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I know a number of you have been having 'crabbing' issues with the RHD GLC43. I'm having the same issue with my LHD and it's getting worse and worse. Have you found a solution (apart from getting smaller rims) as I read in previous posts that MB didn't do much about it.
I'm noticing tire wear in the front due to this. Is this something that is covered by MB warranty?
FYI, I have the 21" wheel setup with summer tires. 19" for winter and there is no issue.
Read all the posts on this, it happens on all size wheels , I have 19 inch and it is getting worse now the cold weather has arrived. MB were supposed to be offering free all weather tyres for RHD cars, as I said read all the crabbing posts and you will get the full story.
I did read most of the posts and I don't think anyone posted a solution. I don't have the issue with 19" wheels (winter tyres). Some people posted that they got a wheel alignment, new tyres, wheels... Could it be an issue with the Continental tyres that MB give?
There isn't a solution, on RHD drive cars MB have admitted the following:
"Due to the positioning of the front axle differential on right hand drive cars, the steering position differs very slightly compared to left hand drive models. When the steering is on full lock this steering angle difference can result in the front tyre skipping sensation. This is more pronounced during cold weather and when larger wheels and low profile tyres are fitted."
I know vikeor, Mercedes haven't admitted that it is a fault on LHD cars, that's why I posted the information as relating to RHD cars.
This is definitely an issue with LHD models too. I had parked my GLC43 at the airport long-term lot at a covered spot while I was away on travel for 5 days. I came back to my truck last night and after warming it up, I started to pull off and I made a left turn out of my parking space and the tires were scrubbing really bad. It was pretty cold last night like 35 degrees in Baltimore, MD. I never had this happened to any of my vehicles before, so this is really weird on Mercedes part.
My 21" Continental fronts are gone after only 7,000 miles. Taking the 43 AMG in tomorrow to the dealer for a front end alignment. Will see if they will cover the work under the pre paid service plan. I will check to see what they say about the tire wear, but Continental does not have a mileage warranty with this tire. I will also ask about the skipping. If there were all season tires in this size then I do not think the skipping would occur, but unfortunately no mfg. makes an all season for the 21".
The skipping happens due to suspension geometry and the compound they use for the tires. A different tire will still slide across, it just won't chatter. On the tile floors in the workshop, the 205s and 222s do it also, especially with new tires.
It doesn't cause tire wear, it's only an issue at full lock when parking, you aren't moving enough to wear your tires. The rapid tire wear is due to the alignment settings being wrong from the factory, almost every one of the new cars I align has very high toe-in settings, way beyond spec, and it wears the tires out quickly. Alignment should be warrantied for 1 year or 12,000 miles, but unfortunately the tires won't be.
The skipping happens due to suspension geometry and the compound they use for the tires. A different tire will still slide across, it just won't chatter. On the tile floors in the workshop, the 205s and 222s do it also, especially with new tires.
It doesn't cause tire wear, it's only an issue at full lock when parking, you aren't moving enough to wear your tires. The rapid tire wear is due to the alignment settings being wrong from the factory, almost every one of the new cars I align has very high toe-in settings, way beyond spec, and it wears the tires out quickly. Alignment should be warrantied for 1 year or 12,000 miles, but unfortunately the tires won't be.
This is very interesting. Is the alignment issue because the factory doesn't do it properly or is it because Mercedes specs are poorly chosen (i.e. if you get it done at the dealership you would still get very bad toe-in settings? I noticed on our C300 we had high tire wear, had the second set of tires installed at the dealer with a new alignment. Still wore out quickly. Did the third set of tires at an independent shop known for their alignments. Now the tire wear is normal - i.e tires are going strong after thousands of miles.
The skipping happens due to suspension geometry and the compound they use for the tires. A different tire will still slide across, it just won't chatter. On the tile floors in the workshop, the 205s and 222s do it also, especially with new tires.
