So, I have a new car, 2010 E550 with the Renntech tune. I figure I try out some 0-60 tests by using a simple iPhone timer. I'm getting 6, 6.2 seconds. I'm driving in auto. The stock on my car is around 5.2 seconds so my car should be hitting under 5 with the tune.

My question is, are magazine or manufacturer 0-60 times achieved by professional drivers only and with "perfect" conditions AND in manual mode??

I doubt I could push my car to 5 or below myself.

I know there are some gadgets out there for better results, but I wouldn't buy those just for a 0-60 test.

 

Yes, of course you can do a 0-60 test on your own (non-professional driver). I suspect your problem is the time delay you inadvertently introduce between the time you hit the button on the iPhone, you actually hit the gas and then hit the timer button on the iPhone again to stop the clock once you've hit 60. There is no way any tuned car, from any manufacturer, should run slower 0-60 times than the stock ecu configuration from the factory.

Easiest workaround to the problem, with the current method of using an iPhone, is to have a friend start and stop the timer while sitting next to you in the car. May take a few times to coordinate your actions, but it works. Just a thought.

 

Yes, I had a friend work the timer. Would the added weight make a difference? I think I also hesitated with the acceleration a bit for fear of jamming the pedal down too harshly.

I'll have to conduct more trials.

 

Look into the torgue app. You will need a BT OBD2 adapter so your car can send info to the app. Haven't used it myself but have read about others using it on here.

You could also see if there are any track events in your areas. Since you paid for a tune, you might want to know about 1/4 times and other stats.

Might be worth checking the AMG forums for suggestions.

 

The Torque App works on Android phones.


For iPhone, get WiFi ODBII (ELM 327 - about $15) and use Dash Command App (about $10).


The App has the option to measure 0-60.

 

I think I've found the culprit. Try letting your grandson conduct the 0-60 tests next time.

 

lol

 

+100

 

Thanks for the feedback and app recommendations.

It looks like I will have to smash the pedal without abandon and drive on a completely straight road and have conditions that are not windy and pay attention to wind direction and so on and so forth..in other words, I think it will be hard to replicate such conditions as the professionals do..

Can I do better than my 6 second times? Of course! I only tried twice and didn't smash the pedal either. I should probably be able to hit 5 seconds in my opinion.

Here's what I got from wiki on 0-60 tests:
The crew sets up accurate and precise measuring tools that are attached to computers. These tools included Doppler radar guns and precise timing instruments that are synchronized. This means that the driver is not worried about keeping time or the exact moment the car hits 60 miles per hour. The driver focuses solely on driving straight and fast with professional quick gear shifting.

The car is timed and recorded going in two separate and opposite directions. This practice eliminates variables such as wind, directional traction of the track and driver performance. The two times are averaged together to achieve the commonly accepted 0 to 60 time. But since there are so many variables that affect these recorded times, some have questioned the authenticity of certain 0 to 60 times.

 

A couple points here....

First, the 0-60 numbers published by Mercedes are always under-estimated. Basically it is just a number that comes from marketing, filtered by lawyers. Just think how would you feel if you bought an SL550 and you find out that Mercedes is advertising that a 2012 E550 is just about as fast off the line. Hell, MB intentionally de-tunes certain engines so that the models line up better.

All this to say that the 5.2s stock number that you are using as a reference is probably more like 4.8/4.9. See here for something to compare: http://www.zeroto60times.com/vehicle...-60-mph-times/ . Add in the fact that you have a tune (probably not a huge add in terms of HP/torque as your E550 is NA) and you are well over a second off 0-60 than what you should expect.

Other significant factors include traction, temperature and weight. 4Matic will help with the first but take away from the last. You and your trusty timer in the passenger seat will also impact things.... If either of you have recently eaten a whole large pizza and drunk a pitcher of beer in one sitting, you might need to adjust your expectations a bit . Now this simply goes to the fact that these tests are not an exact science so to speak. Keep these variables the same and you should only use them to compare against other runs that you have made, not a professional driver in a controlled environment.

Lastly, how high do you rev her up before you release the brake? This makes the most difference for cars with turbos, but you still need to get her going enough so that you are in the peak area of torque when you start. I'll let others comment on the best release point, and you to decide how much to push, just keep it well below red-line and you should be fine.

Bottom line, without some reliable timing mechanism (like the torque app or whatever), you and your timer (less some pizza/beer normalization) on a nice dry day with a flat level straight smooth road really should be pretty close to 5.0s not 6.0. If you aren't look into changing some of the variables (like taking the keg out of the trunk before each run) and have fun.

edit: oh, and by the way, you should turn off traction control. It will cut engine power if it thinks the tires are slipping. Great for keeping control of the car, not so much for gauging performance.

 

Nicely put. I didn't even rev her up. I think I need to learn how to do a 0-60 test, or I need to put fear aside. These are my first weeks of owning the car. My partner who was timing me was my wife and she hadn't any pizza or beer that night - lol. I agree, I should be able to hit 5 flat. I will try again.

I would "assume" based on the link you sent and + with the tune (added about 20 HP and changed out the headers), my car should be able to hit 4.5/4.6 on a race course by a pro? What do you think? I asked RennTech, but they do not want to give out numbers. It makes sense why.

What about the manual versus auto thing? The pros probably use shifters I would think? I was trying on auto..

 

Thanks. Judging by your apprehension to mashing the go pedal I thought this might be the case. I just didn't want to offend...

As MB underestimates these times I suspect that the link goes in the other direction a bit. All of the times you find should really be taken with a grain of salt, but they do give a reference that can help.

IMO, 4.5/4.6 is a bit optimistic. Don't forget you have a 6ish years worth of crud/wear built up in the places you don't see. There really is no way of determining how much that will impact performance. When she was new, 4.5/4.6 would be realistic, now, I really don't know.

Normally I would say that proper aggressive shift points will help a lot. But the transmissions in the E-classes aren't known for sporty performance. Plus he paddles are not very responsive and the shifts in general are slow. In addition to my edit in my previous post about traction control, you should press the s button next to the command knob to get the tranny in sport mode and make sure your suspension is lowered (other buttons in that area) to get the best performance. Using the paddles can help a little, but probably not that much. Resetting the transmission's adaptations will also help, do a search to see how to do it (it is not difficult to do and it is done sitting in the drivers seat without any tools).

 

Good info! I'll post back once I accomplish a few more trial runs! Thanks for the reset info!