C Class pulling to the left
Discussion
After coming from a bmw 318d I now have a c250 estate for the extra room, as well as bit more power. It's a great car for my needs but with one issue. It pulls to the left. As such I seem to always need to steer to the right to continue straight, as the pic below shows. I've done a bit of reading and it seems that being "camber sensitive" is a mercedes trait, but having driven on lots of roads types I'm not convinced that is the problem. I've already had the car checked once at the dealer and they adjusted the tracking but this didn't change anything. Is it "normal" or will persisting with the dealer result in a car that doesn't require me to always steer to the right?
Was this the bulletin? Seems about 6 years old.
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/476027-post8.html
Vehicle follows road inclination to the left too quickly (right-hand drive vehicles) -
Topic number
GI40.20-P-003702
Version
2
Group number
40.20 Chassis alignment check
Date
06-20-2006
Validity
MODEL 203.### (except 203.08 /28) 2# MODEL 211.### (except 211.08/28) 2# MODEL 230.### 2#
Reason for change
Damage type revised
Complaint Vehicle follows road inclination to the left too quickly
Cause The vehicle follows the inclination of the road due to the laws of physics!
- Low friction (opposing force) in the axle joints and in the steering/jacket tube area (conveys a good road feel and leads to good self-centering)
- Wide base tires increase roll and sensitivity to ruts in the road. If this is the only reason for complaint, there is no remedy.
Remedy 1 Test drive vehicle (team chief/customer) and verify complaint.
To ensure neutral evaluation, it is necessary to make a visual check to ensure that the tire inflation pressure and vehicle level are OK (vehicles with pneumatic suspension/ABC not inclined to one side).
2 Determine influence of tires. AP40.10-P-4050Z
Swap wheels diagonally left/right on front and rear axles (including unidirectional tires).
If this does not remedy the problem, continue with step 4.
If the vehicle is OK after changing the wheels crossways, non-unidirectional tires can remain on the vehicle.
For unidirectional tires:
3 Optimize bead seating. Press tire off rim and fill as described in AF. AF40.10-P-3201-01AV
(damage code 40221B5 or alternatively 40211B5)
4 Check axle alignment. If the vehicle is still not OK with symmetrical axle alignment (actual value) despite diagonally swapping the wheels:
5 Change caster as follows:
Model 203 AR40.20-P-0200P
Model 211 AR40.20-P-0200T
Model 230 AR40.20-P-0200R
Left: Increase caster, increase camber (in negative direction).
Right: Reduce caster, reduce camber (in positive direction)
Use camber and caster correction bolts.
Model 203 AR40.20-P-0322-01P
Model 211 AR40.20-P-0322-01T
Model 230 AR40.20-P-0322-01R
6 Perform road test (final assessment).
Operation no. of operation texts or standard texts and flat rates
Category Op. no. Operation text Time Acc. no. Code
P 401450 Remove/install wheels (all) 007 WU --- ---
P 023789 Optimize bead seating on 4 unidirectional tires 006 WU --- ---
P 402070 Stationary balancing of wheels (4) (wheels removed), models 203, 211 004 WU --- ---
P 402070 Stationary balancing of wheels (4) (wheels removed), model 230 006 WU --- ---
P 402181 In addition to balancing wheel: Attach adhesive weights to disk wheel Time prescribed by foreperson --- ---
P 406560 Check vehicle alignment (electronically/with adjustment operations), model 230 015 WU --- ---
P 406716 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on left front axle half, models 211, 230 008 WU --- ---
P 406717 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on right front axle half, models 211, 230 008 WU --- ---
P 406560 Check vehicle alignment (electronically/with adjustment operations), models 203, 211 012 WU --- ---
P 406716 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on left front axle half, model 203 010 WU --- ---
P 406717 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on right front axle half, model 203 010 WU --- ---
WIS references
Document number
Title
Note
Allocation
AP40.10-P-4050ZWIS ReferenzRemedyAF40.10-P-3201-01AVWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200PWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200TWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200RWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01PWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01TWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01RWIS ReferenzRemedy
Symptoms
Symptom
Chassis / suspension / Suspension characteristic / pulls to the left
These refer to WIS documents for the repair
______________
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/476027-post8.html
Vehicle follows road inclination to the left too quickly (right-hand drive vehicles) -
Topic number
GI40.20-P-003702
Version
2
Group number
40.20 Chassis alignment check
Date
06-20-2006
Validity
MODEL 203.### (except 203.08 /28) 2# MODEL 211.### (except 211.08/28) 2# MODEL 230.### 2#
Reason for change
Damage type revised
Complaint Vehicle follows road inclination to the left too quickly
Cause The vehicle follows the inclination of the road due to the laws of physics!
- Low friction (opposing force) in the axle joints and in the steering/jacket tube area (conveys a good road feel and leads to good self-centering)
- Wide base tires increase roll and sensitivity to ruts in the road. If this is the only reason for complaint, there is no remedy.
Remedy 1 Test drive vehicle (team chief/customer) and verify complaint.
To ensure neutral evaluation, it is necessary to make a visual check to ensure that the tire inflation pressure and vehicle level are OK (vehicles with pneumatic suspension/ABC not inclined to one side).
2 Determine influence of tires. AP40.10-P-4050Z
Swap wheels diagonally left/right on front and rear axles (including unidirectional tires).
If this does not remedy the problem, continue with step 4.
If the vehicle is OK after changing the wheels crossways, non-unidirectional tires can remain on the vehicle.