It doesn't cause tire wear, it's only an issue at full lock when parking, you aren't moving enough to wear your tires. The rapid tire wear is due to the alignment settings being wrong from the factory, almost every one of the new cars I align has very high toe-in settings, way beyond spec, and it wears the tires out quickly. Alignment should be warrantied for 1 year or 12,000 miles, but unfortunately the tires won't be.
Do you know for a fact that the Alignment would be covered 1yr. or 12K miles? Took the car in today for an alignment and advisor told me it would cost $265, as I have the air suspension.
This is very interesting. Is the alignment issue because the factory doesn't do it properly or is it because Mercedes specs are poorly chosen (i.e. if you get it done at the dealership you would still get very bad toe-in settings? I noticed on our C300 we had high tire wear, had the second set of tires installed at the dealer with a new alignment. Still wore out quickly. Did the third set of tires at an independent shop known for their alignments. Now the tire wear is normal - i.e tires are going strong after thousands of miles.
I don't drive much so I probably wont be replacing tires or doing an alignment until Service A. However, that is interesting that once you went to an Indy shop, your tires lasted longer. I have an Indy shop near me that I use for all my custom work and I may ask them to do an alignment for me instead of the dealer to preserve these 21" wheels.
This is very interesting. Is the alignment issue because the factory doesn't do it properly or is it because Mercedes specs are poorly chosen (i.e. if you get it done at the dealership you would still get very bad toe-in settings? I noticed on our C300 we had high tire wear, had the second set of tires installed at the dealer with a new alignment. Still wore out quickly. Did the third set of tires at an independent shop known for their alignments. Now the tire wear is normal - i.e tires are going strong after thousands of miles.
Something to do with the factory settings. Could be that they get strapped down wrong during shipping and it bends things, it's not enough to see but they are clearly out when they arrive at the dealer. Our specs we align to are from MB, and the way the car comes off the truck does not match the specs, many times buy a large margin.
You can go to the far inside of the settings, minimize toe and camber, and greatly extend tire life. We normally shoot for right in the middle but the specs are aggressive, so there's a lot of room to ease it back and save tires without compromising performance unless you are tracking the car.
Do you know for a fact that the Alignment would be covered 1yr. or 12K miles? Took the car in today for an alignment and advisor told me it would cost $265, as I have the air suspension.
Yes, but there has to be an issue. Complain that it's pulling or something. Just tire wear isn't enough of a reason to warranty an alignment.
Re all the input and exasperation – the reality is the often quoted “FULL FRONT AND REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT” is only Toe ‘in or out” (directional) adjustment OEM !
There is no other suspension geometry change applicable – no front Camber or Caster, no rear Camber (and extra Toe).
Yet essential – full adjustability to fix it right the 1st time. Allowing to actually change “tire contact angles” to resolve alignment issues including costly premature edge tire wear, steering pull. All of which can be encountered in day to day commuting.
Including high cambered roads, altered height through load carrying or lowering, fitting wide profile tires, curb knock damage.
With today’s autos it is all to do with cost cutting and the ever increasing speed of vehicle assembly lines.
This is why we saw the need to reinstate from the early 90’s once again – full adjustment capability.
Note – you can purchase for front only – one position inaccurate offset bolts. But these only allow a miniscule 1/8”(3mm) change. While the K-MAC unique patented design provides precise single wrench adjustment accurately (on car under load direct on alignment rack) with more than 3 times the adjustment range.
Also the 4 front and rear bushings at the same time replace the highest wearing. The front bushings are Mono ball/2 axis design without the OEM oil and air voids. Result is notably improved brake and steering response.
K-MAC has the experience of manufacturing front and rear adjuster kits longer than any other company with worlds largest range Audi to Volvo including all the exotic makes AMG, BMW ‘M’, Porsche 991 and even Tesla!
X253 – Front Camber and Caster kit #502816K $480 Rear Camber and Extra Toe #502226K $480
Another popular kit manufactured to suit all models of X253 is set of ‘12’ bushings for the 6 ‘multi-link rear arms’. Designed to significantly improve rear end stability, reduce twitch/flex, gain traction – especially when applying power lane changing / overtaking $480.
