Here is a long story!
I have C200 bought new in Oct. 2002. Chassis # WDB 203035-6A-346577/9.
Since day one, it has been pulling a little to the left whatver the road surface was.
I complained to the dealership and their workshop personnel.
All claimed that it was designed to do so.
Not convinced, I took the car to an alignment shop not related to MB. The guys told
me to get the camber tested by the MB workshop.
After having run about 30,000 km with this problem, I went to MB workshop to
insist that they do something about it.
The front axle pins were changed and castor/camber adjustments were made and I had
to pay the equivalent of US$100 for the work done. I was told that the alignment check
is not covered by the 3-year warranty.
But when I collected the car from the workshop, it was still pulling to the left and the guys
could not do anything about it.
I made a visit to the ChryslerDaimler HQ to make a verbal complaint to the technical
senior executuive. He was sure MB never designed the car to pull to the left.
Accordingly he directed the guys at the same MB workshop to take action.
My car was there for about a week. When I collected the car, it was now pulling to the
right slightly. I gave up on the guys as being incompetent and a waste of time to go back.
The other day when I was driving the car along the highway at about 120 km/h (75 mph)
the front right tire burst but the car steered straight to come to a stop.
Both the Goodyear tire guys and a local vendor claim that it could not have happened due
to overadjustment of the camber/castor. But I see some rubbing marks on the struts inside the wheel arch.
Could anybody out there help clarify. I have since bought a new tire but do not want to
burst it again. The tires are Goodyear NCT 5 - 195/65/15.
SHAN

 

before you do that random wheel alignment, was there a uneven wear on the tire bead?

slightly pulling to the left is somtimes cause by road inclination. did you try to drive on opposite direction of the road and observe the pulling? if it pulls to the right this time, then your car alignment is fine.

the guys must have forcibly ajusted the toe more to the right in order to give you peace of mind.

have it re-aligned from another dependable place. going back to the last place might make them deny any faults from their side.

have the new wheel alignment place make a print-out of before and after alignment datas. that will be your evidence, and if it is really out of tolerance, go back and complain.

 

Sleepwalker is correct, My C280 drifts to the right or left accoding to the roadway I am on. I also had the same situation with a BMW 3 serices. The steering in German cars especially is very precise and the wheel is tight, that is very little free play, Mercedes has been critized as to their steering confirguration over the years, but its the German way. also as sleepwalker mentioned tyres and road surface seem to effect these cars more so then a Chevy or Ford. But keep this in mind, you can't drive a Chevy or Ford at 150mph all day and a Mercedes, BMW and Audi you can. and you won't fall asleep at the wheel from boredom, as you drive these cars, not point them. Just my 2 cents of ownership of Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Porsche vehicles over the years. I had a 86 911 Carerra and for the first couple of weeks of ownership I had to ice my arms after driving it all day, as my arm muscles were sore from driving it. THAT car you really had to steer.

 

Hi Sleepwalker and Allan
Thenks for the prompt reply.
Sleepwalker, could you please post the correct readings for camber, castor and toe-in of
my car at this site?
I am taking the car in for a check with another authorised MB workshop here.
I have an appointment to see them on the 6th Sept.
Thank you.
Shan.

 

front toe: 0° 20'
the camber depends on the vehicle level of course. tell me the level and i'll tell you the value. caster also the same, but permissible value is 30'.

 

Sleepwalker
What do you mean by vehicle level?
How do I find it?
Thanks.

 

i mean the height of the car.

when the car is higher, the camber tends to be positive and vice versa.

we measure it from the lower arm using inclination sensor or a special tools (measuring device) on older car.

 

All vehicles tend to drift to the left or right if you test it on the road, depending on the road camber. A properly aligned vehicle with all 4 tyre balanced should go straight on a flat surface, for example a parking garage driveway. If the MB workshop tells you otherwise, they do not know what they are talking about. However, I've found that often, it is better to get alignments done by specialised tyre/alignment workshops rather than the dealer's workshop.

 

Lads,

I to am having problems now with my c180 . It to is pulling to the left.
However, i got down on my hands and knees to look the wheel head on and it appears that the left wheel has positive chamber. I found this link good http://www.familycar.com/Alignment.htm.

However i have also brought my car to a few garages and they all say the same thing- we cant fix it, All german car pull----

Does anyone know anybody that can do the job right?