For unidirectional tires:
3 Optimize bead seating. Press tire off rim and fill as described in AF. AF40.10-P-3201-01AV
(damage code 40221B5 or alternatively 40211B5)
4 Check axle alignment. If the vehicle is still not OK with symmetrical axle alignment (actual value) despite diagonally swapping the wheels:
5 Change caster as follows:
Model 203 AR40.20-P-0200P
Model 211 AR40.20-P-0200T
Model 230 AR40.20-P-0200R
Left: Increase caster, increase camber (in negative direction).
Right: Reduce caster, reduce camber (in positive direction)
Use camber and caster correction bolts.
Model 203 AR40.20-P-0322-01P
Model 211 AR40.20-P-0322-01T
Model 230 AR40.20-P-0322-01R
6 Perform road test (final assessment).
Operation no. of operation texts or standard texts and flat rates
Category Op. no. Operation text Time Acc. no. Code
P 401450 Remove/install wheels (all) 007 WU --- ---
P 023789 Optimize bead seating on 4 unidirectional tires 006 WU --- ---
P 402070 Stationary balancing of wheels (4) (wheels removed), models 203, 211 004 WU --- ---
P 402070 Stationary balancing of wheels (4) (wheels removed), model 230 006 WU --- ---
P 402181 In addition to balancing wheel: Attach adhesive weights to disk wheel Time prescribed by foreperson --- ---
P 406560 Check vehicle alignment (electronically/with adjustment operations), model 230 015 WU --- ---
P 406716 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on left front axle half, models 211, 230 008 WU --- ---
P 406717 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on right front axle half, models 211, 230 008 WU --- ---
P 406560 Check vehicle alignment (electronically/with adjustment operations), models 203, 211 012 WU --- ---
P 406716 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on left front axle half, model 203 010 WU --- ---
P 406717 In addition to alignment check: Adjust camber/caster on right front axle half, model 203 010 WU --- ---
WIS references
Document number
Title
Note
Allocation
AP40.10-P-4050ZWIS ReferenzRemedyAF40.10-P-3201-01AVWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200PWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200TWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0200RWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01PWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01TWIS ReferenzRemedyAR40.20-P-0322-01RWIS ReferenzRemedy
Symptoms
Symptom
Chassis / suspension / Suspension characteristic / pulls to the left
These refer to WIS documents for the repair
______________
c1derman said:
Thanks for the replies. I have the car booked in for the second time next Thursday, so hopefully they are able to remedy this problem.
With who??Mercedes settings are designed to do pull to the left on a UK car, and the right on a LHD car.
You need to see someone like Wheels In Motion who have their own settings to wipe this out.
Go to anyone who uses Mercedes figures and you will get the same problem.
gizlaroc said:
Mercedes settings are designed to do pull to the left on a UK car, and the right on a LHD car.
I've heard that said before but don't think it's true - mine (previous model C Class) is just very camber sensitive either way. Get on a motorway contraflow and it'll drift right. On a flat car park it runs straight.I took mine to WIM and Tony said it was pretty good, although the front toe-in was high, but equal on both side as if it had been set like that on purpose. My car was ex-MB management and 5mths old when I got it.
One thing I found was the outside of the NSF tyre wore quickly (due to the excess toe and 'holding' the car to the right - it was much better after swopping the front tyres over.
gizlaroc said:
With who??
Mercedes settings are designed to do pull to the left on a UK car, and the right on a LHD car.
You need to see someone like Wheels In Motion who have their own settings to wipe this out.
Go to anyone who uses Mercedes figures and you will get the same problem.
Mercedes in Bristol. The reason for the question was to find out if this was a futile exercise, and sounds like it is. Mercedes settings are designed to do pull to the left on a UK car, and the right on a LHD car.
You need to see someone like Wheels In Motion who have their own settings to wipe this out.
Go to anyone who uses Mercedes figures and you will get the same problem.
Anyone know of an independent experienced in this in the Bristol area?
Or perhaps someone who has had this fixed by Mercedes?
c1derman said:
Anyone know of an independent experienced in this in the Bristol area?
ProTyres in Bristol is mentioned in one of the Mercedes forums.http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showpost.php?p=6...
Boy, does this bring back memories! In 1993 I bought a loaded 2.6 190E and put 70,000 miles on it over the next 2.5 years. All that time it pulled to the left despite the (best?) efforts of my dealer.
In the end they basically gave up, telling me that it was the fault of the UK roads.
Yes, brings back awful memories of a lousy car. It never made a 6000 service interval without some fault or other and put me off the brand since then.
Recently I have been considering a return to MB but this story worries me. Having said that my son, who works for a part of MB gets a new car every year and hasn't mentioned these issues.
In the end they basically gave up, telling me that it was the fault of the UK roads.
Yes, brings back awful memories of a lousy car. It never made a 6000 service interval without some fault or other and put me off the brand since then.
Recently I have been considering a return to MB but this story worries me. Having said that my son, who works for a part of MB gets a new car every year and hasn't mentioned these issues.
Well I kept my appointment with MB and got my car back this afternoon. Was told by MB and the delivery driver that it was fixed and now running true... however a quick drive around the block and it is quite obviously now off center as much in the other direction. Holding the wheel dead center the car is now steering to the right. I called then back and it's booked in tomorrow for what I hope will finally resolve the issue.
Done 100k in my Vito which suffers with this problem. Pulls to left in the UK, pulls to the right in Europe, absolutely fine on a level surface; drove me crackers.
Solution: a couple of well placed and adjusted strong bungees on the steering links to the sub frame to compensate in the required direction.
Solution: a couple of well placed and adjusted strong bungees on the steering links to the sub frame to compensate in the required direction.
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