Veering to left

[Scissorwoman]

My SLK is showing signs of excess tyre wear on the outside edge, which I know is indicative of the tracking being misaligned but it is not gently drifting to the left it is veering to the left quite suddenly, which at speed, is not good!!

Would misaligned tracking be responsible for this?

I've read that the likes of Kwikfit etc can't align Mercs....is this correct?

 

[Crownhouse]

Be very carefull here. I had the same problem and got truely messed up with ATS. I finally got hold of SuperTracker in Southampton (02380443325) who were EXTREMELY helpful and solved 90% of my problems.
From investigation, the car has to be weighted down (with weights in the trunk, rear seat & passanger seat) to specific values for each model. There are aslo special tools for adjusting the Camber and Castor on Mercs also in relation to ride height. It appears to be both an Art and a Skill.
With most tyre adjustment firms, I beleive it is a Hit & Miss and sadly with a few MB Garages, this is also the case.
Unlike you, my problems are mostly rectified but I am still looking for the ideal place to get the job done to a 100%. In the meantime I am on budget tires (not the best approach) so as not to loose too much money.
SuperTracker in Southampton (02380443325) will give you 90%-99% job satisfaction and the only reason they miss the final 1% is because they are not specific to MB cars.
If there is anybody that can confidently provide solutions for different parts of the UK....the information will be usefull to many.

 

[Scissorwoman]

Cheers for the info but Southampton's a bit too far from Notts. I'll pop into the local MB stealership at the weekend and see what they can do for her, sounds like it's the best option really.

 

[Rory]

Cheers for the info but Southampton's a bit too far from Notts. I'll pop into the local MB stealership at the weekend and see what they can do for her, sounds like it's the best option really.

I've absolutely no idea what they're like, but I did come across this outfit while looking for somewhere to do my car - I'm in the North West, but I bookmarked the Notts place as my daughters at Uni there, but I've never got around to trying them.
http://www.alignment-services.co.uk/index.asp

 

[toxic dave]

You could check out a really good bodyshop in your area but do choose a recommended and nationally approved one. I had the tracking and camber done on my C-class at a local one and they were very good, sorting out both. Tyre wear dropped dramatically and handling was much better.

 

[television]

Wearing on the outside edge on both front tyres is more to do with the camber angle, with tracking errors, the tyres feather on the edge of the tread.

either condition can be brought about by hitting or going up and down kerbs, this fault could be a combination of both.

Malcolm

 

[Silver Arrow]

I had a similar problem with my XJS. The front tyres wore down to the wire! very quicky without me spotting it. (It was the inner edge) I took it to the local body shop who did a full alignment and angle check to get it back to spec. (Full morning and not cheap) I was told that it needs a hefty bump to knock it out, not gently kerbing it.
The problem occurs with big, heavy cars clouting potholes at a reasonable pace and the suspension smoothing it out so that the driver thinks it is less of a bang that it really is.

 

[clive williams]

My SLK is showing signs of excess tyre wear on the outside edge, which I know is indicative of the tracking being misaligned but it is not gently drifting to the left it is veering to the left quite suddenly, which at speed, is not good!!

Would misaligned tracking be responsible for this?

I've read that the likes of Kwikfit etc can't align Mercs....is this correct?

Hi, Scissorwoman,

What part of Notts are you? I can recommend Jeff Fowkes Wheels in Ibstock, Leics as they have a laser four wheel alignment and I use them successfully for my two mercs.

Your veering to the left is worrying. There is a general tendency for some mercs to drift to the left as a result of having been designed for RHD, but not to veer. One of the first things I would check is whether any of the components/bushes are failing/damaged, which would be the most likely culprit. After that the vehicle can be aligned. Jeff can do both.

Clive

500E
E320T210

 

[Scissorwoman]

It's quite a strange problem really.....most of the time it drives like a dream and I've not had any probs for last 3 days but this morning.....became snakey twice at 85 MPH (sshh.....don't tell anyone I was speeding!!) on the M1. So anyone who saw a red P plate SLK on the M1 at 6.30 am this morning doing 60 MPH & thought to themselves........"why have a car like that and drive it at 60 mph on the motorway".....that's why!!!!

I live in Sutton in Ashfield, Clive but I work in Leicester....Ibstock I believe is about a 30 min drive from where I work (just off Junction 21) - I'll give him a call and get it in there. Thanks for the advice and the point in the right direction!!

 

[996jimbo]

It might be worth you just checking your tyre pressures - if it starts snaking then you may be low at the back. Or it may be a rear suspension problem such as worn shock absorbers. Either way they are both easy to check.