DHL Air Express Worldwide $30 one kit / $20 each additional kit) average delivery time 4/5 days. Dealer inquiries welcome.
MB were supposed to be offering free all weather tyres for RHD cars
Hi,
Is there a reference/link to this offer from MB ? I'm about to start what I expect to be an unsatisfactory conversation with my dealership in Poole about this issue - it's becoming noticeably worse now the colder weather has come. Reading the related threads, it looks like it's 'one of those things'. I'm very disappointed, and passengers have remarked on it too - I assume it has no bearing on the car safety?
Mack, my dealer is also Sandown of Poole, you should have no problem getting the all weather tyres for your car unlike my 43, ask to speak to the manager Carl Winston he is fully aware of the issue and was helpful but couldn't obtain tyres for my car. My issue is currently with the motoring ombudsman and I am expecting information from them shortly. I have pasted below the mail that was sent internally in February, let us know how you get on.
24 February 2017
For the attention of Market Area Directors, Sales Directors, After Sales Directors, General Managers, Sales Managers, After Sales Managers, CSU Managers
Dear Colleague
Further to our interim update last week, we are now able to provide a more detailed technical explanation regarding this issue.
Due to the positioning of the front axle differential on right hand drive cars, the steering position differs very slightly compared to left hand drive models. When the steering is on full lock this steering angle difference can result in the front tyre skipping sensation. This is more pronounced during cold weather and when larger wheels and low profile tyres are fitted.
We can assure you that our technical specialists, as well as independent experts such as DEKRA, concur that the cars remain completely safe to drive.
Fitment of All Season tyres counteracts the sensation. We are therefore securing sufficient stocks of these to provide to customers who find this uncomfortable.
· Mercedes-Benz Cars UK will contact GLC customers who have already registered a Compass complaint:
• Customers with 17”, 18”, 19” and 20” tyres will be offered a set of All Season tyres (once available) and fitment free of charge
• For GLC 43 AMG customers who have cars with 21” tyres, a 21” All Season tyre is not currently available. We will offer these customers the option of taking 20” wheels and All Season tyres, or waiting for 21” All Season tyre availability
· We would ask you to please do the same for GLC customer complaints that you have received and managed locally or for any future GLC complaints about this issue until further notice
· Please also take the following action for customers who have ordered their car but have yet to take delivery, and for future customers of existing dealer and pipeline stock until further notice:
• Please make sure they are aware of this characteristic.
• Customers proceeding with delivery have the option to take All Season tyres as soon as they are available or to wait and change to them if/when they experience this sensation in Winter 2017/18.
• For customers who do not wish to take delivery of their GLC with summer tyres, please offer a courtesy car until the All Season tyres are available for their car.
For all the cases above concerning provision and fitment of All Season tyres, please submit a goodwill claim against damage code 2113800.
We will provide updates concerning any interaction we have with your customers, together with availability of the aftermarket All Season tyres and the logistics process involved.
Yours faithfully
David George Sally Jones
Sales Director Customer Services Director
Mercedes-Benz Cars Mercedes-Benz Cars
Curious to know if Mercedes knows when or if any tyre mfg. will being offering an all season tire for the 21" wheels, which should have a longer tread life than the current summer tyres.
Curious to know if Mercedes knows when or if any tyre mfg. will being offering an all season tire for the 21" wheels, which should have a longer tread life than the current summer tyres.
Have you looked at the Pirelli Scorpion Zero All-Season Plus? That comes in 21 inch sizes.
Have you looked at the Pirelli Scorpion Zero All-Season Plus? That comes in 21 inch sizes.
Just went looking for these and they're a touch larger.....kind of curious what that would cause issues with outside of just the speedo being marginally off. Really hoping Michelin comes out with something by the time mine are toast. Which based off other folks getting 7-12K miles out of theirs means around spring time for me.
