C320 Sport wheel wobble
11-11-2023, 01:22 AM
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2003 C320 Sport
C320 Sport wheel wobble
Hello,
I have a 2003 C320 with the sport package. It currently has just over 147k miles on it. I'm having pretty severe wheel wobble in the front while taking any kind of moderately decent bend going towards the right while at speed (roughly 60mph+). The confounding part is that it happens intermittently, meaning not every time I turn. Sometimes taking the same bend at the same speed doesn't produce the problem. Having said that, I CAN cause it to happen in those "no issue" instances by hitting even the smallest bump in the road while following the curve. Balancing the tires made it considerably less severe for about a month (my driver's side was fine, my passenger side was "way out of alignment"), but it's gradually increased to the point that's it's just as bad yet again. I also hear a clunk if I go over a bump at any speed. This could also be unrelated, but recently if I drive the car for an extended period there is some noticable white smoke coming from the passenger side but subsides within about 30 seconds or so of parking. It almost smells like burning plastic, but not quite- and it doesn't smell like hot brakes either.
Considering the smoke, I'm wondering if it could be a wheel bearing and it's causing the grease inside to smolder. I'm relatively new to car repairs as I only started casually working on/repairing mine about 2 years ago, and I've yet to do anything suspension or steering related so I'm pretty clueless.
The only other details I can think to give are that I don't have any play in the 12-6 and 3-9 test, I'm the third owner if the car but I don't know if the previous owners ever replaced anything in the suspension, and that the wobble feels like the wheel is about to fly off. It shakes the steering wheel and dash so bad that everything rattles. Seems pretty dangerous to just ignore, but I've got no idea what it could be that needs replaced and don't want to start throwing money at it. Any ideas or diagnostic methods I can use to figure it out?
And while I'm here, are these 3.2 engines usually noisy? Mine has sounded almost like a tiny diesel from the time I bought it, but hasn't gotten any better or worse in the two years I've owned it- and it doesn't burn oil or have any hiccups. She runs smoothly, just nowhere near as quite as my S430 was even when it had reached 245k. This car has felt inferior in every way, with the exception of its agility, when compared to the same Gen S class. But considering that S class sold for more than twice what the C class did, it's understandable.
Regardless, anything you guys have to offer is appreciated.
I have a 2003 C320 with the sport package. It currently has just over 147k miles on it. I'm having pretty severe wheel wobble in the front while taking any kind of moderately decent bend going towards the right while at speed (roughly 60mph+). The confounding part is that it happens intermittently, meaning not every time I turn. Sometimes taking the same bend at the same speed doesn't produce the problem. Having said that, I CAN cause it to happen in those "no issue" instances by hitting even the smallest bump in the road while following the curve. Balancing the tires made it considerably less severe for about a month (my driver's side was fine, my passenger side was "way out of alignment"), but it's gradually increased to the point that's it's just as bad yet again. I also hear a clunk if I go over a bump at any speed. This could also be unrelated, but recently if I drive the car for an extended period there is some noticable white smoke coming from the passenger side but subsides within about 30 seconds or so of parking. It almost smells like burning plastic, but not quite- and it doesn't smell like hot brakes either.
Considering the smoke, I'm wondering if it could be a wheel bearing and it's causing the grease inside to smolder. I'm relatively new to car repairs as I only started casually working on/repairing mine about 2 years ago, and I've yet to do anything suspension or steering related so I'm pretty clueless.
The only other details I can think to give are that I don't have any play in the 12-6 and 3-9 test, I'm the third owner if the car but I don't know if the previous owners ever replaced anything in the suspension, and that the wobble feels like the wheel is about to fly off. It shakes the steering wheel and dash so bad that everything rattles. Seems pretty dangerous to just ignore, but I've got no idea what it could be that needs replaced and don't want to start throwing money at it. Any ideas or diagnostic methods I can use to figure it out?
And while I'm here, are these 3.2 engines usually noisy? Mine has sounded almost like a tiny diesel from the time I bought it, but hasn't gotten any better or worse in the two years I've owned it- and it doesn't burn oil or have any hiccups. She runs smoothly, just nowhere near as quite as my S430 was even when it had reached 245k. This car has felt inferior in every way, with the exception of its agility, when compared to the same Gen S class. But considering that S class sold for more than twice what the C class did, it's understandable.
Regardless, anything you guys have to offer is appreciated.
