Alignment problem

[mspaul]

My E320 was pulling towards right, so wanted to get the alignment checked. But the dealer says that MB's tend to drift towards right while driving so that the driver does not sleep while driving. He says pulling and drifting are different... How do you say they are different? Is he right or its all BS?

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[W Cole]

I have never heard the term "drifting" however there is a difference between pulling and the wheel simply not being centered.

Pulling - You let go of the wheel and the car goes left/right.

Wheel not centered - You let go of the wheel and the car continues straight however the wheel is turned to the left/right.

I think he is referring to the wheel not being centered as "drifting". However this should not be the case. Make them fix it.

[sosh]

Sounds like BS to me, mine does not do that

[mspaul]

Originally Posted by W Cole

I have never heard the term "drifting" however there is a difference between pulling and the wheel simply not being centered.

Pulling - You let go of the wheel and the car goes left/right.

Wheel not centered - You let go of the wheel and the car continues straight however the wheel is turned to the left/right.

I think he is referring to the wheel not being centered as "drifting". However this should not be the case. Make them fix it.

According to your definition .. my car pulls towards right, and the sales guy does not agree to this.. he says the drift is so that the driver is always alert.

Surprisingly, the Loner C240 was also pulling towards right.

[ATS]

Most roads are not perfectly flat to allow for rain runoff.

Find a completly flat road and check or better yet, drive on the other side of the road (on a deserted street) and see if it pulls the other way.

[Flash Gordon]

Originally Posted by mspaul

My E320 was pulling towards right, so wanted to get the alignment checked.

But the dealer says that MB's tend to drift towards right while driving so that the driver does not sleep while driving.

He says pulling and drifting are different... How do you say they are different?

Is he right or its all BS?

Total BS! MBs are not made to pull right, no passenger car is made that way! Why argue with the dealer. Got to a local reputable shop to have it checked.

[ctemkin]

The car should not constantly pull to the right. A few years ago this was a problem particularly for E class cars which were using a certain model of Michelin tire. You might be able to find discussions by searching the forum.

[JimPurdy]

I agree that the dealer is full of $#. If the car consistantly pulls to the right, you will wear the tires very quickly. The car should drive in a straight line when on a level road. If the car pulls to the right when on the right side of a cambered road and pulls to the left when on the left, then the castor alignment may still not be correct.

Jim

[konigstiger]

Originally Posted by mspaul

My E320 was pulling towards right, so wanted to get the alignment checked. But the dealer says that MB's tend to drift towards right while driving so that the driver does not sleep while driving.

They need to install camber/caster kits to allow for proper alignment to correct pull to the right. PM your email address and I’ll forward a copy of an invoice showing specs (03 e320 specific) before and after kit installation.

[mspaul]

Originally Posted by konigstiger

They need to install camber/caster kits to allow for proper alignment to correct pull to the right. PM your email address and I’ll forward a copy of an invoice showing specs (03 e320 specific) before and after kit installation.

That's strange... Why would they not install camber/caster kits.. if that is the problem.. Should I assume the service mechanics are not aware of this?

my email address: mspaul@gmail.com, please forward me the invoice, and then I will talk to the service manager.

I am still surprised about the dealers statement that car pulling towards right is normal.

- Thanks

[Brav]

A ton of people have this problem. Chances are it will be improved, but not completely fixed. I took my car in 4 times for this. Still pulls right after 3 years.

[dkobenz]

i had the same problem develop and took it to the dealer. if you do a search on this forum you will get a variety of BS responses that dealers have given. the dealer i went to stated the road crown BS. cost me 400 bucks for alignment with castor kit. i still have the car pull to the right. im looking to find an independent shop that is willing to work and fix the problem and not offer any BS.

[mspaul]

I have my car in for the alignment checkup today.

They will be adjusting Camber/Caster (L and R) for fixing the pull to right problem and has given me the estimate of $225.

He has promised me that the problem will be fixed or I don't pay anything.

I'll update this post once i get my car back today.

[killatee18]

I have a brand new 2007 e350 sport and i have the same problem...the car pulls to the right when you let go of the steering wheel. I took it to the dealer when I had to get my diagnostic check and they said theres nothing wrong with the alignment when they took a short test drive. I think thats BS.

[mspaul]

Originally Posted by killatee18

I have a brand new 2007 e350 sport and i have the same problem...the car pulls to the right when you let go of the steering wheel. I took it to the dealer when I had to get my diagnostic check and they said theres nothing wrong with the alignment when they took a short test drive. I think thats BS.

That's what happened when i took my car to the dealer.
I did the road test 3 times with the MB mechanic.. and they say its normal.

The dealer says.. i can make the car go straight, but normally the camber/caster is adjusted in a way that the car drifts toward right. I will be asking the dealer to show me a document that says that the car is designed to drift towards right.

[gonsorellie]

My car is not pulling to the right at all, however I noticed that the steering wheel is not 100% centered. It looks like it is slightly steering to the left when I am driving straight... on a flat surface[s].

I have tried this on diff roads and conditions. Not a big deal but just wanted to point out…

[mspaul]

Originally Posted by mspaul

I have my car in for the alignment checkup today.

They will be adjusting Camber/Caster (L and R) for fixing the pull to right problem and has given me the estimate of $225.

He has promised me that the problem will be fixed or I don't pay anything.

I'll update this post once i get my car back today.

Ok, I got my car back and the alignment is perfect now.
Charges: $225
Car is no longer drifting to the right.

[rjm]

Originally Posted by mspaul

My E320 was pulling towards right, so wanted to get the alignment checked.

But the dealer says that MB's tend to drift towards right while driving so that the driver does not sleep while driving.

He says pulling and drifting are different... How do you say they are different?

Is he right or its all BS?

Your dealer was most definately blowing hot air up your skirt. The car SHOULD go straight down the road, assuming the road is level and there is no cross-wind.

[rxdoc00]

Guys,

I am having the same problem on my '03 320. My steering wheel is cocked to 11 o'clock to drive straight and if I let go of the wheel I practically drive off the road to the right. Can someone send me the list of what the dealer needs to do and is this somethingthatis covered under the warranty? My e-mail is rxdoc00@comcast.net

Thanks
Dave

[csumt76]

Wheel alignment 101. The car from the factory is set evenly, meaning all alignment values are equal left to right. Caster/Camber/Toe angles are the same left to right on the front and the rear. The way our roads are designed will make the car naturally "pull" to the right. There is actually nothing wrong with the wheel alignment, just that slight pressure must be kept on the wheel to make the car drive perfectly straight down most of our roads. The car has adjustability of all angles to compensate if needed... which is what the dealer will do if you have a complaint. You can use camber... but that will cause abnormal tire wear. So what you do is use offset caster values on the front end to make the right front wheel want to push around the left side without causing any adverse effects. Caster could be viewed as the line from the center of the upper strut mount down to the center of the spindle/steering knuckle/ball joint. Zero caster would be straight up and down and the car would not be very stable whatsoever and have extremely sensitive steering. The car is built with positive caster so the upper strut mounts rearward of the lower joint. You add more positive caster to the right side, or take away caster on the left side to compensate for the road crown. This is achieved with slotted bolts in the bushings of the torque strut/guide strut. Thats the control arm mounted to the subframe forward of the lower control arm.

An offcenter wheel simply means toe is out of adjustment. Many factors can influence the tracking of the car like the tires tread/manufacturer and simple things like the pressure. The rear of the vehicle will not have as much effect on the way the car drives. Btw, the alignment is covered for 12 months or 12000 miles no exceptions.