4matic question
03-10-2003, 03:20 PM
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'98 Black E320 4matic Wagon
4matic question
Hi all
We recently purchased a '98 E320 4matic wagon after nearly nine months of research. Almost purchased one from Ebay, but I had the car inspected, it was in Philadelphia - I paid the inspection company a $100 - the inspector told me he showed up for the inspection, the car looked ok, took it out for a spin and it literally broke down two blocks from the dealership. Anyway, I'll share more of the story in the future.
We've had the car for a month or so and this weekend I had a disappointing experience. We went to a relative friend's house in the early afternoon (it was in the high 40's when we arrived), but when we left the temp had fallen into the low 20's. The roadside parking area which was full of snow had melted and a sheet of ice formed under one side of the car. I thought to myself that this should not be a problem because our mighty wagon has 4matic. By this time, you know where this story is headed and, lo and behold, the side with the ice simply spun the tires, but the other side d/n respond. It was not a big deal, but I'm wondering why the other wheels that had traction did not respond. Isn't it 4matic all the time - I don't have to press any buttons, do I? I had the trans in "D" - would it have made any difference if I started in a lower gear? thanks for any help
thanks
Tim
We recently purchased a '98 E320 4matic wagon after nearly nine months of research. Almost purchased one from Ebay, but I had the car inspected, it was in Philadelphia - I paid the inspection company a $100 - the inspector told me he showed up for the inspection, the car looked ok, took it out for a spin and it literally broke down two blocks from the dealership. Anyway, I'll share more of the story in the future.
We've had the car for a month or so and this weekend I had a disappointing experience. We went to a relative friend's house in the early afternoon (it was in the high 40's when we arrived), but when we left the temp had fallen into the low 20's. The roadside parking area which was full of snow had melted and a sheet of ice formed under one side of the car. I thought to myself that this should not be a problem because our mighty wagon has 4matic. By this time, you know where this story is headed and, lo and behold, the side with the ice simply spun the tires, but the other side d/n respond. It was not a big deal, but I'm wondering why the other wheels that had traction did not respond. Isn't it 4matic all the time - I don't have to press any buttons, do I? I had the trans in "D" - would it have made any difference if I started in a lower gear? thanks for any help
thanks
Tim
03-10-2003, 03:40 PM
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2006 E500 4matic Wagon
Tim:
Cheers on your purchase. I just bought my 1998 E320 4matic sedan back in January, but I have been driving a 4matic for years (previously had a 2000 E430 4matic and before that I drove my mom's early 90s TE 4matic wagon). Because of the system of sensors on our 4matics, if the car senses slippage in certain wheels, it will not move the other ones. I have a couple of stories to make you feel better: 1 is that this morning I almost ditched my 1995 Land Rover because I hit an icy patch on the driveway; that truck drives all 4 wheels no matter what and I have studded snow tires. Ice is a pain all the way around. 2 is that 2 weekends ago when we still had 12+ inches of snow on the ground and it was raining, I tried to wrench my 4matic out of its mud/snow/ice mess and I high-centered her. NONE of the wheels were moving because the 1 wheel (passenger rear) that was on the ground was on the ice and the other 3 were off the ground due to the snowpack; had to use the Rover to winch out the Benz. And, just so you know, I consider myself an excellent driver; my driveway is just a nightmare.
Third story: did you read about the blizzard that hit upstate NY on Christmas? I drove from Buffalo to Western NJ that night, through roads that were closed because of snowpack and accidents. I had chains and that barely helped, but 9 hours after I left my parents' house in Buffalo, I skidded into my driveway (ha ha ha). On occassion, if you turn off your ESP, and gear down to lowest gear (this was easier on the tiptronic 2000 model), you might be able to rock your car if you ever get in a bind. I always carry salt and digging tools in the trunk (you should've seen the look on the dealer's face when he popped my trunk and saw my grandad's pick-axe in there).
