RE: Mercedes tyre 'skipping' - official statement
Discussion
Mr2Mike said:
havoc said:
So, let me get this straight:
In the interests of extreme-performance behaviour (>>100mph stability, which your average owner will experience...ooh, possibly NEVER!), and in the interests of "marketing/image" (ultra-low profile alloys on a heavy 4wd car, which make no f
king sense whatsoever), Merc (and others it appears) have compromised day-to-day behaviour and tyre life?
Have I got that right? I just want to check that these oh-so-fking clever engineers have got their priorities straight... 
Lunatics / asylum...
So you'd prefer Mercedes to compromise on high speed stability on a 400+bhp car? There is a lunatic here, but not within Mercedes engineers...In the interests of extreme-performance behaviour (>>100mph stability, which your average owner will experience...ooh, possibly NEVER!), and in the interests of "marketing/image" (ultra-low profile alloys on a heavy 4wd car, which make no f
king sense whatsoever), Merc (and others it appears) have compromised day-to-day behaviour and tyre life?Have I got that right? I just want to check that these oh-so-f
king clever engineers have got their priorities straight... Lunatics / asylum...
It makes no sense to me - if it's that big a problem, fit it with a speed limiter and let buyers sign a waiver if they want the limiter removed. But don't design a car that shreds its' front tyres in regular town driving and then force that on ALL buyers of the car.
I fully agree, but since no LHD vehicles are affected this is a 'non' issue for Mercedes. They must be opening up another bottle of champagne looking at the internet warriors defending the 'characteristic' for the RHD market as normal.
I can't belief people are still defending this; motoring journalists are picking up on it and reporting it as beyond the norm, Mercedes even recognises that it is an issue (although they aren't moving to fix it). Yet on here a large cohort just keeps going oh mine does it and his does it, and that one over there does it. Well they shouldn't be doing it, not to this extend that it has become worthwhile reporting it.
I can't belief people are still defending this; motoring journalists are picking up on it and reporting it as beyond the norm, Mercedes even recognises that it is an issue (although they aren't moving to fix it). Yet on here a large cohort just keeps going oh mine does it and his does it, and that one over there does it. Well they shouldn't be doing it, not to this extend that it has become worthwhile reporting it.
A website has launched to aid those owners affected to group together and collate securely information.
https://www.mercedescrabbing.org
It would be good when those affected register to aid communication across the various online communities.
https://www.mercedescrabbing.org
It would be good when those affected register to aid communication across the various online communities.
NAS said:
And blame customers. In Central Europe, stability at 125mph plus for when they drive in Germany is a key reason why many people buy these cars.....
Let's not forget this fault equally affects the complete range of right-hand drive GLC's, and not just the 400 bhp C43 sports version.The 220d at 168 bhp & 250d at 200 bhp yes DIESELS - are supposedly designed and marketed as luxury cross-over SUV family cars for everyday use. MB customers pay a premium for what they expect will be a comfortable, high quality, luxury drive. Not the juddering, crabbing and bouncing, which is an uncomfortable and depressingly embarrassing experience that MB are telling owners is a totally acceptable characteristic of the new GLC range.
THIS IS COMPLETE BULL S#!7
MB do not sell another car with this crap crabbing behaviour - they got something seriously wrong when converting the successful, non-crabbing left-hand drive GLC for the UK and right-hand drive markets
If you are experiencing this fault with your GLC I strongly recommend registering on the crabbing web site,
https://www.mercedescrabbing.org/
Edited by Tony Mac on Saturday 4th February 15:38
I have a C43 AMG Estate, which I picked up new in November. At slow speed manoevering, parking the vehicle, I get a clunking sensation from the front wheels (19") particularly at one location where moving away from the house means a 3-point turn into a farm gateway with quite a pronounced camber. It was particularly bad a couple of weeks ago during a spell of very cold weather. I was aware of this when I bought the vehicle but for me it does not detract from enjoying it one bit; I am losing no sleep over it, and won't be subscribing to any Class Action against Mercedes Benz for it. For the record, I also had a 2013 RS4 on 20" wheels and Pirellis which never did it, but if go back into the mists of time I had a 1991 Pug 205 GTI 1.9 which was atrocious for it, particularly negotiating it around the multi-story car park in Winchester where I parked it every day (and I sincerely hope that it really annoyed the scrote that eventually nicked it from the same car park).
Having said all of that, the problems evident in the You Tube video on the GLC are an order of magnitude worse than anything I'm experiencing, which looks completely different.
Having said all of that, the problems evident in the You Tube video on the GLC are an order of magnitude worse than anything I'm experiencing, which looks completely different.
Greenhill said:
I
Having said all of that, the problems evident in the You Tube video on the GLC are an order of magnitude worse than anything I'm experiencing, which looks completely different.
And that is the key point - this problem is real and it isn't just one car. it really is this bad. I full accept that technically a little skipping occasional can occur. But not at 15 degree taking a t-junction.Having said all of that, the problems evident in the You Tube video on the GLC are an order of magnitude worse than anything I'm experiencing, which looks completely different.
