Sitting low, grinding, wheel falling off...
11-09-2014, 04:45 PM
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Gl320
Sitting low, grinding, wheel falling off...
Hi:
Let me start by saying that my wife and I love our GL320 (X164, 2007) however we are now thinking about walking away and never buying a Mercedes again - so any help / advice would be appreciated.
(1) The car has done 106,000 miles and it has been trouble free until now
(2) In the last couple of months however, it developed a noise (thumping or grinding) which appeared to come from the front passenger side
(3) We took it into a Mercedes owned main dealer who after various test drives replaced the front passenger shock and strut. However the noise continued. (I think a compressor was also replaced and a strut on the driver side as well). There was no impact on the noise.
(4) They took it in for a further review and also, at the same time, to replace all four tyres.
(5) The following week we were driving it for the first lengthy drive (50 miles at about 70 mph) and the noises from the front passenger wheel got louder and the steering wheel was wobbling badly
(6) We parked in a nearby Costco and my wife drove whilst I looked - could not work out what was wrong but the front passenger wheel looked at a different angle from the other front wheel; and the gap between the top of the wheel and the body appeared to be different on the passenger and driver sides - especially at the front.
(7) The tyres team from Costco came out to ask what was the problem. They walked around the car and noticed that the front passenger wheel was missing three bolts and was coming away from the hub. In fact they were so concerned they refused to move the vehicle to the ramps but rather brought jacks to the car to stablise it and replace the wheels (the spare nuts only fit the spare space saver tyre so they swapped the tyre for us - free of charge - we are Costco members (many thanks guys)).
(8) We took the car back to the dealership that same day and they kept it for a few days to investigate why the nuts were missing, sort out the wheels and nuts, and also to undertake further investigation of the noises. They did not find anything - but they also rechecked all the work done to date.
(9) The noises continued but they were unable to find why
(10) Today my wife has noticed that the car is leaning to the passenger side again - the back driver side wheel has a gap of nearly two hands between the body and the top of the wheel; whilst the passenger back wheel has a gap of only one hand. (Sorry it was dark; and note that these are the back wheels - it was too dark to really tell on the front wheels tonight).
We are at the end of our tether. My wife has to drive on country lanes, often in snowy or icy conditions to take the kids to school. She is concerned about both the noises and the car tilting so oddly at rest.
What does this all mean and should we just dump the car or is it fixable. We have already spent several thousands on investigating and having the tyres and the front passenger strut and suspension replaced. (I need to check but we may have also replaced the front driver strut at the same time - I have been paying so many bills it is not funny).
I am now wondering:
(1) Is this a computer fault?
(2) Is there an air leak in the suspension system or a compressor leak?
(3) There has been a lot of debate re exactly where the noise is coming from; the dealer has put special headphones and detectors on to try to locate the noises with no success
(4) Sometimes the noise sounds like a grinding and at other times like a thumping. It appears to come from the front passenger or front centre (near the axis).
(5) Could the wheel nuts have sheared due to problems with the air suspension?
Any help or thoughts really really appreciated.
Let me start by saying that my wife and I love our GL320 (X164, 2007) however we are now thinking about walking away and never buying a Mercedes again - so any help / advice would be appreciated.
(1) The car has done 106,000 miles and it has been trouble free until now
(2) In the last couple of months however, it developed a noise (thumping or grinding) which appeared to come from the front passenger side
(3) We took it into a Mercedes owned main dealer who after various test drives replaced the front passenger shock and strut. However the noise continued. (I think a compressor was also replaced and a strut on the driver side as well). There was no impact on the noise.
(4) They took it in for a further review and also, at the same time, to replace all four tyres.
(5) The following week we were driving it for the first lengthy drive (50 miles at about 70 mph) and the noises from the front passenger wheel got louder and the steering wheel was wobbling badly
(6) We parked in a nearby Costco and my wife drove whilst I looked - could not work out what was wrong but the front passenger wheel looked at a different angle from the other front wheel; and the gap between the top of the wheel and the body appeared to be different on the passenger and driver sides - especially at the front.
(7) The tyres team from Costco came out to ask what was the problem. They walked around the car and noticed that the front passenger wheel was missing three bolts and was coming away from the hub. In fact they were so concerned they refused to move the vehicle to the ramps but rather brought jacks to the car to stablise it and replace the wheels (the spare nuts only fit the spare space saver tyre so they swapped the tyre for us - free of charge - we are Costco members (many thanks guys)).
(8) We took the car back to the dealership that same day and they kept it for a few days to investigate why the nuts were missing, sort out the wheels and nuts, and also to undertake further investigation of the noises. They did not find anything - but they also rechecked all the work done to date.
(9) The noises continued but they were unable to find why
(10) Today my wife has noticed that the car is leaning to the passenger side again - the back driver side wheel has a gap of nearly two hands between the body and the top of the wheel; whilst the passenger back wheel has a gap of only one hand. (Sorry it was dark; and note that these are the back wheels - it was too dark to really tell on the front wheels tonight).
We are at the end of our tether. My wife has to drive on country lanes, often in snowy or icy conditions to take the kids to school. She is concerned about both the noises and the car tilting so oddly at rest.
What does this all mean and should we just dump the car or is it fixable. We have already spent several thousands on investigating and having the tyres and the front passenger strut and suspension replaced. (I need to check but we may have also replaced the front driver strut at the same time - I have been paying so many bills it is not funny).
I am now wondering:
(1) Is this a computer fault?
(2) Is there an air leak in the suspension system or a compressor leak?
