2012MY C63 AMG Perf Pack dilemma

[Rotorhead500]

Thanks John. His service department ran it through the system and it apparently came up as needing slippy diff oil when the time comes.

Just confused at the moment - dates of intro of specs, packs and even what pack is on the car, all seem to be at sixes & sevens at present! :-(

 

[keefysher]

Thanks John. His service department ran it through the system and it apparently came up as needing slippy diff oil when the time comes.

Just confused at the moment - dates of intro of specs, packs and even what pack is on the car, all seem to be at sixes & sevens at present! :-(

Surely your dealer would propose you pop it in and let them put it in the air to check the wheel rotation, or otherwise. If they are not out of your way.

 

[Rotorhead500]

Supplying dealer is 100 miles away. Not had time to take it in to local dealer yet. May be tomorrow.

Although they're not far from my Dad's house so may as well borrow his trolley jack!

Had hoped MB would have some definitive way of telling what they're build codes meant!

 

[AMGeed]

Mentioned before perhaps, but if it's got an LSD there will be a diff oil change showing as done or due on the service schedule (though I can't remember at what mileage).

IIRC the diff oil had to be changed at 1500 miles with a LSD.

Someone with an LSD factory fitted will chime in and confirm one way or the other.

 

[Rotorhead500]

Have only got part way through the paperwork - will check that bit in the morning!

 

[C350Carl]

Easy way is just boot it round the nearest tight bend. If you end up in a ditch then you've probably got no diff.

Plus side being is that with the insurance payout you can find one that has.

Every cloud and all that.....

 

[Rotorhead500]

Funny you should suggest that Carl...

May have possibly got a little annoyed by several chavesque types blocking a junction this evening whilst they were desperately queuing for their KFC drive-though (ironically, would've been much quicker for them to pull in to the adjacent M&S food hall, buy something resembling food and then go home and cook it!).....

As I went to pull around the accumulated chav blockade, I did note that the wheel slip seemed quite uniform! I would've hopped out to check for nice even 11s, but it was damp.

And the KFC warriors may have stolen my car. :Oops:

 

[C350Carl]

Cooking from scratch is a black art to some these days.

If it makes you feel any better my car doesn't have a diff, performance pack and is missing a couple of cylinders compared to yours!

 

[Rotorhead500]

I nearly vom every time I cycle past the place - the stench of stale deep-fat fried filters no longer doing their job wafts for miles!

I can lend you a cylinder if you like... That would be 7 apiece! ;-)

 

[Rotorhead500]

Right.

Got the ar5e-end of the car in the air... Rotated offside rear wheel in the forwards direction... and near side rear wandered off in a backward direction.

Just double double checking this means what I believe it to mean, before I initiate discussions with the supplying dealer...

 

[V6Matty]

sh!t-e-mail on its way to the supplying dealer soon I'm afraid to say.

 

[Rotorhead500]

sh!t-e-mail on its way to the supplying dealer soon I'm afraid to say.

May give Acid a call first, just to second guess myself before I launch into snottograms...

 

[daveenty]

You've confirmed your fears unfortunately.

With both wheels off the deck, if the n/s wheel is turned forwards, o/s would also go forward with LSD. If it goes backwards it means it's not fitted and the planetary gears are moving the wheel.

Sorry about that, but at least you know why it's skidding coming out of side roads now...

ETA: Not really worth bothering the sales people as they won't be interested. They basically haven't a clue what comes as standard on a normal car let alone an AMG, especially when it comes to performance packages.

 

[Rotorhead500]

You've confirmed your fears unfortunately.

With both wheels off the deck, if the n/s wheel is turned forwards, o/s would also go forward with LSD. If it goes backwards it means it's not fitted and the planetary gears are moving the wheel.

Sorry about that, but at least you know why it's skidding coming out of side roads now...

ETA: Not really worth bothering the sales people as they won't be interested. They basically haven't a clue what comes as standard on a normal car let alone an AMG, especially when it comes to performance packages.

Hi Dave,

I'm persisting with the sales chappy for the moment, because the presence of LSD was discussed before, during and after test-drive! So a bit narked that product sold isn't as described! Quite where I get with that, I can probably guess.

Did a bit of further reading over the weekend, and get the impression that a helical cut gear LSD will behave a little differently to a clutch pack LSD in that quick test - unfortunately I don't know quite enough about either to verify that! :-(

The basic principals of diffs & LSDs I'm more than happy with, so the logic behind the arse-in-the-air test is perfectly logical. Just want to make sure I'm on firm ground before I set sail!

 

[Rotorhead500]

Latest update...

Spoken to Acid and he's running a couple of checks about the data card, etc. Also confirmed that different LSDs need to load up before they engage, so wheels-up test is not always definitive.

Another response from supplying dealer:

I have spoken to the technicians again about this and they said as you correctly stated that the wheels spinning in opposite directions does not always mean a non - slip diff.

I have checked the service and the diff oil was changed at first service, using grade 75w-140 oil, which is a limited slip grade of oil. The code P30 did have a limited slip diff originally and as far as I was aware it wasn’t until around 62/13 that it changed.

 

[daveenty]

I really hope I'm wrong on this occasion.

Best of luck whatever happens with it, and hopefully all will be good...

 

[Rotorhead500]

Fingers firmly crossed at the moments Dave...

The recorded oil changes sound promising - could do without buying a diff tbh, but...

 

[Rotorhead500]

Feedback from Acid, from his contacts at MB Brum - my car has no slippy diff. :-(

So quite why the oil was changed, I have no idea!

Fed back to dealer this eve, let's see what tomorrow brings... :?

 

[Rotorhead500]

Yet to hear from supplying dealer...

Went to local dealer, initial response having run vehicle data card was, "your vehicle does not have a Limited Slip Diff", whilst showing me the printout of the data card.

Held my breath and asked them if it is a retro fit option... Went away to check... Came back 10 mins later... "The problem is the year change, your car does have a LSD! Our master tech has gone in to his system, and it will require LSD oil at service time; the P30 AMG Performance Pack definitely has a diff!"

Can't believe dealers find it so hard to tell what should be on the bl00dy car! :-x

Think I'll email MB HQ with the VIN and see if they throw a third option at me! "Ja, ze car has unt small piglet in ze axle!)

My inclination is to roll with Acids guys, but it's a lot of time & money wasted if we then find out a slippy diff is hiding in there.

 

[whitenemesis]

Can you not simply jack the rear end up, get both wheels off the ground and spin one wheel. If normal diff the other wheel will spin the other way, if LSD both wheels spin the same way (I think that's the right way round!).