Car pulling to left
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 343
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From: UK
E320 CDI Elegance auto
Car pulling to left
Hi
When I take my hand off the steering wheel on motorway, car pulls to the left. Dealer says that this is normal due to the contour of the road. My previous car did not do it. He says they checked and tracking is ok. If I want laser check that they do I would have to pay for it as it is not included on warranty.
What are your views, do you think he was trying to bullsh*t me or is this normal.
When I take my hand off the steering wheel on motorway, car pulls to the left. Dealer says that this is normal due to the contour of the road. My previous car did not do it. He says they checked and tracking is ok. If I want laser check that they do I would have to pay for it as it is not included on warranty.
What are your views, do you think he was trying to bullsh*t me or is this normal.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,600
Likes: 1
From: Earth
GLB 250 4matic
well, i've given up on this. do you have 17" wheels w/ z rated tires? i've been told that that exacerbates the tracking... and yes, my dealer also told me it was normal.
mine pulls slightly right (since you guys drive on the wrong side...
) and i'm just going to live w/ it. i've had it aligned 2x.
my other car does not pull right, but it has 16" wheels and all season tires.
mine pulls slightly right (since you guys drive on the wrong side...
) and i'm just going to live w/ it. i've had it aligned 2x.my other car does not pull right, but it has 16" wheels and all season tires.
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From: Ashburn, VA
'19 GLC 300, '19 TM3SR+
The best way to determine if there is a problem with pulling would be to test it on a flat surface, such as a large parking lot. Make sure all 4 tires are inflated properly (equal pressures in tires on the same axle). If it still drifts, then you have a problem. Of course, tire wear patterns should be the same or as close to each other as possible.
Pulling sometimes gets mistaken for an off-center steering wheel position. The latter is just that - the car doesn't pull, tracks straight, but the steering wheel is a little off. This can be corrected rather easily by any reputable tire shop.
Pulling sometimes gets mistaken for an off-center steering wheel position. The latter is just that - the car doesn't pull, tracks straight, but the steering wheel is a little off. This can be corrected rather easily by any reputable tire shop.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 271
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From: Dexter, Michigan, USA
2002 C230k
My car pulls right or left depending on the crown in the road, and follows ruts like no other car I've owned. Dealer checked alignment and said it was fine. Then again, it drives fine on nice, smooth roads...
I'm convinced it's due to the low profile tires. But then again, each time it rains the back end feels strange when I run over painted lines or other slippery stuff (like it's hunting for the correct postion or something) which makes me wonder if the rear toe isn't set incorrectly...
I'm convinced it's due to the low profile tires. But then again, each time it rains the back end feels strange when I run over painted lines or other slippery stuff (like it's hunting for the correct postion or something) which makes me wonder if the rear toe isn't set incorrectly...
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Ohio
2010 C300 4matic
Toe is the adjustment for how much the tires turn in or out, that's probably not a good description. If the tires are toed in, they are turned toward each other and will wear the inner shoulders. If they are toed out, they face out a little and wear the outer shoulders. Basically, it means that they are not facing exactly the direction the car moves. Small amounts of toe can be okay, but excessive toe wears the edge of the tires. Tell me if that's not a good enough explanation, someone else here can probably tell you better too.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2002
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From: The blue white rock, third out.
2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Re: Car pulling to left
Originally posted by Apollo
Hi
When I take my hand off the steering wheel on motorway, car pulls to the left. Dealer says that this is normal due to the contour of the road. My previous car did not do it. He says they checked and tracking is ok. If I want laser check that they do I would have to pay for it as it is not included on warranty.
What are your views, do you think he was trying to bullsh*t me or is this normal.
Hi
When I take my hand off the steering wheel on motorway, car pulls to the left. Dealer says that this is normal due to the contour of the road. My previous car did not do it. He says they checked and tracking is ok. If I want laser check that they do I would have to pay for it as it is not included on warranty.
What are your views, do you think he was trying to bullsh*t me or is this normal.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by Spyke
My car pulls right or left depending on the crown in the road, and follows ruts like no other car I've owned. Dealer checked alignment and said it was fine. Then again, it drives fine on nice, smooth roads...
My car pulls right or left depending on the crown in the road, and follows ruts like no other car I've owned. Dealer checked alignment and said it was fine. Then again, it drives fine on nice, smooth roads...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,737
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From: San Diego, Ca
2003 Citron Green C230KMT
ahhh, so like pigeon toed tires then. either they are pigeon toed in the front or rear of the tire. can this happen to the tires on in the front as well as the rear. if so which are more common front tires or rear tires. thanks for the explanation. i never knew that. "and now i know and knowing is half the battle." G.I. Joe!!!
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From: Ohio
2010 C300 4matic
It really shouldn't just happen on its own, unless you have some linkages loose. But if you get an alignment done, they are sometimes good at screwing it up. I would think that it can happen on rear tires also, but it is much more common on the fronts as they have more adjustments than can be made.
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From: Ohio
2010 C300 4matic
I've only had toe off one time on my old Cavalier. But I thought it was camber which is the angle the tire leans in or out. I had put front shocks on which threw off the camber only, so I needed it aligned. I thought they got the camber wrong, but actually it was just the toe. It wore the outer edges pretty good, but they wouldn't do anything about it, except fix the alignment and rotate the tires.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 343
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From: UK
E320 CDI Elegance auto
Originally posted by Matt230K
DON'T take your hands off the wheel! Try it, it might just solve your problem.
