We have a 2002 ML320 coming up to 8500 miles. So far zero maintenance has been done.

On my Pathfinder I rotate the tires every oil change @ 3750 miles.

I can understand an oil change being longer on a Mercedes if they use a larger or more advanced oil filter and synthetic oil, but I don't see how they can get around tire rotating.

What is the recommended interval for rotating the tires?

I know that all of the maintenance is included, but I don't want to have to buy new tires after 20,000 miles either if I have to wait that long to rotate them.

Thanks

 

I just returned my '01 ML320 to MB because it was a real piece of junk. One thing though...the orig, unrotated tires were still on the car with 26K miles. The front ones were just beginning to show a slight amount of wear that was more than the rear ones and was going to rotate them.

My '98 QX4 went 15K miles with unrotated tires and I had to buy two new front tires because they were almost bald.

I have learned to rotate the tires, but it is evident that the MB is much easier on the tires than other SUV's.

My new ML350 is too new to tell how the tires will wear but at 477 miles, I don't have to pay too much attention yet.

 

You should ALWAYS rotate your tires every 10,000 miles. No matter what you are driving and remember, every has a different style of driving. I am 60% aggressive.

On your ML, since it is 4-wheel drive. You should move the rear tires directly forward and cross the fronts, to the rear. So...for the front tires do this, LF to RR and RF to LR.

You should get AT LEAST 30,000 miles outta your tires. I had the Dunlop Grantreks on mine originally and then switched to the General Grabbers. I got 30,000 miles outta both and now I am back to the Grandtreks. I think they ride better than the Grabbers.

As far as the oil changes go, do it yourself or take it somewhere other than the dealer, unless it's free. The oil filter it on top of the motor so you really don't have to worry about spilling oil all over the place. It is a canister type filter so expect to pay a few more dollars for that than a regular filter. I took mine to Big Ten Tires for my last oil change, $30.

 

Remember, MB recommended synthetic oil on all MB, one quart of synthetic oil is $4.29 the cheapest you can buy and the ML crank case hold 8.5 quartz. go figure you get a free labor:-))

 

Ummm...congrats on being 60% aggressive. Does that mean that you're 40% passive?

On one of my cars my tires barely last 7,000 miles and they can't be rotated.

What was that "You should ALWAYS rotate your tires every 10,000 miles" bit again?

 

We've done the standard "rotate the tires at every service" which has worked out to service/rotation at 12K, 24K, and 34K miles. Currently we are at 37,000 miles.

The tires seem to be wearing pretty evenly, but they are close to wearing out - certainly before 40K.

My wife is upset about that but since I am used to 10,000 miles per tire (Porsche 911 and C32) I am ecstatic.

BTW my dealer charged for tire rotation - the oil change was free (part of USA warranty). My 993 oil change was upwards of $200 (12 quarts).

 

Pete, sorry to hear that you only got 7,000 miles out of 1 tire. Thats a factory defect and you probably could have gotten another for free. Guys at the tire shop refer to that as "having a bad belt".

 

LOL.

"On one of my cars my tires barely last 7,000 miles and they can't be rotated. "

No factory defects and not just a single tire.

I'm currently almost through my fourth set of tires, with 28k miles.

Guys at the tire shop refer to this as "driving a car."

 

I had to read that about 5 times to fully understand what you were trying to say. It sound like you had 1 tire that was bad at 7,000 miles when you really meant that you have 1 car with 4 tires going bad at 7,000 miles. Is that right?

Man, if it is, what kind of car is that and what the rating on those tires?

The guys at the tire shop actually said it was "driving a car" huh or was that a mockery of me trying to help someone?

I have found that out about people on this website (not saying you) The more people try to help someone, the more the get bashed. I don't understand that at all.

Why do people put other peoples posts in quotes, I personally don't need to read what I wrote in someone elses post. Maybe if the original post was very long and changed subjects often, then it would be understandable.

 

Put them out of their misery and tell them what car it is and what you do with it to wipe out a set of 4 tires in 7,000 miles.
Frankly I'm amazed they lasted that long :-)

 

Yes do tell!!

 

Because it's easier to understand what, and who, the person is replying to.

It's common courtesy.

 

A Porsche which, like your car Tim, has different tire sizes front to rear which makes it impossible to rotate the tires, even if they lasted 10,000 miles.

I drive it around and around and around and around the same 2-3 mile bits of pavement whenever I can which tends to use up tires a bit faster than normal driving.

 

If that is what you are driving, then why are you comparing that to the tires on an ML?

 

Sigh.

Where did I compare those tires to the tires on an ML?

I responded to your naive generalization about tire rotation:

"You should ALWAYS rotate your tires every 10,000 miles. No matter what you are driving and remember, every has a different style of driving."

 

Yes you did respond to that but we were talking about an ML in the ML forum. Not cup cars in the Porsche forum......c'mon SPG, why are you being a block head?

 

Hmmm...so do you believe this to be a factual statement?

"You should ALWAYS rotate your tires every 10,000 miles. No matter what you are driving and remember, every has a different style of driving."

If you want to make a statement about all cars that is inaccurate, it really doesn't matter what type of forum you make the comment in, does it?

The same statement, made in a Fiat forum, a VW forum, a Porsche forum, or a Yugo forum would be just as inaccurate.

"block head"? Well, if questioning your silly claim makes me a "block head" then so be it.

I would rather be a "block head" than someone who doesn't know what they are writing about.

Cheers.

 

OK bud, you're right. I have no clue what I am talking about...I'm just Some J Guy who drives a POS ML320. You're so great and a wonderful car god.

BACK TO THE BASICS......Someone was wondering about tire rotation and oil change for an ML. Not anything else. Even if I had said, which I did, to always rotate the tires every 10,000 miles no matter what you are driving, it would be directed to an ML owner, not a Porsche owner, not a Fiat, VW or Yugo owner...but...an...ML...owner. Plain and simple. There aren't too many people out there that can afford a car that has different tire sizes from front to rear. I'm sure that you don't have to worry about paying for the tires on a Porsche.

Many people don't even rotate their tires at all. And they wonder why the only get 7,000 miles out of them.

And about the block head thing. Why would you want to second-guess another ML owner. You could have been polite and not so rude.

 

If that is the case, why did you offer advice about all cars rather than just the ML?

Why do you think that Porsche owners aren't also ML owners? Or Fiat owners also don't own MLs/ etc. etc.

Not so plain and simple. There are plenty of cars out there with different sized front and rear wheels and they are affordable to a great many people.

Why are you too embarassed to just admit that your suggestion was inaccurate?

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

Really? Then why are you recommending that people rotate their tires every 10,000 miles rather than every 2,000 or 5,000 miles?

So let me get this straight...ML owners, by mere virtue of driving a W163, shouldn't be second-guessed (if that's what you want to call being corrected).

That is absolutely ridiculous.

 

I thought that this was supposed to be a friendly place. Guess not. I already said that you were right. How come you didn't quote that? Has anyone ever suggested when you should rotate your tires or did you just know that automatically?

 

LOL. Grab a tissue already. Are you this fragile in real life?

I can't recall where I learned about tire rotation. Probably in my owner's manual long ago.

I did quote that part. Reread my last post. It's quoted right before your sappy "I have no clue what I am talking about...I'm just Some J Guy who drives a POS ML320. You're so great and a wonderful car god." bit.