c180 (54 plate) drifts to left ....

[grpar]

Have a C180 (54 plate, post facelift) that has drifted to the left since new. Initial view from MB dealer was "go away, they all do that".

After one year and a very worn n/side front tyre, MB said "they all do that, we'll check alignment and fit modified suspension bolts". Work was done, and I immediately replaced all 4 tyres hoping the problem would be gone forever. 1000 miles later and the car is fine around town (no drift), but the steering is vague and slightly nervous at motorway speeds, making it uncomfortable to drive. Any advice on what to request MB to look at when I next book it in .... ?

 

[Blobcat]

Hi & Welcome,
Pls take a look at the attached thread - http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17327&highlight=steering+vagueness
Some have it some don't

 

[Flying Scot]

Have a C180 (54 plate, post facelift) that has drifted to the left since new. Initial view from MB dealer was "go away, they all do that".

After one year and a very worn n/side front tyre, MB said "they all do that, we'll check alignment and fit modified suspension bolts". Work was done, and I immediately replaced all 4 tyres hoping the problem would be gone forever. 1000 miles later and the car is fine around town (no drift), but the steering is vague and slightly nervous at motorway speeds, making it uncomfortable to drive. Any advice on what to request MB to look at when I next book it in .... ?

AND Hi & Welcome,
Pls take a look at the attached thread - http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17327&highlight=steering+vaguenes s
Some have it some don't

i SUSPECT you have a tyre issue whatever tyres you have put on the vehicle are a bad match for the MB suspension and steering components/set up

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

This seems to be a common thread. Can't say as I have noticed it on my car. It certainly seems to follow the camber of the road quite rigidly and also any kind of subsidance in the road but I believe this is refered to as "good feedback from the road" in some car magazines.

Mine is an avantgarde so I don't know is this problem is more noticable in the elegance and classic models as they all have different supension I believe.

 

[clive williams]

Have a C180 (54 plate, post facelift) that has drifted to the left since new. Initial view from MB dealer was "go away, they all do that".

After one year and a very worn n/side front tyre, MB said "they all do that, we'll check alignment and fit modified suspension bolts". Work was done, and I immediately replaced all 4 tyres hoping the problem would be gone forever. 1000 miles later and the car is fine around town (no drift), but the steering is vague and slightly nervous at motorway speeds, making it uncomfortable to drive. Any advice on what to request MB to look at when I next book it in .... ?

Hi and welcome.

The difting to the left seems to be a common problem as others have said. I think that MB set the suspension design for LHD to track straight on right side cambers. My older W124 (LHD 500E) has marked different settings on the front for left and right and is noticable that it drifts to the left in this country and tracks dead straight on continental cambers. I'm not inclined to change it as the handling is quite good.

I suspect that when they say they have used the modified suspension bolts, they have used the eccentric bolts, which adjust the camber on the front suspension arms. Unless something was seriously wrong with the camber I would suspect a 'bogger' cure. Personally, I would insist on a laser alignment and readout for all four wheels as it is also common for discrepancies in the rear set up to steer the front. If MB won't do this for you get an independant expert to carry it out. This will cost c£45.00 but will give you either piece of mind or ammunition. Once you've got the results, post them back on the forum.

I wouldn't mind betting that the cambers are greater than the optimum and the toe-in has been slackened off closer to parallel.

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[grpar]

Avoid the Modified MB Suspension Bolts

Well, had the work done by MB in west London to remove the modified suspension bolts they'd previously tried (the car stopped drifting with them fitted, but drove & cornered horribly as a result) and to realign all 4 wheels.

The only donwside was that MB charged me £270 for the pleasure as they stated this was a "customer preference" and not a "warranted fault". Slightly poor judgement on MB's part I think.

Anyway, the car now drives great, with the exception of a tendency to drift leftwards. Nothing massive though. Makes me think that most of these left-drift issues might just be caused by nothing other than the alignment of all 4 wheels (not just the front 2).

Thanks for the tips and advice along the way.

 

[television]

Interesting reading, on following all of these threads, and there have been many on this subject. I have never had a problem until I used the car in Sweden where it needed constant correction at slow speeds, but fine at high speeds. In the uk the car is very stable at any speed. It would appear that the setting up is very criticle, a fraction of a degree in one direction you have vagueness, in the othe other it follows the road camber. 3 different typs of tyre have been used all performing the same. I never go near kerbs with my cars, owing to the type of wheels that I use, but 1½ tons + of motor car going up and down the kerb just once could throw it all out of line, just some thoughts.

Malcolm

 

[Micman]

Hi

I'm happy to say I haven't suffered from that problem yet on mine, although I know 2 people with a C-class that experienced this 'pulling to the left' syndrome. From what I hear and what I've read it appears to be a random - some do some dont!

They both had all the wheels rebalanced and took it for a four wheel alignment/tracking check. That resolved the problem.

Now they just keep an eye on tyre wear etc and factor in getting a four wheel alignment check at regular intervals. It doesn't take much to knock the tracking out, especially if you live in surrey/sussex area - the councils idea of highway maintenance and repairing pot holes in the roads round here makes me wonder why I pay road tax!!!! (but that's another rant!!)

You don't have to go to Merc for alignment checks, many local garages or tyre centres now offer four wheel alignment and it doesn't cost the earth.

