Hi, my Father just purchased my mother a new S550 about two weeks ago that was ordered late last year. He also just bought himself a new SL 500 about three months ago. Both are very nice cars. However, the S550 is having a serious issue that mercedes can't figure out. As for the problem, I was riding home with my mother the other day for the first time since she got the car. As we pulled into their moderately steep driveway, the car started shaking violently all the way up the driveway. I was thinking that this is not a good thing. It will do this everytime you either start at the bottom of the driveway at a dead stop or at a slight roll. Anything a little faster and it will not do it. It is almost as if it struggles to get up a steep hill at slow speeds. I have never driven a car that has behaved like this. So my father called up Mercedes and they looked at it and could not figure out what was wrong with it. They even had to call corporate to get some help. So corporate said it could be the motor mounts or tranny mounts, so they replaced them. Did not fix it. So to make a long story short, they now say that this is just the common characteristics of the car. Common for a $90,000 + car? Anyways, so they offered us to drive another one home to check it out and see if it still does it. My father and I surely thought that it would not even though they said it did. Sure enough, it shakes all the way up the driveway. I even tried it myself this time as well. But like I said, if you start at the bottom of the hill at a dead stop or go up it at crawling speeds, it shakes. Anything faster than that, it will not do it? Being that I have never had a problem like this, what could it be? Here is the kicker though. My father raised so much cane that Mercedes is flying an engineer out from Germany to meet with the owner, my father, and the GM on Thursday. If this is supposedly not such a big issue, why would they be flying the engineer over here to look at it? And this shaking is a quote "common characteristic" of this new car. I just can't buy that that after I drove it. So what do you guys think? Any of you with new S classes noticed this? If not, find a steep hill and drive up if from either a slow roll or dead stop with light gas? Let me know if you feel the hesitation.. I am just trying to help my parents get this right. They are even willing to buy back this car at what he paid for it? But he just wants the car right, because other wise they love it. Sorry for the long post, just trying to help the parents. Any help would definitely be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jon

 

jon, what year or body model are you talking about?

W221, W220, or w126?

if W221, it could be the normal HILL START ASSIST for the Adaptive Brake System.

 

It is the new 2007 S class 550. The new body style that just came out. As for the W221 etc... Wow, I am clueless on that one. But like I said, this is just the new 07 4 door S550. Could it still be what you said about the hill assist? Or is that not the case on the new ones. The car is stock except for the front and rear sensors that detects objects so you don't hit them. That was the only option they got. So what do you think it is?

Thanks for the quick reply!!!

Jon

 

hill start assist sounds like a likely cause. where exactly does the shudder come from?
if it is from the rear of the car, like from the rear axle, then that is almost definitely what it is in my mind.

also, does it do the same thing on wet or otherwise slick pavement when you try to get on the gas hard? a lot of traction control systems from mercedes can cause a shudder when they kick in. my old 124 diesel did it all the time, and it really pissed me off, but it had the tc system that i couldnt turn off, so i just had to deal with it.

oh, also, does the shudder go away as you build speed up the drive way or if you hit the driveway from more than a dead stop? those would be more characteristics of some sort of traction assist.

 

Hey! Thanks for the response. I'm not quite sure if it is coming from the front or the back, but I believe that it is a rear wheel drive correct. So wouldn't it most definitely come from the back. As for slick or wet pavement, not sure. My parents have only had the car for all of about three days the rest it has been and still is at the dealership.

Yes, the shudder does go away as you build up speed. It will do it either from a complete stop on the hill or starting from a very slight roll going up the driveway. But anything faster than very slow, it will not do it. But still, it should not do it. My dads new 06 SL 500 does not do it nor my moms old E 320. And the dealership now believes this as to be a problem in all of the new S 550's and they are thinking that once fixed, there will be a recall on it. I mean, a German engineer is coming from Germany tomorrow to specifically look at the car. It must be a serious issue for that to happen. This just plain sucks though when you spend 90+ K on a car though. Any other ideas?

 

it was hill start assist indeed.
Delays pressure buildup in the brake in case of longitudinal pitch (when starting on hills), as a result the vehicle does not roll back when
changing between the brake and gas pedal (pump).

one more thing that the car got is that it can hold the brake without using park brake or stepping on the pedal.

while you are pushing it, push it futhermore down and release the brake. it will lock the brake till you push the accelerator or brake again.

 

Ok, so I am kinda confused. So by pressing the break before I start up the hill will cause this and make it shake violently? Further more, if I start from a roll on the flat street and then pull up the driveway slow, it will still do it. If the answer is that easy, don't you think that mercedes could figure this out. I mean they are absolutely puzzled over this. And we are talking this is a very popular dealership in ATL. But keep in mind, I appreciate the help because I have no clue about tech stuff on the mercedes. So you think that this could be the problem? This is just so confusing because I have never driven a car or owned a car that does this.

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

Jon

 

lots of new things on it Jon.

even the transmission is shifted electronically.

reading the manual will help you understand more, and what to do in case of emergency. there's a tool included with T handle. you can also use it to reset the headrest if activated.