Hope this helps. I put 75k miles on my 2000 E430 4matic, so I feel like I can speak from a lot of first-hand experience with this chassis. Out of curiosity, is your wagon badged as a 4matic? My sedan is unbadged, so the first thing I did when I looked at it was have the shop put it up on a lift so I could see the differentials and the driveshafts.
Oh, and I was just thinking that if you have the Michelin MXV4s, those tires are sort of soft in my opinion and might have contributed to your cars sensing it's lack of traction. I normally have Continentals on my E, but I still have my Blizzaks from this awful winter!
Enjoy your E!
Cheers on your purchase. I just bought my 1998 E320 4matic sedan back in January, but I have been driving a 4matic for years (previously had a 2000 E430 4matic and before that I drove my mom's early 90s TE 4matic wagon). Because of the system of sensors on our 4matics, if the car senses slippage in certain wheels, it will not move the other ones. I have a couple of stories to make you feel better: 1 is that this morning I almost ditched my 1995 Land Rover because I hit an icy patch on the driveway; that truck drives all 4 wheels no matter what and I have studded snow tires. Ice is a pain all the way around. 2 is that 2 weekends ago when we still had 12+ inches of snow on the ground and it was raining, I tried to wrench my 4matic out of its mud/snow/ice mess and I high-centered her. NONE of the wheels were moving because the 1 wheel (passenger rear) that was on the ground was on the ice and the other 3 were off the ground due to the snowpack; had to use the Rover to winch out the Benz. And, just so you know, I consider myself an excellent driver; my driveway is just a nightmare.
Third story: did you read about the blizzard that hit upstate NY on Christmas? I drove from Buffalo to Western NJ that night, through roads that were closed because of snowpack and accidents. I had chains and that barely helped, but 9 hours after I left my parents' house in Buffalo, I skidded into my driveway (ha ha ha). On occassion, if you turn off your ESP, and gear down to lowest gear (this was easier on the tiptronic 2000 model), you might be able to rock your car if you ever get in a bind. I always carry salt and digging tools in the trunk (you should've seen the look on the dealer's face when he popped my trunk and saw my grandad's pick-axe in there).
Hope this helps. I put 75k miles on my 2000 E430 4matic, so I feel like I can speak from a lot of first-hand experience with this chassis. Out of curiosity, is your wagon badged as a 4matic? My sedan is unbadged, so the first thing I did when I looked at it was have the shop put it up on a lift so I could see the differentials and the driveshafts.
Oh, and I was just thinking that if you have the Michelin MXV4s, those tires are sort of soft in my opinion and might have contributed to your cars sensing it's lack of traction. I normally have Continentals on my E, but I still have my Blizzaks from this awful winter!
Enjoy your E!
03-10-2003, 04:12 PM
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'98 Black E320 4matic Wagon
Re:
thanks, Benz
yes, the car is badged. Actually, I found this one at a local dealer and I paid an independent inspector to look at it. He told me that there was a leak from the transmission, which the seller agreed to have retrofitted by an authorized MB dealer. I decided to purchase the car from this guy because he had all the prior service records and agreed to have the leak fixed by the dealer at his cost and he had them do an engine service as well.
thanks for the explanation: "Because of the system of sensors on our 4matics, if the car senses slippage in certain wheels, it will not move the other ones." I guess that it would not move the other ones for safety reasons? Otherwise, I thought that was supposed to be one of the benefits of AWD!
oh well, I'm learning.
yes, the car is badged. Actually, I found this one at a local dealer and I paid an independent inspector to look at it. He told me that there was a leak from the transmission, which the seller agreed to have retrofitted by an authorized MB dealer. I decided to purchase the car from this guy because he had all the prior service records and agreed to have the leak fixed by the dealer at his cost and he had them do an engine service as well.
thanks for the explanation: "Because of the system of sensors on our 4matics, if the car senses slippage in certain wheels, it will not move the other ones." I guess that it would not move the other ones for safety reasons? Otherwise, I thought that was supposed to be one of the benefits of AWD!
oh well, I'm learning.