It has now come to our attention, and I've seen a copy of the waiver, that new buyers are asked to sign a waiver stating that they are aware of the 'characteristic' of the vehicle. Oh dear oh dear. I'm glad for new prospective owners that we have made some noise, and that they get the chance to walk away laughing. But I wish I was given that choice when I got my crabbing Mercedes GLC43 AMG.
havoc said:
I just think we're at an "emperors new clothes" moment - these are 400+bhp SUVs which, because they're capable of ultra-high Autobahn speeds (and I take the comment above about central European buyers), are being designed with compromises to their day-to-day behaviour.
It makes no sense to me - if it's that big a problem, fit it with a speed limiter and let buyers sign a waiver if they want the limiter removed. But don't design a car that shreds its' front tyres in regular town driving and then force that on ALL buyers of the car.
Quite honestly it makes no sense to me that people even buy these monstrosities in the first place, but when compromises have to be made I'd far rather suffer a bit of extra tyre wear on the odd occasion I needed full lock rather than the car deciding to leave the road when I'm pressing on.It makes no sense to me - if it's that big a problem, fit it with a speed limiter and let buyers sign a waiver if they want the limiter removed. But don't design a car that shreds its' front tyres in regular town driving and then force that on ALL buyers of the car.
Mr2Mike said:
Quite honestly it makes no sense to me that people even buy these monstrosities in the first place, but when compromises have to be made I'd far rather suffer a bit of extra tyre wear on the odd occasion I needed full lock rather than the car deciding to leave the road when I'm pressing on.
Some compromises, sure. This is a bit beyond that though, more to do with the RHD implementation as the LHD versions suffer from a minimal version of the symptoms.How many other cars do you need to sign a disclaimer warning of 'characteristic behaviour'?
Mr2Mike said:
...rather than the car deciding to leave the road when I'm pressing on.
Nothing to do with pressing on unless you regularly do 200+kmh on Autobahns. At which point I guess I agree but still maintain that there are ways around high-speed stability with the right budget...Cyb3rDud3 said:
It has now come to our attention, and I've seen a copy of the waiver, that new buyers are asked to sign a waiver stating that they are aware of the 'characteristic' of the vehicle. Oh dear oh dear.
Wow - that's absolutely astonishing. I wonder if that's ever happened before on any volume produced car?I'm used to a bit of tyre skip on full lock and with cold tyres in our A6 and thought that this issue with Mercs had been blown out of proportion. However, having just seen a couple of YouTube videos of the issue - particularly those of the GLC where the tumping and banging noise inside the cabin is extraordinary - owners have my full sympathy. I certainly couldn't live with it and imagine the strain on tyres is enormous.
Edited to add video link. The noises on the corner taken at 1:29 are incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5rqpYPNjo
Edited to add video link. The noises on the corner taken at 1:29 are incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5rqpYPNjo
Edited by JonJon2015 on Tuesday 7th February 13:19
JonJon2015 said:
I'm used to a bit of tyre skip on full lock and with cold tyres in our A6 and thought that this issue with Mercs had been blown out of proportion. However, having just seen a couple of YouTube videos of the issue - particularly those of the GLC where the tumping and banging noise inside the cabin is extraordinary - owners have my full sympathy. I certainly couldn't live with it and imagine the strain on tyres is enormous.
Edited to add video link. The noises on the corner taken at 1:29 are incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5rqpYPNjo
on an older car wouldnt that be taken up with flex in the sidewall?Edited to add video link. The noises on the corner taken at 1:29 are incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5rqpYPNjo
Is the issue here those tyres have virtually no sidewall?
Cyb3rDud3 said:
saaby93 said:
on an older car wouldnt that be taken up with flex in the sidewall?
Is the issue here those tyres have virtually no sidewall?
No it is not, my car is actually in a minority on its big wheels.Is the issue here those tyres have virtually no sidewall?
The chart below is taken from the owner surveys of those affected by this issue.
Remember when 13" was the norm but lets say 15" or 16"
Cyb3rDud3 said:
saaby93 said:
on an older car wouldnt that be taken up with flex in the sidewall?
Is the issue here those tyres have virtually no sidewall?
No it is not, my car is actually in a minority on its big wheels.Is the issue here those tyres have virtually no sidewall?
The chart below is taken from the owner surveys of those affected by this issue.
crappy conti's for the most part i will wager
saaby93 said:
I was thinking less than 17" as older cars
Remember when 13" was the norm but lets say 15" or 16"
Need to consider absolute sidewall height rather than wheel diameter - suspect a modern 45/50-profile on a 245/255 tyre will have a perfectly decent sidewall.Remember when 13" was the norm but lets say 15" or 16"
Also need to consider sidewall construction - that has definitely been getting stiffer in response to engineers wanting more precise handling/immediate responses.
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