Thank you for all of your input. It was very useful and will be put into good use.
View Poll Results: What Tires are the best?
Goodyear
21
5.92%
Toyo
28
7.89%
Michelin
140
39.44%
Continental
43
12.11%
Falken
25
7.04%
Pirelli
43
12.11%
Other
55
15.49%
Voters: 355. You may not vote on this poll
W203/CL203/S203 TIRE Discussion Thread - Every question on TIRES
Guest
Posts: n/a
Bulge in Sidewall
Last week I noticed that my front/right Goodyear Eagle RS-A had a buldge in the sidewall. The car doesn't even have 5000 miles on it and I check the air pressure each time I clean it, at least each two weeks. I looked at the rim and tire, there are no signs of damage, such as a curb hit. So it looks like the tire just went bad 
Now, I haven't looked at the speed rating of the RS-A's but I would expect them to be at least 130mph, and a few days before I noticed the buldge I did a top-speed run (hit limiter at 130mph). I am not sure if the two events are related or not, but in anycase I am looking closely at the other three tires. I am going to my local MB dealer tomorrow to see if they will cover it under warrenty.
I haven't read anything about tire buldges with the RS-A's here that I can remember, is there a thread I overlooked or am I the one "lucky" person that gets the one in a million tire?
Now, I haven't looked at the speed rating of the RS-A's but I would expect them to be at least 130mph, and a few days before I noticed the buldge I did a top-speed run (hit limiter at 130mph). I am not sure if the two events are related or not, but in anycase I am looking closely at the other three tires. I am going to my local MB dealer tomorrow to see if they will cover it under warrenty.I haven't read anything about tire buldges with the RS-A's here that I can remember, is there a thread I overlooked or am I the one "lucky" person that gets the one in a million tire?
Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco Bay Area
MB C230K
Tires are usually on their own warranty - you will probably get some sort of prorated refund. But it does sound like something that would be covered under the tire warranty (minus the mileage you already used up on the tire).
--Steffen
--Steffen
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by tpliquid
u prolly hit a pot hole or a bump or sumtin. i suggest u not to do top speed runs anymroe it is very dangerous u might get a blow out from that.
u prolly hit a pot hole or a bump or sumtin. i suggest u not to do top speed runs anymroe it is very dangerous u might get a blow out from that.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by steffen
Tires are usually on their own warranty - you will probably get some sort of prorated refund. But it does sound like something that would be covered under the tire warranty (minus the mileage you already used up on the tire).
--Steffen
Tires are usually on their own warranty - you will probably get some sort of prorated refund. But it does sound like something that would be covered under the tire warranty (minus the mileage you already used up on the tire).
--Steffen
) that the dealer will get me a free replacement, but if I have to pay some amount it won't be the end of the world. I'll try both the dealer and the local Goodyear store to see what I can do.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 34
From: san jose
too poor now
i am not engish my first language.
i mean
if u have bulge on ur tire u shold not do high speed runs anymore. might blow out ur tire.
i work at good year. u shold get the road hazard. so next time u get sumtin like that it will be covered. which means u get a new tire..thats for "Just Tires" which is owned by good year
i mean
if u have bulge on ur tire u shold not do high speed runs anymore. might blow out ur tire.
i work at good year. u shold get the road hazard. so next time u get sumtin like that it will be covered. which means u get a new tire..thats for "Just Tires" which is owned by good year
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by tpliquid
i am not engish my first language.
i mean
if u have bulge on ur tire u shold not do high speed runs anymore. might blow out ur tire.
i am not engish my first language.
i mean
if u have bulge on ur tire u shold not do high speed runs anymore. might blow out ur tire.
I do agree with your comment. As soon as I noticed the buldge I had the spare put on from roadside assistance (poor guy, it was raining/snowing and I didn't want to go out and change the tire so I called MB and had them send someone).
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Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,067
Likes: 11
From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
You can try your MB dealer, and you might get lucky. I remember that at least one person was able to do that.
As far as the tire manufacturer, though, it's viewed as user-created, not a defect, and will not be covered under their warranty.
