champaigntaste

According to the E Series owner’s manual (pages 274 and 275), the E Series top speed is limited as follows:

E320, E500 without sport package (includes 4MATIC) 130 MPH
E320, E500 with sport package (includes 4MATIC) 155 MPH
E55 155 MPH

Even E320 and E500 vehicles with the appearance package, which have W rated tires with a speed rating of 168 MPH, are limited to a 130 MPG top speed.

I have heard that the top speed setting on the car can be changed. I am planning on updating the tires on my E500 to W rated tires. Has anyone had their Mercedes dealer reset the limit after upgrading their tires? If not the dealer, does anyone else have this capability?

W211 Ryda

Top speed of the E320 w/ Appearance package is 155MPH? Thought it was in the 130 - 135 MPH range?

MBE55AMG

You can get the limiter removed by tuners.

HELL ONA HARLEY

My 04 e500 manual says different about the top speed of the e500 sport / appearance pkg.... (don't strain your neck)

champaigntaste

Here's an excerpt from my manual. Assuming I attach it properly.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Ahhh. Battle of the manuals.....Were obviously talking different years or perhaps different contries (not sure where your at) as here in the U.S the "sport pkg" was replace by the "appearence pkg" for model year 04.....

champaigntaste

I don't know which manual is right. I just got my 2004 E500 last weekend in Chicago. It had a build date of the first week of April. Press time on the owner's manual is 12/02/03. I obviously don't know which manual has the correct information. Not trying to start a manual war. Interesting they are different though!

HELL ONA HARLEY

No harm done....I wonder why there different????
I'm a little upset because coincidently I reported on this forum that while on a road trip to Idaho (week and a half ago) I ripped through Nevada at a pretty good clip and at one point I was at 130 mph.... If I was thinking better I would've pushed it a little more to see in fact if my speed limit is set at 130 or not. At the time it sure didn't feel like it wanted to slow one least bit. Guess I've got a good excuse to open her up again....

HELL ONA HARLEY

One more thing..... I'm no tire expert here but whats with the different tires???? Both manuals agree about the tire fitments, but I'm confused... W rated tires at a top speed of 168mph and Z rated tire at a top speed of 149???? W.T.F???? The Z rated tires are on the e55 and figure they are to be speed superior... Wonder what is the difference between the W and Z tires as they both seem to be rated at above 149mph... (Perhaps a heat thing)...

B.T.W I have Michelin W rated (stock).... Wonder if this in fact supports that my car will do the 155mph but I'm holding an out-dated manual???

MPTLPTR

I'm thinking that the "sport package" corresponds to the AMG package for '04. So I'm guessing all '03 non-E55 U.S. W211s are limited to 130 (sport or non-sport) and that in '04 those W211s with the AMG sport package are limited to 155 instead of 130?

Z rated just means 149+ mph. W = 169 mph and Y = 186 mph, so technically they are Z rated as well. See http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...peedRating.jsp

viguera

Unless I'm mistaken, Zs were introduced "back in the day" when people figured you could go faster than 149, but nobody really figured you would want to... not on purpose, or at least not regularly... Somebody basically said "Z = 'above 149'", but exactly what the limit was, was never actually determined. So the industry added W and Y rated tires into the mix to try and narrow down exactly where that upper limit was... Ws are rated at 168, and Ys are rated at 186.

If you're going faster than that, you're probably wearing wings or going back in time... If the tire has been tested to actually exceed 186, you'll usually see the rating in parentheses (99Y).

I remember reading a REALLY good description of the ratings breakdown at the tirerack.

scorchie

Instead of battle of the manuals, why don't you guys go out and see what your cars will hit the limiter at.

I can attest that mine is 156MPH (not MPG).

My tires are Z-speed rated, and carry a Y in the service rating.

-s-

Dema

I think you can just drive as fast as you can see what speed you can reach, and if it doesn't match to manual then ask MB to correct manual.

Frank Wiesmann

I drove one and it did a little over 130 on the speedo and then shut down (governor). Ithad the W-rated tires and said sport on the side and on the shifter knob. Does anyone with the AMG sport package have a top speed rating to share?

scorchie

It would help if you stated what model year your manual is for; also maybe the revision. The E-class manual must have gotten much more complex since my manual (Edition B 2003) as mine says not as much about the maximum speed of the car, and the winter driving page is at 275 instead of 297.

Also, since there is no difference between stock models and sport models at the time of my manual, it makes no difference.

-s-

champaigntaste

I plan to "test" mine once I am thru break-in, in about 500 miles. I suspect it's limited to 130 mph.

ATS

Someone with a 2004 E500 and appearance and W rated tires get on the road and rip it up..

I am in a city and there are no roads to go that fast.. Let me know your top speed, hehe..

Miguk_Saram

..hmm.. I'd rather they correct the speedlimiter..

varsity

Done.

2004 E500, appearance package and other sundry options: nav, voice-activated phone, etc.

Maxed out at indicated 133mph on both digital and analog speedos. Tried it in Sport II and Comfort suspension modes, as well as Comfort and Standard Modes on transmission. Same speed every time. It seems like a 'soft' limiter because the car still had plenty of juice and momentum, but the limiter slowed its acceleration pace. I'd bet that given the space, the car would top out around the high 150s.

ATS

Nice going.. 133mph = 214km. Fastest I have been yet is 185km although I once drove a 5.7 litre Camaro 260km+ and the needle was buried.. That was crazy..