I think that generally snaking or wandering from side to side are often symptoms of a problem at the back rather than the front.

 

[Scissorwoman]

Checked pressures at weekend & then promptly got a lecture from partner as only 10lbs of pressure in one - my defence was it's a new tyre about a month ago and shouldn't need checking yet! Didn't cure the prob though. It was MOT'd on 25.02.06 though so shouldn't any serious probs affecting the steering have shown up on that?

 

[television]

Checked pressures at weekend & then promptly got a lecture from partner as only 10lbs of pressure in one - my defence was it's a new tyre about a month ago and shouldn't need checking yet! Didn't cure the prob though. It was MOT'd on 25.02.06 though so shouldn't any serious probs affecting the steering have shown up on that?

The MOT would have shown up any play or worn joints in the steering and suspension, both front and rear. If the MOT tester was half decent he would have pointed out unusual tyre wear.

Malcolm

 

[clive williams]

I live in Sutton in Ashfield, Clive but I work in Leicester....Ibstock I believe is about a 30 min drive from where I work (just off Junction 21) - I'll give him a call and get it in there. Thanks for the advice and the point in the right direction!!

Scissorwoman,

Thanks for the warning! I'll try to keep away from Fosse Park then, but if I can't and I see you I'll give you a wave rolleyes: or any other woman in a '97 Amber Red SLK kompressor )

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[clive williams]

I live in Sutton in Ashfield, Clive but I work in Leicester....Ibstock I believe is about a 30 min drive from where I work (just off Junction 21) - I'll give him a call and get it in there. Thanks for the advice and the point in the right direction!!

Scissorwoman,

Thanks for the warning! I'll try to keep away from Fosse Park then, but if I can't and I see you I'll give you a wave rolleyes: or any other woman in a '97 Amber Red SLK kompressor )

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[Scissorwoman]

Seems the problem was due to excessive play in the steering drag link and the steering idler arm! £495.28 to fix and guess what........the 5 star fully comprehensive warranty provided by the garage I bought it off 5 weeks ago doesn't cover this..!!

The car was only MOT'd on 14.02.06 and I didn't pick it up until 25.02.06 - it's done 2K since then but surely this should have been picked up on during the MOT....??

A visit to the garage is in order on Saturday morning methinks....we'll see what response I get.

 

[Rory]

Seems the problem was due to excessive play in the steering drag link and the steering idler arm! £495.28 to fix and guess what........the 5 star fully comprehensive warranty provided by the garage I bought it off 5 weeks ago doesn't cover this..!!

I *thought* that any fault that showed up within 6mths was deemed to be present when the car was sold, and was therefore the responsibility of the seller to fix?
Is the play really excessive, to the point where it shouldn't have passed its MOT? These things are often a matter of opinion, and not black & white.

 

[Scissorwoman]

Thats what Mercedes First said...about it being a matter of the MOT testers opinion what is safe and what isn't but said that one of the problems should have been spotted by a good MOT tester but was non-committal about the other fault.

I'm not sure whether what you say about the 6 month period is correct, I'll research that a little before I visit them.

 

[Scissorwoman]

Have done a bit of research and found the info below on http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/cars.htm :-

"If a product that was not of satisfactory quality at the time of the sale is returned to the retailer, the buyer is entitled to a full refund (if it is within a reasonable time of the sale), or, if a “reasonable time “ has elapsed, to a reasonable amount of compensation. The consumer needs to demonstrate the goods were not of satisfactory quality at the time of sale. This is so if the consumer chooses to request an immediate refund or compensation. It is also the case for any product returned more than six months after the date of sale.

There is one exception – this is where the consumer returns the goods in the first six months from the date of sale and requests a repair or replacement or a partial refund. In that case, the consumer does not have to prove the goods were faulty at the time of sale. It is assumed that they were. If the retailer does not agree, it is for the retailer to prove that the goods were satisfactory at the time of sale."

Seems I'm in a stronger position than I thought....just need to convince the garage of that...!

 

[jberks]

Ah, but does that cover used products too? Especially cars.
A lot of used cars, especially the cheaper ones, come with 1 month warranties.
What was the warranty you bought? Doesn't sound very 5 star to me.

 

[Scissorwoman]

That relates specifically to used cars and is on the DTI's own website.

It came with a months "return if not happy" warranty but I was given a years 5 Star RAC warranty with it.....which appears to be not worth the paper it's written on....unless of course someone from the RAC reads this thread and can advise me differently!!!!!

Seems that the warranty will cover (certain) things that "break" but covers absolutely nothing that can be construed as normal wear & tear....oh so very useful!!!!