As far as the tire manufacturer, though, it's viewed as user-created, not a defect, and will not be covered under their warranty.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Kuwait
Mercedes C200K Coupe
Originally posted by Jens C320
Going 130mph is only 210km/h which isn't all that fast. When I lived in Germany 180-190km/h usually was my cruising speed when the roads where clear, and 250km/h wasn't out of the question either.
Going 130mph is only 210km/h which isn't all that fast. When I lived in Germany 180-190km/h usually was my cruising speed when the roads where clear, and 250km/h wasn't out of the question either.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
In the US, at least, tires are covered by the MB warranty
You don't have to go directly to the tire company - go to your dealer and have them take care of it under warranty.
These things happen - it might have been road damage, or simply a manufacturing defect. Either way, it is exceedingly dangerous to drive any car with this kind of tire problem.
These things happen - it might have been road damage, or simply a manufacturing defect. Either way, it is exceedingly dangerous to drive any car with this kind of tire problem.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by darkfact
Are u driving a ferrari?! O_o
Are u driving a ferrari?! O_o
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: In the US, at least, tires are covered by the MB warranty
Originally posted by jrct9454
You don't have to go directly to the tire company - go to your dealer and have them take care of it under warranty.
These things happen - it might have been road damage, or simply a manufacturing defect. Either way, it is exceedingly dangerous to drive any car with this kind of tire problem.
You don't have to go directly to the tire company - go to your dealer and have them take care of it under warranty.
These things happen - it might have been road damage, or simply a manufacturing defect. Either way, it is exceedingly dangerous to drive any car with this kind of tire problem.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Kuwait
Mercedes C200K Coupe
Originally posted by Jens C320
Hmmm, actually no, it was a 2000 BMW 328i primarly, but it became somewhat uncomfortable over 180km/h due to the sport suspension. Now the 2003 E500 I had a brief oppertunity to drive felt just as comfortable at 250km/h as my C320 feels at 130km/h.
Hmmm, actually no, it was a 2000 BMW 328i primarly, but it became somewhat uncomfortable over 180km/h due to the sport suspension. Now the 2003 E500 I had a brief oppertunity to drive felt just as comfortable at 250km/h as my C320 feels at 130km/h.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 497
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
c230 Coupe
Re: In the US, at least, tires are covered by the MB warranty
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jrct9454
[B]You don't have to go directly to the tire company - go to your dealer and have them take care of it under warranty.
I was told by my MB dealer that tires were not covered under their warranty- where did you hear this?
[B]You don't have to go directly to the tire company - go to your dealer and have them take care of it under warranty.
I was told by my MB dealer that tires were not covered under their warranty- where did you hear this?
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Dallas
C230 K
Good Luck! Prepare to pay...
good luck. i had the same thing happen to my ContiSport after 3 weeks. i took it to the dealer and was told that tires are not covered under my MB warranty. So i tried the manufacturer angle and was told that this constitutes a 'road hazard' and is not covered by Conti (not a defect)...
<rant>
this is what bugs the **** out of me:
if i go to any tire dealer and purchase tires, i can add on 'road hazard' coverage for around $15 per tire. this will cover the cost of replacing if i have a problem like this... so WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY can't MB add $60 to the price of a $30K car to cover this?? come on. hell, i know the answer, so they could charge me $250 to replace the damn tire.
</rant>
<rant>
this is what bugs the **** out of me:
if i go to any tire dealer and purchase tires, i can add on 'road hazard' coverage for around $15 per tire. this will cover the cost of replacing if i have a problem like this... so WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY can't MB add $60 to the price of a $30K car to cover this?? come on. hell, i know the answer, so they could charge me $250 to replace the damn tire.
</rant>
Last edited by yodlebenz; Mar 24, 2003 at 01:45 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
Tire Warranties
I misspoke - I should have said that MB dealers are empowered to act as agents for the tire companies when dealing with tire warranty problems. You are indeed still at the mercy of whatever the warranty and adjustment policies are for the brand of tires that are on your car.
