I've heard a lot said about the whine that a kompressor engine makes. I have an SLK230 but don't seem to hear a whine when I accelerate or at any other time? Performance seems fine. Should it be noticeable or is it a very quiet whine or does it whine after a certain rev limit?
The supercharger sounds like normal engine drone from inside the closed car, more like transmission drone through the firewall. Outside the car, there's a click at 1,000 rpm when the supercharger clicks in (it disables at idle speed), then a gear-like meshing drone as the engine is accelerated faster. It sounds more like a rear-end differential drone rather than a piercing jet engine whine. It's really only noticeable when parked along a concrete wall or building, with the window down and accelerated above 1,000 rpm to click the supercharger into action.
There is also a plastic intake piece between the front chassis metal (behind the grille) that connects to the plastic air filter box/housing. Removing that small piece will demonstrate the sound better; it snaps in and out without tools. Once that piece is removed, the supercharger sound is more apparent from inside the car, but it's still more of an engine drone as opposed to a jet turbine whine you might be expecting to hear.
I'm not sure if they make a cold air intake for that model or not, but if they do, try to find one. the high flow filter(k&n or somthing like it) without all of that plastic holding back the sound is sure to give you a good blender like sound when you juice it.
Thanks for the information. Thought there may be something I'm missing but obviously not.
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