Oh, and the crabbing/skipping/sliding issue for me has manifested itself in more than just slow parking maneuvers. Has anyone else tried "hard" acceleration when making a left hand turn? For me my car was sliding/skipping/not turning so I had to back off, get it straight, then give it gas again. All this while traffic, that was speeding, was closing down on me. I had plenty of room to make the move especially with the car I was driving. Not like I was in a prius or the like. For MB or anyone to say that's not a safety issue is comical.
Really curious to see if the 63 will have these issues. Might have to trade up if it's not a thing with the 4matic+.
Just went looking for these and they're a touch larger.....kind of curious what that would cause issues with outside of just the speedo being marginally off. Really hoping Michelin comes out with something by the time mine are toast. Which based off other folks getting 7-12K miles out of theirs means around spring time for me. Oh, and the crabbing/skipping/sliding issue for me has manifested itself in more than just slow parking maneuvers. Has anyone else tried "hard" acceleration when making a left hand turn? For me my car was sliding/skipping/not turning so I had to back off, get it straight, then give it gas again. All this while traffic, that was speeding, was closing down on me. I had plenty of room to make the move especially with the car I was driving. Not like I was in a prius or the like. For MB or anyone to say that's not a safety issue is comical.Really curious to see if the 63 will have these issues. Might have to trade up if it's not a thing with the 4matic+.
That sounds dangerous and not cool at all on Mercedes behalf. I am also experiencing the crabbing issue more and more the weather is getting colder here in the Mid-Atlantic. Also, I had a scary incident happen with my wife and son in the car. I was in the home depot parking lot and as I was turning to the left exiting a parking row, my truck decided to do the crabbing which kept skipping/slipping its way towards an individual who had stopped to let me pass. Needless to say the person and my passengers were scared and I had an "oh *****" moment. yesterday after detailing my truck I examined the front-tires I can tell you that the tread on those tires is not even and is not wearing properly like the rear tires. I have 3800 miles and 9 months of ownership and these continentals are by far the worse tires. They are good for ride comfort and summer/wet traction but this cold weather crabbing has got to go. I think Mercedes-AMG knows that these tires suck ballz which is why the 63 variants are only offered in 20's. I may look to see if I can get a set of 63 20 wheels once they are available or see if the GLE63 wheels fit.
That sounds dangerous and not cool at all on Mercedes behalf. I am also experiencing the crabbing issue more and more the weather is getting colder here in the Mid-Atlantic. Also, I had a scary incident happen with my wife and son in the car. I was in the home depot parking lot and as I was turning to the left exiting a parking row, my truck decided to do the crabbing which kept skipping/slipping its way towards an individual who had stopped to let me pass. Needless to say the person and my passengers were scared and I had an "oh *****" moment. yesterday after detailing my truck I examined the front-tires I can tell you that the tread on those tires is not even and is not wearing properly like the rear tires. I have 3800 miles and 9 months of ownership and these continentals are by far the worse tires. They are good for ride comfort and summer/wet traction but this cold weather crabbing has got to go. I think Mercedes-AMG knows that these tires suck ballz which is why the 63 variants are only offered in 20's. I may look to see if I can get a set of 63 20 wheels once they are available or see if the GLE63 wheels fit.
I'm just a bit North of you and have experienced this "crabbing" issue twice so far...I have the 21" rims and Conti's. I've only had the car for about 3 1/2 weeks and with about 220 miles and I'm a bit torn on the issue. Both times this has happened it was clearly under 40 degrees and the tires were "cold". Torn because it is clearly stated that these tires should really not be used under that temp and they are "performance summer" tires. I took the 43 out today after it sat in the garage the last 5 days (out of town) and you could tell the tires were "cold", so I let them warm up a bit and they seemed fine after that...outside temp was about 52 degrees.