M

 

[Rory]

Have a C180 (54 plate, post facelift) that has drifted to the left since new. Initial view from MB dealer was "go away, they all do that".

After one year and a very worn n/side front tyre, MB said "they all do that, we'll check alignment and fit modified suspension bolts". Work was done, and I immediately replaced all 4 tyres hoping the problem would be gone forever. 1000 miles later and the car is fine around town (no drift), but the steering is vague and slightly nervous at motorway speeds, making it uncomfortable to drive. Any advice on what to request MB to look at when I next book it in .... ?

I think you've summed up exactly my own feeling about my C270 Estate (also 54 reg, post facelift). It just doesn't feel nice to drive - as if it's not 'planted' on the road. I'm piloting the car, rather than driving it.
Mine drifts slightly on cambered roads, but if I drive on right cambered road then it drifts right.
I've never had it tracked, mainly because I've seen many reports saying how difficult it is to find someone who knows what they're doing - the car's supposed to be weighted during the process. I might get it done when the front tyres need replacing.

 

[grpar]

Worth getting the 4-wheel alignment Rory

Seems to have made a difference to mine, Rory, and many threads on this site have also said the back wheels can often drive the front if you don't get the rears' checked aswell. Mine definately feels more planted - I know what you mine when you say yours doesn't.

Only downside is the rather silly £270 that MB on the A4 in West London charged. That is taking the michael for the actual work they have to do.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Do you think it could have anything to do with tyres? I posted a thread before about my tyres (I have a 2003 C240 with factory fitted 225/50 VR16's - ContiSport 2's) and BlobCat made the comment that they were too big for the car. Could the fatter tyres (and possible the Avantgarde suspension) help because my car has never pulled to the left, although it does tram-line dreadfully.

btw, I believe there is a sports suspension kit available. How would I know if this was fitted? I pulled up next to a similar age C-Class Avantgarde the other day and mine seemed noticably lower. He had a good couple of inch gap between the top of the rear tyres and the wheel arch where mine pretty much disappear inside it (I guess he may have had smaller wheels). The ride is also VERY firm but then I have nothing to compare it to, having never owned a Merc before.

 

[Blobcat]

Do you think it could have anything to do with tyres? I posted a thread before about my tyres (I have a 2003 C240 with factory fitted 225/50 VR16's - ContiSport 2's) and BlobCat made the comment that they were too big for the car. Could the fatter tyres (and possible the Avantgarde suspension) help because my car has never pulled to the left, although it does tram-line dreadfully.

btw, I believe there is a sports suspension kit available. How would I know if this was fitted? I pulled up next to a similar age C-Class Avantgarde the other day and mine seemed noticably lower. He had a good couple of inch gap between the top of the rear tyres and the wheel arch where mine pretty much disappear inside it (I guess he may have had smaller wheels). The ride is also VERY firm but then I have nothing to compare it to, having never owned a Merc before.

I cannot remember saying you were over tyred, but maybe I'm over tired.
If you put your Vin into the Russian decoder http://www.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/index.html?lng=eng and get the full breakdown the sports suspendion (if fitted) will be listed.
I have never had an issue with pulling to the left - however driving into town this morning whilst crawling down a hill to traffic lights noticed that the wheel was pulling to the left. I have not noticed this before. The only change I have is that my front left tyre is a new viking as the continentals I have are no longer available. If it is a Viking problem then it will not be staying on my car very long. I will conduct a few tests and report back

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Sorry BlobCat, I got the wrong person. It was Jberks I think

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Thanks Blobcat, it says "option 486 - sports chassis". Any idea what this means? Does this just mean it is an avantgarde?

it also says "165 engine with special parts" - any idea what this means?

or

"803 Change of year of model, last figure shows new model year "

?

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks Blobcat, it says "option 486 - sports chassis". Any idea what this means? Does this just mean it is an avantgarde?

it also says "165 engine with special parts" - any idea what this means?

or

"803 Change of year of model, last figure shows new model year "

?

Avantgarde will be listed at the top, sport chassis to me is that you have the sports suspension as well as it being an Avantgarde.
Special engine parts ??

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

That would explain why it sits so much lower, especially at the back, and possibly why it doesn't pull to the left. Probably also explains the dat tyres. I must say it does look better than most I have seen. I assume the re-seller didn't realise this had been specced in the options as it didn't appear on the spec list when I bought it.

Intersted in the special engine parts one though.

Anyone know where I can find out what the code numbers actually mean?

 

[jberks]

Sorry BlobCat, I got the wrong person. It was Jberks I think

I didn't say it was over tyred as such, only that all cars are these days. The wider the tyres, the more tendancy it has to follow the camber and tramlines. I've noticed that mine with 245's tends to be a bit more camber sensitive than my old 225 equipped E class.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

s'ok. I knew what you meant. Not having a go I just thought it may be relevant to why some cars pull to the left and some don't. Sounds like I may have sports suspension which may also help. I've just raised a new thread to see if anyone knows exactly what the option codes mean.

Thanks BC and JB.

 

[grpar]

Elegance not Avantgarde

Mine's an Elegance model sitting (modestly) on the Conti SportCon2 205/55 R16s all round. Unlike the Avantgarde's slightly lower setup and wider rears.

Could it be that it's the Elegance models that have the tendency to drift because of this ....... ? (rhetorical question, no need to answer unless the urge is overwhelming).