KLM1957

Hi,

I'm new to the Mercedes. I just purchased a 2011 GL 450 and it's a beauty with less than 27K miles on it. BUT......it's a 2011. I've had to replace parts on the suspension and now I've noticed that the accelerator feels like there is a rock underneath it when I try to accelerate. It will accelerate when I push down really hard, but it doesn't seem normal. It also has a sound coming out of the tail pipes on the right side that, the only way I can describe it, sounds like helicopter blades hitting the air. The car idles fine and "seems" to be okay in terms of the engine. But, I have no clue what the sound is and why the accelerator is so stiff.

Thanks for your help.

eric_in_sd

I only dropped into this thread to find out what a GL440 is. Saddened to find out it was just a typo. This is not as retarted as it sounds; overseas there is the 420 and 350 or 370 or something like that.

What's wrong with it being a 2011? They only go bad with age when left outdoors. For a supposed off-road vehicle, they really don't like adverse conditions.

It doesn't make sense you had to change suspension components at 27k miles, unless you live in a smog-saturated area (Mexico City?).

Regarding your puzzles: I have no idea what you're talking about with your complaints. The pedal is stiff? Is there a floor mat jammed under the pedal? There's a funny sound from the exhaust, like the lup lup lup from the beginning of Apocalypse Now? Maybe there is something funky about the exhaust, like the catalytic converter got removed while you were asleep one night. (Double shame if anyone stole my cats; they're hollowed out. All that destruction for nothing, smh.)

Not to strike fear in your heart, but I suspect a "rolled back" (easy to do on the dash display, though the ECU keeps the true mileage) odometer.

Anyway, if you really want help with issues with your vehicle, you need to be a lot more detailed about the symptoms. Think like a doctor, describing the whole patient, not just how their elbow feels.

Max Blast

There’s no mechanical linkage from the throttle to the throttle body - so it’s likely dirt and grit jamming up the pedal motion. Potentially dangerous as it could also cause a stuck full throttle scenario. Do not drive.

KLM1957

Yes. It's a typo. Should be: 450

KLM1957

Thank you. I plan to take it into the shop soon for some other suspension repairs. I'll bring this to their attention as well. I was hoping to gain some insight. I'm new to Mercedes ownership and feel like a fish out of water with all of this. Thank you for taking the time to answer.

DennisG01

Stiff... are you maybe referring to the "kick down" feature near the end of the pedal travel? This is a "detent" near the end that when you push past it, it commands a gear change (lower).

Noise... from what you've written, I would look for an air leak in the exhaust system. I'm kinda just making a guess there, though.

KLM1957

I'm not sure what you mean by "kick down". I'm female, if you hadn't figured that out. So, I'm not car savvy. Is that a feature or issue that I can physically see if I look down there? All I know is that when I accelerate, it feels really heavy and hard and requires more effort to accelerate than I would expect. It's like there something impeding the pedal from being pushed down. Hope that makes sense.

The sound is definitely coming from the tail pipe(s). I noticed it louder on the right rear side. It "seems" to be loudest when I first start the car. And as I stated in the original post, when idling, the car sounds fine. It doesn't miss or jerk or anything like that. It drives very smooth once acceleration has been made

Thank you for your help. I have a good mechanic who I trust. But, I like to know as much as possible so I don't feel so in the dark when I take it in to him.

KLM1957

Thank you. I plan to take it into the shop soon for some other suspension repairs. I'll bring this to their attention as well. I was hoping to gain some insight. I'm new to Mercedes ownership and feel like a fish out of water with all of this. Thank you for taking the time to answer.

KLM1957

Yes. It's a typo. Should be: 450

DennisG01

This is a "detent" near the end (of the pedal travel) that when you push past it, it commands a gear change (lower).

Or... is the pedal travel stiff throughout it's entire pedal travel?

KLM1957

I haven't noticed anything that I "push past" if I'm understanding your question correctly. When I press the accelerator it does not push softly as the car accelerates. It feels like there is a rock under the pedal, is probably the best way I can describe it. So perhaps the answer is "it's stiff throughout the entire pedal travel?"

When accelerating on a straight road, it's stiff and hard to push, but requires less work than if I need extra power going up hill. Sometimes if I take my foot off the accelerator and push again it "seems" to make a difference, but I can't be sure.

I hope I'm not frustrating you with my "female speak" I'm trying to choose my words carefully as to explain it as accurately as possible.

DennisG01

Not frustrated at all - your terminology is just fine! Besides, it's not really a male/female thing - it's simply about experience level/familiarity with car stuff. And... we ALL started as inexperienced and unfamiliar

Your terminology is fine. The next time you're in the car... push the pedal down and you'll feel it stop - although this is a false stop. Now, push harder - that's the detent that you feel that signals a downshift.

