid to even look on the availability of door seals for the W124. It could be the striker plate needs an adjustment but I never looked at it close enough.
What year/model 124 do you have? The 124 sound should be at least equal, if not better than, the 201. Both may be slightly inferior to the 126 and definitely not as bank-vaulty as the 140 which is a wheeled Panzer without the turret.
Check the window guide rail as emerydc8 mentioned above. Make sure ALL the door panel clips are present (and, seated properly) so the panel isn't loose anywhere. Make sure the vapor barrier AND felt sheet is present on the vapor barrier, and both are glued to the door sheet metal. Dynamat can be added to the door sheet metal to help deaden resonances.
So fascinating. My 124 rear doors sound spectacularly solid. My front doors are good, but not as nice as my rear doors.
A note on the dynamat. Using any type of sound deadening material on a W124 door skin is not a bad idea. I did do that with spare stuff when I stripped my C126 down inside and took care of business removing factory(asbestos?) stuff. If one has the chance when lubricating check straps or other window MX, get a rectangle or square of dynamat (that is the premium brand - there are cheaper brands that are not seen but perform the same...YMMV) on the door skins and consider the underside of the sunroof (you do not want to cover the whole roof - leave something like 6" margin as this is going to add weight to the moving device and may strain a system that is old and not properly maintained.
There is no real comparison between the 126 and the 124. The 126 is far superior, with the sedan being superior to the coupes (I have owned two 126 sedans; one coupe). I believe I have a bunch of videos on my YouTube channel that I took of door closing in my garage, when I lived in Texas.
'93 400E 201K miles.
That E500 is the noise I'm after. Though, I wonder if I can adapt 993 door latches into my car.
JK.....kinda
I thought I was the only guy who noticed this, and I always attributed it to the location of the fuel tank. The rear doors closing seem to have more bass to them than the fronts, from the outside. But from the inside they all sound the same — heavy thud like the rear doors project from the outside.
FWIW the W220 sounds the same from the inside when someone who doesn’t know it has soft close doors closes the damned thing. For my part, I almost never close it that hard. I push it just enough for the soft close to do the rest, partly because they’re heavy AF and partly because I know the car will do the rest.
I agree the S and SL doors are noticeably heavier than the E doors, just because they’re larger. Similar to the way Rolls Royce and Bentley doors are noticeably heavier than S Class doors. The Rolls and Bentley doors really catch my attention, the way the old 600 Limo doors do. “Now THAT’s a car door.”
maw
For se wrap decades I’ve have nothing but praise for Dynamat Xtreme sound deadening. It’s doesn’t smell like tar or anything weird on a hot day, it stays in place, and really drops the noise levels significantly.
On a 124 I like to apply one layer over the plastic vapor barrier on doors so that you can easily access the window regulator or wiring if you ever need to.
Another layer on the inside of the outside door skins and on the round crash bar.
All under and behind the rear seats, on foot and fender wells under the carpet.
Amazon has a case for $201 delivered which is about half of dealer wholesale cost.
On my sons truck we tried out the new Amazon Basics version that was 80-90% as effective but for only $39 a case
@Jlaa had mentioned how the back doors sound more solid than the fronts. I used to agree and then I made a random discovery when going from front door panels with speaker cutouts to panels that didn’t have the cutouts and I removed the door speakers. Now the fronts are solid as stone. I think the pressure release of the speaker moving really changes the tone.
On a 124 I like to apply one layer over the plastic vapor barrier on doors so that you can easily access the window regulator or wiring if you ever need to.
Another layer on the inside of the outside door skins and on the round crash bar.
All under and behind the rear seats, on foot and fender wells under the carpet.
Amazon has a case for $201 delivered which is about half of dealer wholesale cost.
On my sons truck we tried out the new Amazon Basics version that was 80-90% as effective but for only $39 a case
@Jlaa had mentioned how the back doors sound more solid than the fronts. I used to agree and then I made a random discovery when going from front door panels with speaker cutouts to panels that didn’t have the cutouts and I removed the door speakers. Now the fronts are solid as stone. I think the pressure release of the speaker moving really changes the tone.
What was your front speaker setup without the door speakers? Was it dash speakers only?
Thinking about this more, this should mean that shutting a front door with speakers in it AND the sunroof open should result in a super solid sound right?For se wrap decades I’ve have nothing but praise for Dynamat Xtreme sound deadening. It’s doesn’t smell like tar or anything weird on a hot day, it stays in place, and really drops the noise levels significantly.
On a 124 I like to apply one layer over the plastic vapor barrier on doors so that you can easily access the window regulator or wiring if you ever need to.
Another layer on the inside of the outside door skins and on the round crash bar.
All under and behind the rear seats, on foot and fender wells under the carpet.
Amazon has a case for $201 delivered which is about half of dealer wholesale cost.
On my sons truck we tried out the new Amazon Basics version that was 80-90% as effective but for only $39 a case
@Jlaa had mentioned how the back doors sound more solid than the fronts. I used to agree and then I made a random discovery when going from front door panels with speaker cutouts to panels that didn’t have the cutouts and I removed the door speakers. Now the fronts are solid as stone. I think the pressure release of the speaker moving really changes the tone.
When I replaced my door straps/ closing mechanism, the door shut with a nicer sound
R129 is close to W140 too
Interesting video.
The doors on our '94 E500 do have a nice solid sound when closed, but as on some of the cars in the video, without a "certain" amount of momentum, both front doors will bounce off the the strikers. It does not seem to be an excessive amount of force that is needed. One finger will do it. It just requires a little oomph...
Is this considered normal?
Is there some lubrication, adjustment that I can pursue to improve latching with lower force input?
Is there any design difference between the front and rear door latches?
Without enough force/momentum both front doors will bounce off the strikers, but the rear doors, without enough force will quietly and partially "latch." I mean, after not latching, the fronts are hanging in space, open, ready to be pulled back for a second swing at it. The rears will be partially latched, requiring operating the door button to open them for another attempt at closing them completely.
Am I obsessing over nothing? Too much time on my hands?
Thanks
Tony
Last edited:
I've had 124 coupe(1988), sedan(1993), and wagon(1994) and they all had bank vault sound when closing the doors. I've never heard of one that didn't and wouldn't have a clue how to address it.
I searched for a video I took at LKQ a couple of yeas ago, but I must have deleted it.
It was of a 1990 124 wagon that had been crushed on one side, rusted out body and very thoroughly stripped. The passenger side doors still closed like a bank vault.
I searched for a video I took at LKQ a couple of yeas ago, but I must have deleted it.
It was of a 1990 124 wagon that had been crushed on one side, rusted out body and very thoroughly stripped. The passenger side doors still closed like a bank vault.