That said, the couple times I experienced the "crabbing" was really weird and I've never felt anything like it before in roughly 20 years of driving. I can only slightly relate it to driving the Bimmer on cold run-flats, but that was more like riding on rocks than "jumping/crabbing". I understand it happens on the 20" rims and all season tires, as well, but I haven't read the full thread on the issue to see if that's for RHD only. Anyway, my uneducated (and unfortunate) guess is that it has something to do with the 4Matic and how it's programmed. Here's my thought: the 4Matic torque split is 31/69 front/rear and this is happening in the front...sooo, when applying gas (torque) and turning with cold tires, the weight shifts to the rear lifting the front a bit and the cold tires have little/no grip when turning, so it "bounces" or "crabs" to try and get grip. I'd bet the stability and/or electronics participates in the confusion, as well, and makes the "crabbing/jumping" even worse.
Oh well, just my 2 cents and somewhat disappointing for a first time MB customer, especially if it happens in above 40 degree weather and/or warm tires. I'm honestly more worried about getting the brake squeal issue at some point...hopefully not. Overall, though, still love the 43. We'll see if that continues.
PS. Dame - would love to meet up sometime and hear your 43 with resonator delete. Too late now, but I went back/forth on getting the Performance Exhaust and decided against...to keep peace with the better half and the neighborhood.
I'm just a bit North of you and have experienced this "crabbing" issue twice so far...I have the 21" rims and Conti's. I've only had the car for about 3 1/2 weeks and with about 220 miles and I'm a bit torn on the issue. Both times this has happened it was clearly under 40 degrees and the tires were "cold". Torn because it is clearly stated that these tires should really not be used under that temp and they are "performance summer" tires. I took the 43 out today after it sat in the garage the last 5 days (out of town) and you could tell the tires were "cold", so I let them warm up a bit and they seemed fine after that...outside temp was about 52 degrees.
That said, the couple times I experienced the "crabbing" was really weird and I've never felt anything like it before in roughly 20 years of driving. I can only slightly relate it to driving the Bimmer on cold run-flats, but that was more like riding on rocks than "jumping/crabbing". I understand it happens on the 20" rims and all season tires, as well, but I haven't read the full thread on the issue to see if that's for RHD only. Anyway, my uneducated (and unfortunate) guess is that it has something to do with the 4Matic and how it's programmed. Here's my thought: the 4Matic torque split is 31/69 front/rear and this is happening in the front...sooo, when applying gas (torque) and turning with cold tires, the weight shifts to the rear lifting the front a bit and the cold tires have little/no grip when turning, so it "bounces" or "crabs" to try and get grip. I'd bet the stability and/or electronics participates in the confusion, as well, and makes the "crabbing/jumping" even worse.
Oh well, just my 2 cents and somewhat disappointing for a first time MB customer, especially if it happens in above 40 degree weather and/or warm tires. I'm honestly more worried about getting the brake squeal issue at some point...hopefully not. Overall, though, still love the 43. We'll see if that continues.
PS. Dame - would love to meet up sometime and hear your 43 with resonator delete. Too late now, but I went back/forth on getting the Performance Exhaust and decided against...to keep peace with the better half and the neighborhood.
I was trying to hold off on getting new tires as with DC weather, we don’t get much snow. The little bit of snow that we do get if it’s really bad, I don’t move my cars unless it’s an emergency or something. Also, I haven’t been able to find a good replacement tire yet and not sure if I want to change anything until Mercedes confirms the crabbing issues with the LHD models. During the other 9 months or so of non-winter weather these tires performed very well.
If you are in the NJ-NY area and would like to meet up let me know. I am planning to visit my family and friends in Queens and Long Island next week between Wed-Fri. I will most likely be in Queens majority of the time.
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(and unfortunate) guess is that it has something to do with the 4Matic and how it's programmed. Here's my thought: the 4Matic torque split is 31/69 front/rear and this is happening in the front...sooo, when applying gas (torque) and turning with cold tires, the weight shifts to the rear lifting the front a bit and the cold tires have little/no grip when turning, so it "bounces" or "crabs" to try and get grip. I'd bet the stability and/or electronics participates in the confusion, as well, and makes the "crabbing/jumping" even worse.
