ML 320 Alignment / Wheel Pulling ?
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: New York
ML 320 Alignment / Wheel Pulling ?
I'm new to posting on web forums in general, so please forgive me if I'm not using the right web etiques. I want to know if anyone else has experienced this problem with a ML320. I have a 2002 ML320 and when driving down a straight smooth path, I let go of the steering wheel it has a tendency to pull sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right after letting go for like 3 or 4 seconds. Which blows the theory of an alignment problem out of the water. I've had this problem since i had 2k miles on the car, now I have 13k miles. I've brought it back to the dealer 4 times for this problem and everytime they say that i was short a few pounds of air on one of the tires, but when i drive out of the dealership the problem still exists. I've even gone to checking each tire for the proper pressue each day before i go to work and still notice this problem. The dealer tells me it's normal, funny thing was in one of the loaner cars they gave me (a ML320) it had the same problem. The last time i brought it in they told me it was the road I was driving on. I have a 2002 honda civic that my wife drives and I've switched cars with her and on the same road it does happen on her car. Anyone with experiences like this ?
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: VIRGINIA
1993 MERCEDES BENZ 300TE
TAKE TO DEALER AND HAVE THEM SET TOE IN ON FT WHEELS JUST A TOUCH,,DOES IT FEELS AS IF WANDERS OVER ROAD??
OR FEEL A LITTLE UNSTABLE??
DRIFT TO LEFT OR RIGHT AFTER A FEW SECONDS IS NORMAL
SETTING THE TOW A LITTLE MORE POSITIVE CAN HELP THE VEHICLE FEEL MORE STABLE.
OR FEEL A LITTLE UNSTABLE??
DRIFT TO LEFT OR RIGHT AFTER A FEW SECONDS IS NORMAL
SETTING THE TOW A LITTLE MORE POSITIVE CAN HELP THE VEHICLE FEEL MORE STABLE.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,260
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From: Philadelphia area
2010 ML550, 2010 E350 4M, 1966 Corvette Convt C2
Tire pressure could do that. Alignment would cause it to go one way only. Don't know if toe in would do that. My ML500 does not do that except on crowned roads. That is normal on crowned roads. Could also be a bad belt in a tire but then you would notice some vibration.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Japan
98ML320
Hi pclar001
Driver's body weight may influence to have front left axle lower, that cause a tendency to pull sometimes to the left.
Please check the clearance between ground and front fender arch while you are sitting on driver's seat.
If the clearande of the left side is lower than the right side, you could adjust by front torsion bar.
Driver's body weight may influence to have front left axle lower, that cause a tendency to pull sometimes to the left.
Please check the clearance between ground and front fender arch while you are sitting on driver's seat.
If the clearande of the left side is lower than the right side, you could adjust by front torsion bar.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 379
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From: middle o' ma
15 AMG S63 4-matic coupe
all roads have some camber to them to allow for drainage.
I suspect when the vehicle "pulls" to the left you are in the left lane of a multilane highway. When you are on secondary roads the vehicle will pull to the right. ML's will be directionally neutral on a truly flat level surface but will respond to side to side slope.
Imagine rolling a ball across a hillside, the ball will turn downhill. your ML is doing the same.
I suspect when the vehicle "pulls" to the left you are in the left lane of a multilane highway. When you are on secondary roads the vehicle will pull to the right. ML's will be directionally neutral on a truly flat level surface but will respond to side to side slope.
Imagine rolling a ball across a hillside, the ball will turn downhill. your ML is doing the same.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: New York
Thank you for all your responses. The ML320 does feel like the steering wheel is wandering and unstable. The response that I got from the dealer one time was similar to boltonblue's statement. What's been annoying me is that my wife's Honda Civic doesn't do that when I'm on the same highway and same lane. I have a tendency to want to drive faster and stay on the left lane all the time. With the ML320 if I let go of the steering wheel for a sec, I would almost end up in the guard rail. I've been driving the same highway to work for the past 7 years and have owned a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 96 Honda Accord EX, 99 Acura TL before the ML320 and none of them seem to have this problem. My friend who just got an 2002 Audi A6, claims he has the same problem with his car. This is both our first experience with German car, is this a trait of German automobiles? Any suggestions?
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2001
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ML
Of course the Civic won't do that - smaller mass, smaller tires - track more linearly, completely different suspension, etc, etc. The drift left on left lane is normal (right on right lane is also normal) - most trucks obey this law of physics. Did you have the alignment print-out? If you didn't, you should have. That'll tell you how aligned you are. Next (b4 the toe adjustment suggested earlier), rotate the tires. If problem persists after tire rotation, change tire pressures - increase, drive, problem???, decrease, drive problem?? If problem still persists, think toe adjustment.
