Any advice - Mercedes ignoring ruling of Ombudsman
Discussion
cptsideways said:
Is this not a differential issue? That looks quite simply to an issue where the centre diff/coupling system is not allowing a speed difference between front & rear wheels. eg its locked!
Any car with a lockable centre diff does exactly this when locked
If it was, it'd affect LHD cars just the same, surely?Any car with a lockable centre diff does exactly this when locked
Pretty much every 4wd car I have ever had will crab slightly at close to full lock at slow speeds due to drive shafts and differentials. However with 'normal' profile tyres it results in squeal as the tyre slips rather than this juddering. Problem to me is the low profile tyres. Fit smaller wheels and higher profile tyres and it probably won't happen.
Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
KevinCamaroSS said:
Pretty much every 4wd car I have ever had will crab slightly at close to full lock at slow speeds due to drive shafts and differentials. However with 'normal' profile tyres it results in squeal as the tyre slips rather than this juddering. Problem to me is the low profile tyres. Fit smaller wheels and higher profile tyres and it probably won't happen.
Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
Find much the same with normal tyres on Land Rover/RRC/Disco fitted with LT230 transfer boxes if you forget to disengage centre diff lock on hard dry surfaces. Tyres scrub & you might get a little judder combined with the steering feeling heavy. Late RRC & the P38 had the BW transfer box with viscous coupling & it's the usual indicator that the coupling has seized. Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
KevinCamaroSS said:
Pretty much every 4wd car I have ever had will crab slightly at close to full lock at slow speeds due to drive shafts and differentials. However with 'normal' profile tyres it results in squeal as the tyre slips rather than this juddering. Problem to me is the low profile tyres. Fit smaller wheels and higher profile tyres and it probably won't happen.
Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
There are owners who have put the smaller alloy / winter tyre combination on as a suggested fix by MB and it's made no difference. They've stumped up another £4K for the privilege. Mercedes should change the wheel tyre package to eliminate the issue and not sell ridiculous low profile tyres on a car with off-road pretensions.
Would have thought this was a very simple enforcement case.
Claimant: Bought car, it's crap. Dealer signed up to binding arbitration. Refused to agree to the outcome of the arbitration.
Remedy: Damages? (Flog car to the trade, claim the difference?) Plus the dealer pays costs and any costs of having assets enforced against, and possibly breaches lending covenants if it goes on long enough.
At the moment, the dealer is either monumentally stupid, or engaged in a game of brinkmanship, or both.
Claimant: Bought car, it's crap. Dealer signed up to binding arbitration. Refused to agree to the outcome of the arbitration.
Remedy: Damages? (Flog car to the trade, claim the difference?) Plus the dealer pays costs and any costs of having assets enforced against, and possibly breaches lending covenants if it goes on long enough.
At the moment, the dealer is either monumentally stupid, or engaged in a game of brinkmanship, or both.
Magic919 said:
My 911 does something like this due to Ackermann steering geometry. Is this any different?
just about every performance car i have ever driven has done thisincluding R8, RS3, RS4, RS6, A45, GLA45, M4
i always put it down to massive rims, ultra wide tyres and tiny sidewalls
its a pretty extreme case in the video but i bet a smaller rim and or a tyre with a harder side wall (MPSS etc.) would stop it, some of the OEM tyres (especially conti's) have almost none existent side wall support, i binned the conti's on my RS because they where so terrible, horrible tramlining etc, MPSS cured it instantly
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Friday 13th January 14:59
TooMany2cvs said:
cptsideways said:
Is this not a differential issue? That looks quite simply to an issue where the centre diff/coupling system is not allowing a speed difference between front & rear wheels. eg its locked!
Any car with a lockable centre diff does exactly this when locked
If it was, it'd affect LHD cars just the same, surely?Any car with a lockable centre diff does exactly this when locked
Dave Hedgehog said:
just about every performance car i have ever driven has done this
including R8, RS3, RS4, RS6, A45, GLA45, M4
i always put it down to massive rims, ultra wide tyres and tiny sidewalls
its a pretty extreme case in the video but i bet a smaller rim and or a tyre with a harder side wall (MPSS etc.) would stop it, some of the OEM tyres (especially conti's) have almost none existent side wall support
Unfortunately it doesn't. Plenty of reports of people on 18" wheels/tyres who have the same issue. Interesting how your cars have always done it, and mine haven't. I would not stand for that at all. And Mercedes cars don't have to do this either, my previous GL class was also on 21" AMG tyres, and also with Continental SportContact (there is no other brand that does tyres in the required size with MO marking) and had no such issues whatsoever.including R8, RS3, RS4, RS6, A45, GLA45, M4
i always put it down to massive rims, ultra wide tyres and tiny sidewalls
its a pretty extreme case in the video but i bet a smaller rim and or a tyre with a harder side wall (MPSS etc.) would stop it, some of the OEM tyres (especially conti's) have almost none existent side wall support
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Friday 13th January 14:52
On facebook Mercedes social media team finally responded to a post saying that they are actively investigating this through the technical teams. The moment I asked for a reference to that investigation and/or having dealers notified of it they went quiet again.
I've also got a written letter by MB Cars which basically tells me that it is normal and a characteristic; to quote "May we take this opportunity to offer our further reassurances once more that this matter is a comfort issue and does not affect the safety or performance of your car."
Interesting they acknowledge it is an issue, but as it is a comfort issue they are not interested in doing anything else.
Sheepshanks said:
I've seen a link in one of the threads about this which suggests there is some difference in the front diffs on LHD & RHD versions of the car.
If you look at the top picture of the two on page 1 it looks like the driveshaft for the LHD cars goes down the left side of the passenger footwell. In RHD cars perhaps they needed to redesign the driveshaft and/or coupling to meet footwell requirements for the pedal box and the solution left an engineering compromise that has turned out worse than Mercedes ever expected. Cyb3rDud3 said:
More worryingly, the issue also appears to have disabled your indicators......
TVR1 said:
More worryingly, the issue also appears to have disabled your indicators......
Thank you for your useful contribution. It is much appreciated. I'm surprised you didn't comment about me spelling embarrassed incorrectly as well whilst you are at it. Always good to learn who picks up in the key points. V8 Fettler said:
Fit lock stops
That could mask it, or prevent it from happening, would mean I require a 2 point turn to get it out of my drive way if someone park opposite it. Something never needed before with the much larger GL class, or Nissan Patrol or Nissan Navara Pickup truck. So whilst it could prevent it from happening, the vehicle couldn't even go round mini round abouts. Would make a funny video describing that issue Looks like a lack of Ackermann angle. This in itself isn't dangerous.
My Lotus hasn't any Ackermann - it was designed that way by Chapman. His explanation was that the low speed scrub was a trade off for better high speed stability.
But, having said that, a Merc whatever isn't a performance specialist car. So I think the OP is correct. Some 4wd cars are set up with too much steering angle that causes the CV joint to grab. Like a Series Land Rover in 4 wheel drive - as that has Hooke joints.
My Lotus hasn't any Ackermann - it was designed that way by Chapman. His explanation was that the low speed scrub was a trade off for better high speed stability.
But, having said that, a Merc whatever isn't a performance specialist car. So I think the OP is correct. Some 4wd cars are set up with too much steering angle that causes the CV joint to grab. Like a Series Land Rover in 4 wheel drive - as that has Hooke joints.
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