Help! Sliding on slick road??
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From: Southern US
2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
A 4-wheel drive car having the rear "loose" on slippery surface most often mean the rear tires want to go faster than the front..
Installing the bigger tires in front helps this if indeed this is the cause for the problem.
But this is just my opinion
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From: Canada
07 E63 + 07 CLK63CAB
So your answer is to put larger tires on the front, Just what is wrong with you sofa mechanics.
Check the alignment first then spend 600 bucks on larger tires that will mess up the drivetrain wow Do you guys think MB engineers rode the short bus.
Maybe op should reduce the throttle a bit when trying to change speed, take it in and get the car checked out.
Check the alignment first then spend 600 bucks on larger tires that will mess up the drivetrain wow Do you guys think MB engineers rode the short bus.
Maybe op should reduce the throttle a bit when trying to change speed, take it in and get the car checked out.
Thread Starter
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2010 E350 4MATIC
Pretty sure the car does not have serious alignment problems. It is possible that it is slightly out of alignment and the effect gets magnified on slippery road. I am thinking I will just have the dealer do an alignment just to rule out that possibility.
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Yes, you do not need to go to the dealer unless you have a CPO car and want to try and get this taken care of because they gave you a car that was way out of whack.
One last question if I may: You describe these tires as Dunlop winter tires. I will assume that they are changed out in the summer then? So, your driving experience in the summer is on another tire?
Do you maintain the original wheel and change out the tires or are you running a complete winter tire and wheel setup that is simply bolted on? Lastly, are all of the lug bolts tight and properly sized for a winter wheel(if that is the case).
That's it.
One last question if I may: You describe these tires as Dunlop winter tires. I will assume that they are changed out in the summer then? So, your driving experience in the summer is on another tire?
Do you maintain the original wheel and change out the tires or are you running a complete winter tire and wheel setup that is simply bolted on? Lastly, are all of the lug bolts tight and properly sized for a winter wheel(if that is the case).
That's it.
Last edited by RA72825; Jan 13, 2015 at 10:36 AM.
Thread Starter
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2010 E350 4MATIC
It is not a CPO car. I thought most shops may not have the computer to properly align an import car. Which shops normally do this?
Thread Starter
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2010 E350 4MATIC
Yes, you do not need to go to the dealer unless you have a CPO car and want to try and get this taken care of because they gave you a car that was way out of whack.
One last question if I may: You describe these tires as Dunlop winter tires. I will assume that they are changed out in the summer then? So, your driving experience in the summer is on another tire?
Do you maintain the original wheel and change out the tires or are you running a complete winter tire and wheel setup that is simply bolted on? Lastly, are all of the lug bolts tight and properly sized for a winter wheel(if that is the case).
That's it.
One last question if I may: You describe these tires as Dunlop winter tires. I will assume that they are changed out in the summer then? So, your driving experience in the summer is on another tire?
Do you maintain the original wheel and change out the tires or are you running a complete winter tire and wheel setup that is simply bolted on? Lastly, are all of the lug bolts tight and properly sized for a winter wheel(if that is the case).
That's it.
I don't have another set of wheels so the tires were swapped onto the original AMG wheels.
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Ok thank you. There is nothing special to these cars that a reputable shop with the state of the art equipment wouldn't be able to tell you in short order if everything is set properly. Start with this check first.
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Thread Starter
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2010 E350 4MATIC
Hope to get this done early next week. Will report back if I feel any different afterwards.
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Joined: Apr 2014
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From: California
w212 E350 Bluetec & Mk7 GTI Sport
This article should help the OP find out why contact and tire temperature depends on more than just which model of car and tire you drive with.
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handling/handling_pressure (read all five parts)
Dont mistake the others around you seemingly driving better in the ice. I see people speeding past me all the time in trucks and stuff in the rain and here in cali, it doesnt rain at alll... So peoples tires are dry-ish, and the road is soaking. Still see them on the freeway going over 60. Why? It may LOOK like its easy or going well for them, but alot of that is blind faith =D
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handling/handling_pressure (read all five parts)
Dont mistake the others around you seemingly driving better in the ice. I see people speeding past me all the time in trucks and stuff in the rain and here in cali, it doesnt rain at alll... So peoples tires are dry-ish, and the road is soaking. Still see them on the freeway going over 60. Why? It may LOOK like its easy or going well for them, but alot of that is blind faith =D
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,141
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From: Southern US
2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
So your answer is to put larger tires on the front, Just what is wrong with you sofa mechanics.
Check the alignment first then spend 600 bucks on larger tires that will mess up the drivetrain wow Do you guys think MB engineers rode the short bus.
Maybe op should reduce the throttle a bit when trying to change speed, take it in and get the car checked out.
Check the alignment first then spend 600 bucks on larger tires that will mess up the drivetrain wow Do you guys think MB engineers rode the short bus.
Maybe op should reduce the throttle a bit when trying to change speed, take it in and get the car checked out.
Based on your comment you don't have a glue what is going on here.
OP has the set of tires on his car. If it was to mess up the drivetrain by putting the larger tires in the front it will mess it up anyway.
