I recently purchased a 2003 S430, with the Sport Package. The car had 28k miles on it at the time. When I purchased the vehicle I did the usual "around the block" test drive. While driving to my residence (45 miles from the dealer) I noticed it had a very slight, but noticeable, pull to the right. I returned to the dealer the next day topick up the manual for the Navigation systemand notified the salesman of this. He told me, in front of the parts counter guy, that all Sport Package cars have this slight pull and that it's normal. The parts guy seemed puzzled but did not actually disagree in front of me.

So, my question is this: Do Sport Package equipped S-class cars have a slight pull to the right ? I checked the front tires and there are wearing evenly, however I'm not really sure if they're relatively new or not as they don't seen to have much wear for 28k miles.

Thanks for your input.

Wyatt

 

There is no way that "it's normal" for ANY car to pull to the left or right unless its out of alignment or has a suspension problem. Can't imagine why a MB dealer wouldn't jump all over the opportunity to check this out and charge you a boatload of $$ to fix it Then again, you said you were talking to a salesman who probably just sold you the car??? I'd let Sleepwalker chime in on this one.

 

Chrysler had a similar problem with the 300C and issued a TSB fix. The salesman is full of BS. He handed you that line b/c in many states you have 3 days to return a car to the dealer for a full refund.

About that pull, if it pulls SLIGHT right in the right lane and an equal SLIGHT left in the left lane then it may well be normal following of the crown which many MBs do not seem to have in my experience. If it pulls right against a left crown in the left lane then for sure there is a problem.

 

alignment bro[sm=smiley20.gif]

 

28k. Unlikely that tyres are originals. New tyres have about 7 mm tread. Tyres need to be changed at 2mm min.
If the tyres have been changed this MAY be the cause of the problem.

Next, what do you mean by pull.
Do you mean that the car will veer to the right/left unless you hold the steering wheel? or
Do you mean the steering wheel isn't pointing straight ahead when you are driving along a straight road. (This latter problem is due to the way the steering has been tracked by a garage which have not followed MB recommendation when tracking the car.)

BEFORE having the track checked....MB's are very sensitive to the tracking being done in a special way (all 4 wheels at once) and if done incorrectly may make matters worse so don't adjust until you have examined other possible reasons (however likely)

Tyres can run like a cone rather than a cylinder and this causes a "pull" unless both tyres have exactly the same characteristics.
OE tyres (as supplied to the manufacturer) are checked specifically for this and other characteristics. Tyres that fail to meet the OE spec but are coinsidered acceptable find there way onto the aftermarket as new replacement tyres. The manufacturers have to find some way of getting rid of them and although completely safe they give rise to a multitude of problems similar to this which can be time consuming to diagnose and correct.

Assuming your front tyres are not of assymetric design (i.e. they are NOT designed to rotate in one direction only) change the Front Right for the Front Left and vice versa.
If your tyres are of assymetric design then you will need to move the rears to the front but keeping them on the same side etc. in order to maintain direction of rotation. The tyres will be marked Assymetric or have a big arrow on them if they are direction of rotation sensitive.

So what has happened to the pull. Changed sides, disappeared or the same? The first two point to a "bad" tyre, the latter to something with the vehicle geometry.

Has the car had an accident?
Has the track been altered since new to correct the problem?
Are the front Torque Control arm bushes OK? (the suspension members that point forward at about 45 degress behind the wheels. The front rubber bush can degrade but if your car is only 28k this is unlikely.

Bottom line. You've likely got a "bad" tyre but if not then I agree "tracking" but get it done by somebody who is MB approved.

 

First, the tires are correct for the car, Michelin Pilots 245X18 front and 265X18 rear. Inflation pressure is also correct, which is the first thing I suspected and checked. Wierd thing about the tires is that for being the same tire, just a different width, the tread pattern is different on the front than the rears. The rears are definitely assymetric, with that froward 'V' tread pattern. I'll have to check on the fronts.
Second, no accidents as the car came with a clean Carfax. It is a Certified Pre-owned with one more year of free service and two years full warranty.
The pull is very slight, but I do have to keep a hand on the wheel or the car veers right. Also, the steering wheel is in the correct position when going straight. It's not a road crown issue either as it even doesit on a smooth flat freeway. Now I have been told in the past that a properly aligned car should eventually go right to avoid a head-on should the driver become incapacitated, but this one just seems to veer righta little too much. (I'm sure the last statement is probably just an "old wives tale" anyway).
I'll keep an eye on the front tires for signs of uneven wear that will indicate mis-alignment. Next service isn't for another 4500 miles, but since I mentioned the pull the day after I bought it, a re-alignment should be covered if that's the cause.
Thanks for your help.
Wyatt

 

Hi,
Not that it matters but I don't believe your tyres are either standard or OE. They may however be an approved optional size link to the Sport package but I'm not sure. Different tread patterns front to rear doesn't sound like OE! Maybe it was an aftermarket Sport pack conjured up by the dealer to improve kerb appeal. Also to fit 265X18 the tyres must be Low Profile ie. 265/50 X18, 265/45 X18 or similar.