03-11-2003, 11:24 AM
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2001 E-320
I also have the 4matic. Starting in 2002 Mercedes upgraded its traction control system for the 4matic. It is called 4-ETS, and the MBUSA website has the following description:
“4-ETS monitors speed of all four wheels to detect wheel slip, then applies individual brakes as needed to provide the effect of locking the front, rear and/or center differentials, and/or reduces excess engine power. 4-ETS continually balances the torque split to ensure that power is sent to the wheel(s) with traction”
There is also a review on Edmunds: http://www.new.edmunds.com/new/2003/...Mercedes-Benz*
As far as the badging goes, you just need to look in the passenger side leg well, to tell if it is a 4matic. Most E-classes have the small cargo net in the leg well, but on the 4matic you will see a bulge to accommodate the transfer case. Because of this bulge the 4matic requires a different floor mat also.
“4-ETS monitors speed of all four wheels to detect wheel slip, then applies individual brakes as needed to provide the effect of locking the front, rear and/or center differentials, and/or reduces excess engine power. 4-ETS continually balances the torque split to ensure that power is sent to the wheel(s) with traction”
There is also a review on Edmunds: http://www.new.edmunds.com/new/2003/...Mercedes-Benz*
As far as the badging goes, you just need to look in the passenger side leg well, to tell if it is a 4matic. Most E-classes have the small cargo net in the leg well, but on the 4matic you will see a bulge to accommodate the transfer case. Because of this bulge the 4matic requires a different floor mat also.
03-11-2003, 11:48 AM
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2006 E500 4matic Wagon
4-ETS has been around since 1998 when MB re-introduced the 4matic in the W210 chassis. I am sure that the system in the 2002 is more sophisticated than the one used in 1998.
The no-cargo-net 4matic is a good trick on how to spot a 4matic without looking under the car...
The no-cargo-net 4matic is a good trick on how to spot a 4matic without looking under the car...
03-12-2003, 12:31 PM
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2013 S350 Bluetec, 2003 Ford F-150 Lariat Supercab, 2005 SL600 Designo Silver
I've been a bit disappointed with the traction control system on my 4-Matic this winter as well.
On the one hand, it did get me back home during the early stages of the Blizzard (Feb. 16) here in the Northeast. No doubt the winter tires I have helped that effort. But once the car looses momentum (forward or reverse), the wheels will just spin (even with the winter tires). This is most frustrating when you're trying to work your way out of a rut, snow pile, or mud (all three situations having taken place in the aftermath of the Big Snow). Sure doesn't sound like the "...4-ETS continually balances the torque split to ensure that power is sent to the wheel(s) with traction” .
Maybe I need the special belted tires from the Mach 5?
On the one hand, it did get me back home during the early stages of the Blizzard (Feb. 16) here in the Northeast. No doubt the winter tires I have helped that effort. But once the car looses momentum (forward or reverse), the wheels will just spin (even with the winter tires). This is most frustrating when you're trying to work your way out of a rut, snow pile, or mud (all three situations having taken place in the aftermath of the Big Snow). Sure doesn't sound like the "...4-ETS continually balances the torque split to ensure that power is sent to the wheel(s) with traction” .
Maybe I need the special belted tires from the Mach 5?
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03-12-2003, 02:34 PM
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2001 E-320
If you have a 2001, I do not think you have the new, improved 4-ETS. I believe it started with the 2002 models.
My mom just got a 2003 C-class 4matic this winter, and she has had no problems. The next time it snows, I am thinking about taking my 2001 4matic over and doing some comparisons. However, in Oklahoma and it looks like winter is over for us, they are predicting temperatures in the 70’s for the rest of the week.
My mom just got a 2003 C-class 4matic this winter, and she has had no problems. The next time it snows, I am thinking about taking my 2001 4matic over and doing some comparisons. However, in Oklahoma and it looks like winter is over for us, they are predicting temperatures in the 70’s for the rest of the week.