(3) There has been a lot of debate re exactly where the noise is coming from; the dealer has put special headphones and detectors on to try to locate the noises with no success
(4) Sometimes the noise sounds like a grinding and at other times like a thumping. It appears to come from the front passenger or front centre (near the axis).
(5) Could the wheel nuts have sheared due to problems with the air suspension?
Any help or thoughts really really appreciated.
11-09-2014, 05:03 PM
#2
Out Of Control!!
Were the wheel bolts sheared or did they come loose.
Did you test drive the car with the MB mechanic to show him the noise. Don't accept it as "fixed" if it is not.
Maybe try a different MB shop.
If it is making noise it should be easy for a decent mechanic to find the problem.
Did you test drive the car with the MB mechanic to show him the noise. Don't accept it as "fixed" if it is not.
Maybe try a different MB shop.
If it is making noise it should be easy for a decent mechanic to find the problem.
11-09-2014, 05:19 PM
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Gl320
Hi N Jay - I was trying to avoid being too detailed as the dealership service staff have really tried hard to solve the problem (and we also have two other Mercs that they service!). However I will say it is in Europe. (Happy to email you directly re details if relevant?)
11-09-2014, 05:41 PM
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Gl320
Were the wheel bolts sheared or did they come loose.
Did you test drive the car with the MB mechanic to show him the noise. Don't accept it as "fixed" if it is not.
Maybe try a different MB shop.
If it is making noise it should be easy for a decent mechanic to find the problem.
Did you test drive the car with the MB mechanic to show him the noise. Don't accept it as "fixed" if it is not.
Maybe try a different MB shop.
If it is making noise it should be easy for a decent mechanic to find the problem.
(2) They accept the noise is there - just said it was going to be uneconomic for us to carry on investigating.
11-10-2014, 01:17 PM
#7
Senior Member
Yes, the dealer will be chasing this problem forever (at significant cost to you). Go to an Indy.
I would take the car immediately to an indy, along with the wheel, any bolts, etc.
Have them a)figure out why the wheel almost came off. They should bolt the wheel back on, use brand new bolts, ensure it is seated properly, balanced properly ,etc. Then keep watching it. Take it back over to the indy (or buy a torque wrench) and check torque weekly for a while. Sounds like the wheel almost came off after the tire install (less than a week) so watch it daily if necessary.
They also need to b)find the thumping noise, but this is secondary to a). Figure out why the wheel came off first!
My guess is the wheel wasn't properly mounted onto the hub and even the bolts were tight, it wasn't straight. So a vibration started and bolts started unscrewing.
Or more likely, someone put in two bolts and forgot the other 3. If this is the case, no tech at MB is going to admit to forgetting 3 bolts on a customer's car... so ignore what the dealership told you about looking for the extra bolts and not finding them.
Once that is all solved, have an indy look for the noise.
Since the passenger shock, strut, and tires are all new, that narrows down the possibilities. An indy should be able to look at common spots (exhaust, flapping underbody shields, loose parts, etc.) and find the cause. If this thumping has been going on for some time, there will for sure be a wear/rubbing mark on parts when they look at them.
They may have to follow a process of elimination and replace a few parts along the way. So maybe they'll want to replace or tighten something, have you drive for a week, then try again. Or replace a part and see if it fixes it. There's really no "certain" answer, just a "best" answer, but a good indy will figure out the best answer at the time, unlike a dealer who just wants to throw money and parts at the problem.. (your money of course)
I would take the car immediately to an indy, along with the wheel, any bolts, etc.
Have them a)figure out why the wheel almost came off. They should bolt the wheel back on, use brand new bolts, ensure it is seated properly, balanced properly ,etc. Then keep watching it. Take it back over to the indy (or buy a torque wrench) and check torque weekly for a while. Sounds like the wheel almost came off after the tire install (less than a week) so watch it daily if necessary.
They also need to b)find the thumping noise, but this is secondary to a). Figure out why the wheel came off first!
My guess is the wheel wasn't properly mounted onto the hub and even the bolts were tight, it wasn't straight. So a vibration started and bolts started unscrewing.
Or more likely, someone put in two bolts and forgot the other 3. If this is the case, no tech at MB is going to admit to forgetting 3 bolts on a customer's car... so ignore what the dealership told you about looking for the extra bolts and not finding them.
Once that is all solved, have an indy look for the noise.
Since the passenger shock, strut, and tires are all new, that narrows down the possibilities. An indy should be able to look at common spots (exhaust, flapping underbody shields, loose parts, etc.) and find the cause. If this thumping has been going on for some time, there will for sure be a wear/rubbing mark on parts when they look at them.
They may have to follow a process of elimination and replace a few parts along the way. So maybe they'll want to replace or tighten something, have you drive for a week, then try again. Or replace a part and see if it fixes it. There's really no "certain" answer, just a "best" answer, but a good indy will figure out the best answer at the time, unlike a dealer who just wants to throw money and parts at the problem.. (your money of course)
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11-10-2014, 04:55 PM
#9
Couldn't it also be a ball joint (where the spindle attaches to the upper a-arm)? One would think the Dealership would have noticed that, but it doesn't seem like they pay too much attention to details!
Also, the front sway bar bushings should be checked. Ours have squeaked occasionally, so I would imagine they could bind up enough to cause a thump and/or popping noise.
Also, the front sway bar bushings should be checked. Ours have squeaked occasionally, so I would imagine they could bind up enough to cause a thump and/or popping noise.