It sounds like it's stiff "all the time". Which means, as noted above, the problem is in the hinge (for lack of a better term) of the pedal. In other words, think of it like a rusty hinge. Possibly some silicone spray lube will help.

KLM1957

Thank you for your patience and kindness. I actually like cars a lot and have always been fascinated by engines and how they work. But, I've never owned a Mercedes. I've driven Toyotas for the past 20 years. I've dreamed of owning a Mercedes for years and finally got one. However, I'm wondering if this particular model is too much car for me.

I'm not a young woman....well into my 60s......and I "do" like bigger cars - SUVs in particular - as I'm also very tall and don't do well with sedans or small vehicles that you have to fold yourself into. But, it's a beast of a vehicle, so I wonder if something with a little less power and not so big might be better for me?

If you have any recommendations for an SUV (Mercedes) I would appreciate it. I can't afford a brand new Mercedes. So, something in the pre-owned market.

Thank you again for your help. Does the accelerator check happen when the car is not started? Or started and idling? And is the "rusty hinge" something I can do myself? If so, where would I spray the silicone?

Max Blast

Your shop will likely just replace the pedal assembly. As I said earlier, it is uncommon but it does happen that dirt and grit lodges into the pivot points and cause it to feel stiff. The danger here is that it will seize in some intermediate or full on position, leaving you with a runaway vehicle. Get that taken care of by a competent, independent mechanic, or if you have the bank roll, the dealer.

this forum is up there in the age bracket you are talking about, but we are mainly a collection of people who will do anything in our power to avoid giving any money to the dealer ship service departments by viciously DIYing any problems we face with this car. In your case, you can certainly try some silicone spray in the pivot point of the Excelerator pedal, but if that doesn’t do anything you need to take it straight to a competent repair shop.

DennisG01

My gut tells me the pedal assembly needs to be replaced - but using the spray is a worthwhile "first try".

KLM1957

Thank you. I'm not a fan of dealerships either. I appreciate your insight and help.

KLM1957

Thank you.

eric_in_sd

01blackhawk

I`m with Dennis on this, happened to me 10-12 years ago with my W210, pedal definitely did not feel right and it was intermittent, cleaned it, cleaned it and cleaned it again with vacuum cleaner no difference. One day I said enough is enough and went in there with a air hose with enough pressure, blew the heck out of it and find out a very small less than a pea size rock chip and some gunk flew over and that was it. Otherwise I was getting ready to replace it.

You have good taste with cars, these are still good and affordable cars, like any other vehicle, they have their own issues but with some preventive maintenance they will easily go over 200K miles.

Last year my wife totalled the 2011 GL450, both the wife and daughter walked out of that car without a scratch. Did not even hesitate to get another one and couple months later found a 2012 GL550.

Yes this particular model needs a tad bit more TLC but again if you can do it yourself or have an honest indy shop, good cars to keep.

KLM1957

Thank you so much for the encouragement. It is a beautiful car. I'm the 2nd owner. The 1st owner was an elderly lady in South Florida who drove it less than 2K miles per year. She kept up the maintenance schedule and the records on it look good. I was surprised I had to replace the front and rear struts/air bags so quickly. But, I did. It needs new tires and still some suspension work that needs to be done to it as well. But the mechanic said I should be fine to do it a little bit here and there.

I have another car to drive until I get the issues worked out with this one. I just wonder though if I've bitten off more than I can chew. It feels like such a massive vehicle when I'm driving it. But, I will confess, driving it is nothing short of heaven. It's glides like I'm on ice. If I can get these issues taken care of and then just stay up on maintenance, then hopefully it will be as reliable as my 18 year old Toyota has been.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

DennisG01

Blackhawk, you actually DID have a rock in it! I guess it makes sense - cinders that fall off our shoes.

The compressed air is a great idea - I don't think my idea of silicone, alone, will dislodge a rock.

Max Blast

damn you Siri

eric_in_sd

Pedal assembly should be pretty cheap used or aftermarket, but it's usually rewarding to attempt repair.

01blackhawk

Yes, it was a tiny tiny one, much smaller than a pea, because I put a white paper sheet on the floor to be able to catch and see whats in there, drove to my buddy`s tire shop first, lay and even taped the white paper, pull the hose and blew the heck out of it. There was also some sticky gunk a tiny bit again but enough to hold the sucker in the most annoying spot lol.

KLM1957

So I took your advice and pushed the accelerator all the way to the floor. A couple of times. I wasn’t able to feel the detent you’re talking about. But I did notice when I started the car and put it in drive, the acceleration was good. It felt smooth and didn’t get stiff at all.

I drove it to a store and when I got back in, I did that again - don’t know what the heck I’m doing 🙂. Then drove home. It was was smooth and accelerated normally.

What does that tell you?