Hello,
i just traded my 2017 GLS-450 that I owned for 6 weeks (A piece of junk that I bought from AUTOMAX PREOWNED In Framingham MA) for a new 2019 model. The 2017 had vibration that felt like unbalanced wheels. Now I’m feeling the same vibration in the new vehicle with less than 50 miles on it.
The dealer said that it was normal feel of the Airmatic suspension, when they checked the 2017. I called them today about the 2019 and they said it is highly unlikely that the wheels would be out of balance from the factory.

It’s just hard for me to believe that Mercedes designed a complex and expensive system to mimic unbalanced wheels��

Has anyone else seen this in their GL or GLS?

Also, the dealer tried to sell me the 4 year maintenance for $2650. MBUSA has it listed for $2250 but you can’t buy it directly from them.
Does anyone know how you can shop around for this in Massachusetts?

Thanks.

 

You are not very specific on when the vibrations occur.

Are they RPM, or speed related ?
Do they change amplitude ?
Do you feel anything in the steering wheel, or only in the body / seat ?
Is it a light or heavy vibration you feel ?
High or low pitch ?
Do your car have Airmatic or ABC suspension ?
What does your gut feeling tell you ?

 

Please provide more information about the vibration, as SLcharge suggested.

Yes, you can shop around the prepaid maintenance. Call 3-4 dealers within an acceptable driving distance from you and compare prices.

 

1. Check tire pressure in the cluster and see if it matches (or is close to) the tire pressure settings "inside fuel filter door"

2. Yes - if you Financed your Mercedes (or bought outright) you can buy Prepaid Maintenance anytime up-to-and-before Service checkin from any Mercedes dealer - so do a bit more research

3. If you Leased your Mercedes then you need to have Prepaid Service added to your lease - the "deal" is that it should be treated as a residualized item

 

Thanks for the replies.
The vibrations appeared to be speed related although I drove it on the highway for the first time yesterday and noticed it at speeds between 60 to 70 MPH but that is a good question. I will see if it will happen around the same RPM.

Vibration is noticeable in the steering wheel (turning side to side) and the rest of the car, door handles, seats, floor.
it vibrates enough that you can visibly see the items in the car and my hands shake.
All 4 tires are set to 32 PSI.
The car is equipped with Airmatic suspension.
Just reading older forums I don’t think it has anything to do with wheels and it’s something under the hood. Whether it’s the steering column or the turbo or something else remains to be seen.
I will try putting the car in neutral when it happens to see if it stops.

Thanks for the info about service contract.

 

Please describe your driving style.

It has nothing to do with the turbo. It likely has nothing to do with anything underhood.

Steering wheel vibration, in the rotational sense, is related to tires, wheels or brakes, or all three. This can be warped rotors, poor condition tires, or poor condition wheels. Or unbalanced wheels/tires.

IMO your air pressure is way too low. I use 50psi on 20" Conti Cross Contact LX Sports with a mechanical spring suspension. Higher than most but it's what I use. What does the door sticker say for your tire pressure?

Are any tires damaged from scrubbing on curbs or climbing over parking barriers? Please be brutally honest. It happens.

Increase your air pressure to 3psi above the door sticker rating. Then do a test drive on the highway. Apply the brakes lightly at 65mph. Is there a vibration?

 

Do your car have E-Active Suspension ?
Do your car have EQ-Boost ?
Do your car have off-road transfer case giving you a reduction gear set and an automatic diff-locking system that can vary between 0-100 percent ?

 

It doesn’t have any of that.

 

I am pusselt. Vibrations can be caused and triggered by so many things, especial in a car, where you have so many things going on. What wonders me even more, is that both your 2017 and the new one has same problem. Dealer is wrong about Airmatic causing the problem. Try go to a tyre shop have them balance the wheels in a Hunter Road Force Balancer. If they are capable of doing do, have them balance the wheels, while fitted on the car as well. The last eliminates all unbalance caused by the rotor, misalignment, etc.

 

I gave up with vibration issues on my GLS.

It was fire for the first year. Then I started to get vibrations between 60 and 70. Took it in a couple times and it was finally dampened enough that I didn't complain once they performed a road force balance. Then when I went from winter to all season tires, the vibration came back. Since then, I had 5 rims replace, 3 new tires, 6 balancing attempts, 2 road force balances, complete rotor and brake swap and the issue is still there.

I finally gave up and accepted that my coffee will spill every time I hit 63mph. Now I tend to drive 55mph until I get to a road that has a speed limit of 65mph and I just accelerate fast until I get up to 75mph.

Weird thing is that the vibration in my case always comes from the driver side front wheels. They even lifted the car up and made the wheels spin which showed the wheel and control rods vibrating but no amount of fixes seems to be able to resolve it. Some days it's better than others, and sometimes driving with the vibration for about 10 minutes causes it to get dampened significantly. I have no idea what it is.

I submitted an order for the GLS580 due in December few days ago and I'm just waiting until I can get out of this car.

