Does the E550 just have so much HP and torque that it is easy for the tires to break traction?

I have Michelin PS2's and it seems like when its wet its very easy to get the traction control to kick in (flashing yellow caution symbol /!\).

This is my first car with this much HP and torque. I just wanted to compare with other people's experiences. If it is what I should expect then I'm probably going to stick to the PS2's when I replace my tires.

Thanks!

 

From my experience losing some degree of traction on wet pavement is normal especially if you've selected the sport mode and you've got sport suspension. The E550 is a great car and has a lot of power, especially if you're not use to it. I would definitely stay with the PS2's, they are probably the best tire you can put on an E550. Keep in mind the PS2 is an ultra high performance summer tire (dry pavement) that is good but not great on wet pavement. I can easily break traction in 4Matic AWD on my new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S plus (ultra high performance all-season) tires that are designed for wet pavement and yes, snow and ice like we currently have here in VA. IMO, your ESC is performing as designed.

 

I am actually really impressed by how well my E550 holds to the road. I have 4MATIC so that might have something to do with it and over the last 2 weeks, including driving on a winter snow storm a few times, I saw the traction light come on online once. With my Volvo S80, the other vehicle I drive, I had the traction control kick in all the time, especially when driving in snow and rain but the E550 seems to hold traction a lot better. I am gentle with the throttle in bad weather though as the car has so much power there is no point in letting the wheels spin.

If your previous car wasn't as powerful you have to go through some adjustments with your driving. I have had to accelerate quickly a couple of times to get out of a bad situation and with my Volvo the tendency was always to use as much power as I can get but with the E550, I am well clear of any situation I was trying to get out of within a second or two and then I'm thinking oh ***** I need to slow down or I am going to create a bad situation for myself that did not exist a few seconds ago. Not a bad problem to have but you need to be careful to modulate the power you have on city streets.

 

Thanks! Just wanted to make sure all is right with my car

Yes, I'm going to stick w/ the PS2s for the next set. I'm going through tires every 15k miles or so and thats most likely due to very regular "spirited" driving.

 

Also keep in mind your tires could have less thread, but
your ESP is doing the proper job.

My ESP comes on all through until third gear with my old tires in wet pavement

 

Good to know its not just me.

 

i love torque

not uprising that it could break traction easily. 380+ hp car with 390+ torque.

 

Looks like everybody agrees PS2 is best choice for E550. I called TireRack today and was surprised to hear they have mid-2009 production as the latest.

I don't want to buy 2 yrs old tires - who knows where can one get fresh PS2 (made in the last 12 months or less)?

 

Is there anything wrong with tires that are 2yrs old if they're brand new? Just curious.

 

Two years is nothing for a tire.. the issue that was investigated on the news was tire stores selling 7-12year old tires that looked new. There is a date code on every tire made, you can google to find the code and how to read it.

The remaining tread is what is important in the age of a tire, some tires start with 10/32, or 11/32. Most tires perform much differently at 5/32 than their original 10/32 treadwear, just takes some adapting.

 

I think the car would perform much better with an LSD in the back compared to the open differential setup, the open diff is what sets off the ESP. Open diff's loose traction around corners very easily as they can't send the power from side to side.

There are a few LSD's that may work for our car, or I'd be on the lookout for an E63 LSD when one of those guys totals out their car.

 

Phew! Just checked my PS2's .. 0509 .. I got a great deal on them from a local dealer and I had them installed Oct 09. I thought maybe I got sold old tires.