A damaged sidewall is a gray area - a good dealer would go to bat for you with Goodyear [or whomever] unless there is clear evidence of road hazard damage.
In any case, I don't disagree that throwing away the Goodyears and replacing them with something else [almost anything else] is a reasonable strategy. I personally avoid Pirelli at all costs - too much nylon in their casings, which often means flat-spotting problems. For this car, I would go with Michelin, Dunlop, or Continental, probably in that order. The Contis have, in the past, never been favorites of mine, but they are butter-smooth and wearing well on our C240, frankly much to my surprise. And they are dirt-cheap from the various big suppliers, like Tire Rack or Tires America.
A damaged sidewall is a gray area - a good dealer would go to bat for you with Goodyear [or whomever] unless there is clear evidence of road hazard damage.
In any case, I don't disagree that throwing away the Goodyears and replacing them with something else [almost anything else] is a reasonable strategy. I personally avoid Pirelli at all costs - too much nylon in their casings, which often means flat-spotting problems. For this car, I would go with Michelin, Dunlop, or Continental, probably in that order. The Contis have, in the past, never been favorites of mine, but they are butter-smooth and wearing well on our C240, frankly much to my surprise. And they are dirt-cheap from the various big suppliers, like Tire Rack or Tires America.
Guest
Posts: n/a
What a surprise! I went to my dealer and he went to the parts counter and ordered a new tire, no questions asked. He said the tire would be at the dealership in about an hour, so I went to lunch. During lunch I got a call from the dealer that they can't cover the tire under warranty because I had a flat! (huh??) So I told him I was going to finish lunch and then come by. Apparently the tire had a plug in it, someone must have patched it. The dealer said that they got the car from MB with 2x miles on it and three days later I picked it up from them. So he figured that I had a flat, had the tire fixed and I am now trying to get a new tire. The only problem with his argument is that I never had a flat! So to make a long story short, somewhere between the time the car was build and the time the dealer got it, the car got a flat and someone patched it without letting anyone know. My dealer decided to give me a new Goodyear RS-A and try to figure out whom they have to "thank" for the patch. So I guess I'll be hanging onto the Goodyear’s until they wear out (20,000 miles my guess).
Overall I give Phil Long European Imports an "A+" for customer service; hopefully all my future service experiences will reflect that.
Overall I give Phil Long European Imports an "A+" for customer service; hopefully all my future service experiences will reflect that.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 678
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver WA
'14 GLK250 Diesel
One More Time...
...Page 11 of my model year 2002 warranty booklet [USA cars] says:
"The tires supplied on your car are covered against defects in material or workmanship for the period of 4 years or 50k miles. If the tire fails during this period for these reasons, as long as there is at least 1.6 mm of tread depth remaining, it will be replaced under warranty".
Obviously, the key point here is whether a defect in materials or workmanship caused the failure.
This is indeed a change from the "old days", when MB [and every other car maker] always covered the tires separately under the tire manufacturer's warranty. This clearly says that if you can show a defect in the tire, MB will pay to have it replaced.
And a good dealer, as shown above, will do the right thing!
"The tires supplied on your car are covered against defects in material or workmanship for the period of 4 years or 50k miles. If the tire fails during this period for these reasons, as long as there is at least 1.6 mm of tread depth remaining, it will be replaced under warranty".
Obviously, the key point here is whether a defect in materials or workmanship caused the failure.
This is indeed a change from the "old days", when MB [and every other car maker] always covered the tires separately under the tire manufacturer's warranty. This clearly says that if you can show a defect in the tire, MB will pay to have it replaced.
And a good dealer, as shown above, will do the right thing!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by darkfact
LOL... maybe if I had the new bmw 745 I might dare and come close to 200Km/h!
LOL... maybe if I had the new bmw 745 I might dare and come close to 200Km/h!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,916
Likes: 1
From: The blue white rock, third out.
2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Originally posted by darkfact
LOL... maybe if I had the new bmw 745 I might dare and come close to 200Km/h!
LOL... maybe if I had the new bmw 745 I might dare and come close to 200Km/h!