The quickest, easiest and cheapest test here is to measure the tire diameters and make sure the bigger ones are in the front. On slippery road a NON-AWD car will have loose rear if the rear axle is faster. It is not perfect control it being slower either but way better than being faster.
This forum is (in my opinion) to try help others. Your comment doesn't help anybody. Suggesting the OP to lift from the throttle when he clearly states that he feels he is a hazard on the road when he is so much slower than others is just ridiculous.
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From: Vancouver, BC
2015 E250 BT 4M
The tires are one season old, right. Very easily they can be different diameters.
A 4-wheel drive car having the rear "loose" on slippery surface most often mean the rear tires want to go faster than the front..
Installing the bigger tires in front helps this if indeed this is the cause for the problem.
A 4-wheel drive car having the rear "loose" on slippery surface most often mean the rear tires want to go faster than the front..
Installing the bigger tires in front helps this if indeed this is the cause for the problem.
I suspect that his main issue of traction on ice is mostly related to his choice of snow tires. Certain brands and types of snow tires (eg. Michelin Ice) have much better traction on ice than others.
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From: DFW
2 2001 E320s, 2005 E320 4Matic
Everybody seems focused on the tires, while my question is why are the safety nannies ( ASR, traction control, ESC) not stepping in to stop the rear end from "sliding out" as the OP stated. I keep a W211 4 Matic and a rear wheel drive W210 at my home near the lakeshore in Western Michigan where we see 100 or so inches of snow during the winter. Both are equipped with snow tires. On either car, with the safety systems awake and functioning you have to be determined to make the rear end slide. Also, the OP states, he is not getting any warning in his IC that the safety controls are working when this happens. Again odd behavior. There is more going on here than just tires.
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But for a few here, we have suppressed the tire issue. He is getting the alignment checked as a start, but I agree something fishy is afoot. My 4Matics have been so rock solid on the road that you really need to be jerking the wheel to upset the 4Matic system. In driving rain and snowing an inch an hour I drive with complete confidence, so something is wrong with this man's MB.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 268
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From: California
w212 E350 Bluetec & Mk7 GTI Sport
Everybody seems focused on the tires, while my question is why are the safety nannies ( ASR, traction control, ESC) not stepping in to stop the rear end from "sliding out" as the OP stated. I keep a W211 4 Matic and a rear wheel drive W210 at my home near the lakeshore in Western Michigan where we see 100 or so inches of snow during the winter. Both are equipped with snow tires. On either car, with the safety systems awake and functioning you have to be determined to make the rear end slide. Also, the OP states, he is not getting any warning in his IC that the safety controls are working when this happens. Again odd behavior. There is more going on here than just tires.
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From: Toledo, Ohio
2010 E350 4Matic
Rear end slide on a 4Matic?
I just recently purchased a CPO 2010 E350 4Matic Luxury & Sport package car. I went and bought after-market new rims for winter use and Michelin Xi3 snow tires. Main reason is wife driving a car with so much horse power and rear end drive. The car drives perfectly straight on the 4" inches of snow we got here in Toledo the last few days and the extreme cold weather. I literally have to try and make the rear end move out! It is difficult for me to get the traction light ESP to come on! I have NO Problem with traction or slippage. I told my wife," the car drives like a tank with the Snow tires" goes straight and does not spin at all. I have to try and spin the tires which is difficult to do! I agree with a previous Post on something is wrong with traction and suspension monitoring through the car's Computer. I would have the Dealer get it on a scanner and see if your suspension is NOT operating correctly. Like I said,"point it straight and give it the gas, it goes dead straight". 
Last edited by toledotom; Jan 14, 2015 at 06:13 PM. Reason: wrong words
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2014 E63S; AMS 100 octane ECU dyno tune; EDOK TCU tune; BB intakes; sprintbooster
Also it depends on the type of all wheel drive system. For example my Infiniti g35x has the attessa system and it's rwd 95% of the time and only engages the front wheels in a 50/50 locked center diff up until 12 mph or 20 mph depending on engagement of the "snow" button. Additionally if I gas it a little on a highway of snow it'll scoot the back end out before the fronts engage and the vehicle dynamic control corrects the yaw.
On the mdx, it's a front driver predominantly with the sh-awd and when you gas it at 50 mph on an icy or snowy road it doesn't budge because it's a smarter system and front biased. It's torque vectoring is superior to the attessa in the Infiniti
The Benz e550 2014 I had was additionally very stable in snow, more stable than my Infiniti. I did not have any characteristics the op described
On the mdx, it's a front driver predominantly with the sh-awd and when you gas it at 50 mph on an icy or snowy road it doesn't budge because it's a smarter system and front biased. It's torque vectoring is superior to the attessa in the Infiniti
The Benz e550 2014 I had was additionally very stable in snow, more stable than my Infiniti. I did not have any characteristics the op described
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From: Southern US
2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
Yes, I think I said to check the tire diameters and,put the two largest ones in front.
this car has 4-wheel system that can be problematic if the speed difference between axles is small. The slip control does not necessarily see it as the drive state forces the wheels to turn the speed. On icy road you can loose traction as the axles fight and if rear I the faster one it cam make driving unstable.
If the wheels are used one season and not rotated there can be enough diameter difference for this.