DON'T take your hands off the wheel! Try it, it might just solve your problem.
Thanks everyone else who gave suggestions, I like the idea of trying on a parking lot. If it still pulls the dealer has not heard the last from me. One thing I hate is someone trying to bullsh*t me.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Ohio
2010 C300 4matic
Well, i hear it all the time, working at a dealer. People come in and there car gets aligned and they still complain. Then after all the trouble, they tell you, "When I take my hands off the wheel, it still pulls to the right." And we tell them the same thing I told you. DON'T take your hands off the wheel.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
Wheel Pull
Apollo, to cut through all of the baloney/bollocks:
-There are only two real suspects: alignment or tires.
Our '02 C240 had a slight pull to the right; initial alignment check had it "within spec", but both the tech and I agreed that it could be made better. He cranked in a bit more caster on the right side [about 0.25 degrees], we recentered the steering wheel, got the front toe correct, and voila, no more problem.
The very slight extra caster makes the car "resist" changes in direction ever so slightly more to the right than the left. [If you don't already know, caster is the angle measured from the top of the strut to the bottom, as viewed from the side. More caster makes the car track straighter; less caster makes it more responsive to changes in direction].
In any case, always the place to start is with a state-of-the-art alignment rack and a technician who knows how to use it.
Tires can be a contributor; knowing this, I had already had all four tires in all four positions on the car within the first 500 miles [I do all my own rotations in the garage using my floor jacks] and knew that the symptoms were the same regardless of which tires were on the front. However, if this hasn't been checked, often the first and easiest thing to do is to swap front tires from side to side and see if anything changes.
Our car is now completely neutral: it will follow road crown either way if there is any, but will track straight at any speed on a truly neutral surface, with hands off the wheel. The trick in our case was the slight extra dose of positive caster on the side that was causing the pull.
Hope this helps with your discussion at the dealer.
-There are only two real suspects: alignment or tires.
Our '02 C240 had a slight pull to the right; initial alignment check had it "within spec", but both the tech and I agreed that it could be made better. He cranked in a bit more caster on the right side [about 0.25 degrees], we recentered the steering wheel, got the front toe correct, and voila, no more problem.
The very slight extra caster makes the car "resist" changes in direction ever so slightly more to the right than the left. [If you don't already know, caster is the angle measured from the top of the strut to the bottom, as viewed from the side. More caster makes the car track straighter; less caster makes it more responsive to changes in direction].
In any case, always the place to start is with a state-of-the-art alignment rack and a technician who knows how to use it.
Tires can be a contributor; knowing this, I had already had all four tires in all four positions on the car within the first 500 miles [I do all my own rotations in the garage using my floor jacks] and knew that the symptoms were the same regardless of which tires were on the front. However, if this hasn't been checked, often the first and easiest thing to do is to swap front tires from side to side and see if anything changes.
Our car is now completely neutral: it will follow road crown either way if there is any, but will track straight at any speed on a truly neutral surface, with hands off the wheel. The trick in our case was the slight extra dose of positive caster on the side that was causing the pull.
Hope this helps with your discussion at the dealer.
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 206
Likes: 1
From: Burbank
C230K
That sounds like good advice JRCT.
My C7s with Contis allways tracked super straight. I was actually amazed with it.
But now that I got 18s with PilotSports it does track to the right and bugs the **** outa me.
Gonna have to take it in.
My C7s with Contis allways tracked super straight. I was actually amazed with it.
But now that I got 18s with PilotSports it does track to the right and bugs the **** outa me.
Gonna have to take it in.
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: California
2003 E320
Pulling to Right
I just called my dealer and talked to service "advisor".
Told him my E320 pulled to right before and after the chrome wheels were installed.
He said that that is the way it is suppose to be, as it it "designed into the car so as to not drift into on comming traffic if you fall asleep".
Anyone heard of this explanation?
He also said that they can take the drift out or make it drift to left.
Question now is, if they correct this "problem" and they say it is normal/designed into the car, do you think that they can charge to have it track straight?
Less than 100 Mi on it.
Told him my E320 pulled to right before and after the chrome wheels were installed.
He said that that is the way it is suppose to be, as it it "designed into the car so as to not drift into on comming traffic if you fall asleep".
Anyone heard of this explanation?
He also said that they can take the drift out or make it drift to left.
Question now is, if they correct this "problem" and they say it is normal/designed into the car, do you think that they can charge to have it track straight?
Less than 100 Mi on it.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
Again...
Without posting my entire experience AGAIN, [see above in this thread], I will just repeat for Capt Mike that this should be covered by warranty, should be no problem, and is easily fixable. Find a dealer with a competent service dept and a service manager that understands the concept.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, ON A STRAIGHT, NEUTRAL [no grading to right or left] ROAD, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL AT ANY REASONABLE SPEED AND HAVE THE CAR TRACK STRAIGHT ON ITS OWN FOR AT LEAST 1/4 MILE.
Any claim to the contrary is baloney. Our car had the problem, and can now pass the test in the paragraph above.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, ON A STRAIGHT, NEUTRAL [no grading to right or left] ROAD, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL AT ANY REASONABLE SPEED AND HAVE THE CAR TRACK STRAIGHT ON ITS OWN FOR AT LEAST 1/4 MILE.
Any claim to the contrary is baloney. Our car had the problem, and can now pass the test in the paragraph above.