 

Now that you mention that the when they lifted the car up and made the wheels spin which showed the wheel and control rods vibrating, it came to me.

There is something called harmonics. All body's have a range of natural frequencies, where the 1st order is the most violent. In your case, based on your last post, it seems like something in the system ( Suspension, rotating system ) is triggered at 65-70 mph, and you hit 1st. mode. Unless there is something wrong with a part, it makes no difference to change with a another part of same origin. Changing mass ( and with that Inertia ) can change the point where 1st order vibrations are triggered, and in your case it would be the weight if the wheels. If you can change mass enough to get out of the 1st order "window", then the problem might be solved. If you have to go lighter or heavy, would be a matter of trail and error, but since the change from winter tires to all season tires made a difference, the solution may not be that far away.

A set of aftermarket wheels may have done the trick, I assume you run the OEM wheels.

Sometimes it's about getting ALL information, and the full picture.

 

Yeah I got the OEM 21" wheels on there with OEM tires. You'd imagine that with all OEM components this vibration wouldn't happen...

Oh wells. I can't wait until December. Thanks for the explanation though. Makes sense.

 

I think I will be covered under Massachusetts Lemon Law, if the dealer can't figure this out. My fear is that they would just deny it even exists.

 

I've had this same question. We had a 2014 GL 450 that never seemed to be balanced, didn't matter if we got new tires or not. Took them back so many times to get balanced, nothing would change. Bought a 2018 GLS 550 and have the exact same problem. Mostly felt between 60 and 70mph, I feel it in the steering wheel and in the seat of the pants. Very frustrating.

 

Just a long shot here. Bought a '14 GL450 CPO 8/2017 with 43k. During the test drive I felt a highway shudder at 60 mph +/-. Salesman said if it became annoying bring it to service. I already had a '14 ML350 and I knew the Service Dept was top notch. 3k later it was annoying but a new symptom manifested. Shudder on start up. Service installed new motor mounts and all shuddering gone. That was 35k ago.

 

I have the same vibration from 60 to 80 mph, I can feel it through the vehicle and the steering like others have mentioned, had the factory 22" AMG wheels road force balanced, it didn't solve it, some days its not too bad, other days its really noticeable. Engine mounts could be a cause, dread to think of the cost to change them though.

 

60mph-70mph is a primary resonance in the suspension, 10Hz-15Hz. The vibration is excitation of the suspension, the question is what is causing it.

Wheel and tire imbalance is the first thing to look at. Large wheels and tires are hard to balance.

Additionally, driveline imbalance can transmit through the suspension. The highest rotational speed shaft(s) is(are) the propshafts. Take care that the propshafts are balanced and that the center support bearing is in good condition. The center support bearing should be looked at in the same light as the engine mounts. They are rubber isolation elements for the driveline system.

 

What about lower control arms, would they cause vibration? Theyre a constant issue on Range Rovers that start to get the miles up (Ive had several) so Im wondering if new control arms will tighten up the front end? Mercedes techs say all is fine in the suspension, drivetrain from visual inspection so maybe it is just wheel and tyre imbalance?

I had the wheels refurbished recently and the company that did it commented that they had a heck of a fight with the drivers side rear tyre, the sidewall was leaning in over and they couldnt get the tyre to pop on the rim using normal techniques. In the end they had to wrap a strap around the centre of the tyre, pull it tight then 3 fitters wrestled it to finally get it to pop on the rim so air could be blown in.

Maybe my tyre structure has been affected and the tyre needs to be changed?

 

@carlosamg The tire could have been damaged during the procedure you described.

Regarding control arms, a failed lower control arm ball joint or rubber bushing will create problems in the suspension. It doesn't cause vibration, but can make vibrations generated by wheels, tires and drivelines worse. A failed lower control arm in my view would be more noticeable in poor steering control or a knocking sound, not a humming or vibration.

A failed lower control arm on an X166 would be surprising to me, because the vehicle is not that old. But it's not impossible.

 

just curious. Did you face the vibrations problem again on the new 2020 GLS450?

 

We've had 3 GL's and all 3 have never seemed to be balanced. It's fine below 60 mph, and then above that I always feels it's out of whack. Numerous trips to the tire shop and no resolution.

 

I suggest doing a Hunter roadforce balance and ask what the numbers are (have them write it on the inside tire). The numbers should be as close to zero as possible. Lower the better. Put the lower numbers in front and the higher numbers in rear.

My ride is perfectly smooth with no vibrations on 23" wheels. You really need to find someone who really knows what they are doing in balance tires, just having the machine isn't enough - takes a level of skill. Some just don't care and throw weights on. Sometimes you have to adjust and move the tire around to find the right spots.

 

I was thinking 23" wheels and tyres for my late 16 GLS63 but with vibration on the 22's Id decided against it. Pirelli UK have invited me to go to their Performance Centre so they can Hunter RFB them for me.

Any images of your GL63?

 

I've run 21", 22" and 23". All different sizes. 305/40/22, 285/45/22, 305/35/22, etc. Zero vibration.