I believe that Michelin Pilots are assymetric but IF they are the direction of rotation will be clearly identified on the sidewall (legal requirement). Sure they are fitted the correct way around.

Pull to the right to prevent an accident. LOL. RUBBISH. Incredible how creative these sales people can be to sidestep an issue. Don't suppose they indicated how the car knows that it is RHD or LHD and decides to pull the opposite way in different countries or even better still when a UK resident takes their car to the Continent whilst on holiday. What makes it suddenly pull the other way!!

So you are unable to rotate tyres. Mmmmm.

However I can categorically state that your problem is EITHER:

Vehicle Geometry in which case you need a PROPER 4 wheel alignment done by MB to determine what is out of spec (NOT at your local tyre depot otherwise you may have even worse problems). Also it is not TRACKING. It will be CAMBER, or possible CASTOR, both of which are controlled by the lower suspension control arms. The bushes in these control arms can settle/deteriorate over time.

.......but if this problem was not there from new (surely it would have been corrected under Warranty if it was) and the vehicle has never has any accident damage (However you say not...... Accident includes a kerb strike) then the most likely cause is TYRE.

Other possibilities are the steering rack, the road or the fact that your Sport package will be much more prone to CAMBER effects coming of the road than the regular OE fit tyres.

Ask yourself. Is the pull really a problem? Is it on all roads or just an occasional annoyance on certain back roads with excess camber/crown? If it is the later I believe that it will most likely be the (non MB approved?) "Sport" pack and that you will have to live with this annoyance or revert to the "luxury" regular type tyre and wheel which is less prone to Camber effects.

Stuart

 

Greetings,

Interesting reading. I have had two Mercedes that have had this exact problem. I had a new '05 E320. Same problem, I returned to service it under warranty, and they realigned and insterted a washer to correct alignment issues. It was better but still drifted to the right slightly. I was told by the dealership that Mercedes were very sensitive to road crowning and that they often drifted slightly to the right for safety purposes and to avoid head on collisions. Baloney, to me, but that was the best they would do and I didn't think it was worth fighting any further.

Unfortunately, I was in a collision with a 17 year old who ran a red light and that car was totaled.

I now have an '02 S430 I recently acquired. AMG Sport package and 20k miles when I bought it a couple of months back. Perfect car in perfect condition, but it also was pulling to the right. New, brand new, tires....Continental Conti-Extreme Contact tires, 245/45/18 front and 275/45/18 back. I have a CPO warranty and returned the car for an alignment. Was told the same story...that Mercedes are very sensitive to road crowning and that a slight drift to the right is "built in" for safety.

The S430 is better after the alignment but not perfect and, frustratingly, it still drifts to the right. I want a car that goes straight when properly aligned. I've had an Acura, Lexus, Mazda, Toyotas and a BMW. This was NEVER an issue in any other car I've owned when properly aligned, only Mercedes.

Again, it's minor and I'm done fighting the battle as both service advisors told me the same thing and this was well discussed on the E Forum. I'm here to affirm your observation and to tell you I've shared your frustration and to give you the Service Advisor feedback on both models.

They know about it, acknowledge it and claim that Mercedes designs them this way.

Regards,
Jazzphile

 

Well Jazz, this sounds very familiar to us 300C (MB suspension components) owners who had a right drift and excessive crown sensitivity. They did some kind of "bolt kit" to adjust the entire front cradle to correct this defect. I don't buy the yang of right drift for safety either.

 

The key to this issue is SOME roads or ALL roads.

MB and most european prestige/sport cars are sensitive to road camber which is less well controlled in some places in the USA than in Europe.

It may be a road you drive regularly but I repeat ALL roads or just some?

The wider the tyre (I believe yours are non standard but somebody will undoubtedly correct this should I be wrong) the greater the potential crown problem.
This is caused by a suspension geometry issue which may be due to the vehicle being out of tolerance for some reason or quite possibly within tolerance but still sensitive. You can't have EXCELLENT ride and handling without incurring some white line and camber drift penalty.