A 745i has a top speed of 155mph... 250Kmh.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 0
From: York, PA
2003 C230K Sport Coupe, 1986 190E 2.3
According to the speedo in our coupe it hit 135 last night as my wife was ticked off at another driver on the highway. She called me on her way home all excited that she did this. Of course with me driving and her in the passenger seat I would get yelled at for a stunt like that but that is another story. She did not realize she was even going that fast until the fuel cut off at the limiter. Anyway, as for the tire warranty, it used to be 12 months or 12,000 miles for defects. A bulge is a defect, but of course the patch will give the dealer an excuse to say no. Luckily your dealer is nice and honored the warranty, most would argue that you had it patched. Maybe owning a Benz really does have its perks. My dealer picks my car up and drops it off for service. So I do not need to even drive there, just go to work and they pick it up hear. This forum is a good place to figure out what perks everyone else gets. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. That is good what your dealer did for you, hopefully we all get that kind of service.
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Dallas
C230 K
tire wear questions...help
ok, i saw the recent thread about the tire w/ the bulge...but maybe this is different.
Should MB replace tires that suffer from excessive wear due to a problem with alignment?
my car : 2002 C230K 9500 miles.
got it back from service A today. the dealer performed an alignment check because they can do it under warranty for the first 12K miles. it turns out that i was out of spec on quite a bit.
could this have anything to do with the fact that my tires (ContiSport2) are nearly shot at 9500 miles?? i mean this is wayyy to soon and i don't drive that hard.
here's the before and after. are these off enough to account for the wear?
LF Camber - before = -.30' after = -.16'
RF Camber - before = -.24' after = -.42'
LF Toe - before = .21' after = .05'
RF Toe - before = .12' after = .05'
LR Toe - before = .29' after = .14'
RR Toe - before = .16' after = .14'
X camber .26'
X caster -.30'
If so should the dealer be replacing my tires??
Should MB replace tires that suffer from excessive wear due to a problem with alignment?
my car : 2002 C230K 9500 miles.
got it back from service A today. the dealer performed an alignment check because they can do it under warranty for the first 12K miles. it turns out that i was out of spec on quite a bit.
could this have anything to do with the fact that my tires (ContiSport2) are nearly shot at 9500 miles?? i mean this is wayyy to soon and i don't drive that hard.
here's the before and after. are these off enough to account for the wear?
LF Camber - before = -.30' after = -.16'
RF Camber - before = -.24' after = -.42'
LF Toe - before = .21' after = .05'
RF Toe - before = .12' after = .05'
LR Toe - before = .29' after = .14'
RR Toe - before = .16' after = .14'
X camber .26'
X caster -.30'
If so should the dealer be replacing my tires??
Last edited by yodlebenz; Mar 26, 2003 at 06:05 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,145
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
2010 C300 4matic
I would be very surprised if you got your dealer to buy you a new set of tires, especially with 9500 miles. Low profile tires don't last a long time. 9500 might be kinda soon if you don't drive hard, but it's not completely unreasonable.
Also, your alignment was likely much better from the factory and has gone off while you have been driving it. The dealer is in no way responsible for this. And it can't be that far off, or you would probably have worn your tires a whole lot faster.
My only advice is to suck it up and buy new tires and hope that they got the alignment right this time. If they did get it right, hopefully you'll get better mileage out of your next set of tires.
Also, your alignment was likely much better from the factory and has gone off while you have been driving it. The dealer is in no way responsible for this. And it can't be that far off, or you would probably have worn your tires a whole lot faster.
My only advice is to suck it up and buy new tires and hope that they got the alignment right this time. If they did get it right, hopefully you'll get better mileage out of your next set of tires.
Administrator
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 15,769
Likes: 37
From: www.Traben-Trarbach.de
MPG+ ROLFCOPTER
You might want to STFF about tire wear. From what I read on here it is not uncommon for the sport tires to wear out after about 12000 or so miles. That is of course all dependent on how hard you drive, maintain proper pressure and the like. They just don't last long. Sorry.
