Happy holidays, everyone! Have you experienced random pulling while driving? This is not a gentle pull, even my passengers feel it. The common question is, could it be from the road crowning? It's not. I recently installed new tires and did an alignment at a MB dealer.
The 2012 model only has lane departure detection where the steering vibrates. I turned it off and noticed the intensity was reduced, but it's still there. As soon as I feel it, I release the gas, and it stops.

My mechanic, a MB specialist, also test-drove it and was puzzled by this.

 

How are your brakes? Do you leave your windshield wipers in the automatic position?
Previous models employed technology that gently applied the brakes during rain to keep the rotors and pads dry.
Releasing the gas tells the car that you may be about to apply the brakes and the system gets out of the way.
Don't know about the ML, but if that system is still employed and has issues and the brakes aren't balanced, that might be the answer.

 

Please post your VIN and build sheet, if you have it.

 

It's not the brakes or any assistance system on the car (including the lane departure assist that "changed" the severity when you turned it off - that's in your head). Bring it back to the dealer that did the alignment and tell them that it pulls.

 

My mechanic replaced the brakes and rotors after the alignment.
Yes, I normally leave the wiper in the auto position. What are your thoughts on this?

 

4JGDA2EB2CA002492. I don't have the build sheet. Thanks for investigating.

 

Wouldn't it drift left or right consistently if it's an alignment issue? I can let go of the steering and it drives in a straight line.

 

An incorrect overall toe setting may cause the car to tramline and/or dart to either side. When we're setting up race cars to corner better, they become less "stable" when driving in straight line - as in the slightest pavement imperfection or undulation results in the car wanting to turn either left or right. In other words, it loses the self-centering properties and stability that is present and required on street cars. And, I am assuming that you're using OEM wheels and tire sizes and that you've made no other changes to the suspension or wheel placement so scrub radius changes don't come into play, which can also cause what you're describing.

Last but not least, I've also had my ML come back misaligned from service at the dealership. I brought it back, they redid the alignment and it was off again. I do have a good relationship with the dealer and they furthermore know that I race cars and that I know what an alignment issue feels like, so I guess they gave me the benefit of the doubt and actually had their alignment rack checked by the vendor. Sure enough, the alignment rack calibration was off. Once they had their alignment rack recalibrated and they redid the alignment the third time, it drove (and still does) beautifully.

 

Option content from lastvin is below. You don't have active lane keeping.

FIN 4JG1660241A002492
VIN 4JGDA2EB2CA002492
Model Year 2012
Model ML 350 BLUETEC 4MATIC
Engine 642826 41 164507
Transmission 722903 03 449194
Order Number 0 1 701 63678
Order Location CANADA
Production Number 3003513
Interior IMITATION LEATHER - BLACK/ANTHRACITE (101A)
Paint 1 OBSIDIAN BLACK (197U)
Release Date 2011-09-14
Delivery Date 2011-10-06
100A IMITATION LEATHER
101A IMITATION LEATHER - BLACK/ANTHRACITE
16P ME VEHICLE
197U OBSIDIAN BLACK
1U2 SNOW GRID
1U3 VEHICLE WAXING
212B OP. INSTRUCT. AND MAINT. BOOKLET-ENGL. FOR USA/CAN
218 REAR-VIEW CAMERA
22P TRACK PACKAGE
232 GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH 284 - 390 MHZ FREQUENCY
234 BLIND SPOT ASSISTANT
235 ACTIVE PARK ASSIST
242 ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE RIGHT DRIVER SEAT W MEMORY
249 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MIRROR,AUTOMATICALLY DIMMING
264 LICENSE PLATE ATTACHMENT AMERICA
275 MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER SEAT, STRG. COL., MIRROR)
280 LEATHER STEERING WHEEL AND LEATHER GEAR SHIFT KNOB
285B AIRBAG LABEL - ENGLISH / FRENCH FOR CANADA
293 SIDEBAG IN REAR LEFT AND RIGHT
301 ASHTRAY PACKAGE
312B HEAD UNIT LANGUAGE - AMERICAN ENGLISH
342B INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/HU LANGUAGE - AMERICAN
413 PANORAMIC SLIDING SUNROOF/GLASS SUNROOF
427 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 7-SPEED
43I CONTROL CODE TUSCALOOSA PLANT
441 VITAL SENSOR ON STEERING WHEEL
443 HEATED STEERING WHEEL
460 CANADA VERSION
474 DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER
476 AUTOMATIC LANE RECOGNITION
477 TIRE PRESSURE LOSS WARNER
500 ELECTRIC FOLDING OUTSIDE MIRROR
512 COMAND APS WITH DVD CHANGER
518 UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE (UCI)
536 SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO COMPLETE SYSTEM
543 SUN VISOR WITH ADDITIONAL FUNCTION
550 TRAILER COUPLING
551 BASIC ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM (ATA)
580 AIR CONDITIONER
58U ROOF INTERIOR TRIM GRAY FABRIC
636 DELETION - WARNING TRIANGLE
666 PRODUCT PROT.F.TRANSPORT VEH. W/O TIE-DOWN HOOKS
690 EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE (MINI SPARE)
701L CANADA
723 TRUNK COVERING
729 TRIM PIECES - WOOD POPLAR
763 RADIO REMOTE CONTROL WITH PANIC SWITCH (315 MHZ)
772 AMG STYLING PACKAGE-FRONT SPOILER, SIDE SKIRT
7XXL NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
802 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, THE LAST FIGURE SHOWING THE NEW MODEL YEAR
810 PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM
824 AIR CONDITIONING SCOPES FOR COLD COUNTRIES
840 DARK TINTED GLASS
846 SCUFF PLATE IN ALU-APPEARANCE WITH RUBBER STUDS
872 REAR SEAT BENCH HEATING LEFT UND RIGHT
873 SEAT HEATER FOR LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SEATS
875 HEATED SCREEN WASH SYSTEM
876 INTERIOR LIGHT ASSEMBLY
889 KEYLESS - GO
890 AUTOMATIC REAR-END DOOR
915 FUEL TANK WITH GREATER CAPACITY - VOLUME 2
919 AIRCON COOLING POWER PACKAGE
986 DEVIATING VIN WITH MODEL YEAR
989 IDENTIFICATION LABEL UNDER WINDSHIELD
A05 TRANSMISSION ALL-WHEEL CAPABLE
A21 SHIFT BY WIRE
A31 SOFTWARE (INDIVIDUAL)
A62 FE TORQUE CONVERTER HOUSING 19
A66 FE CONVERTER 19 MM
A86 T VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY WITH VGS 3
A89 REDUCED-FRICTION
B09 REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR WITH MAGNETIC COUPLING
B12 WHEEL REPLACEMENT TOOL
F166 SERIES 166
FW LIMOUSINE
G903 TRANSMISSION CODE VERSION 03
GA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HA REAR AXLE
J1A NAT2 WITH OPTIMIZED DSM
J52 ADDITIONAL CODE FOR DAMPING MAT
J58 RIGHT BRACKET
K15 CONTROL CODE FOR SERVICE INTERVAL 15000 KM
L LEFT-HAND STEERING
M014 ENGINE INCREASED PERFORMANCE
M019 SERVICE REPOSITIONED
M020 BLUETEC
M30 DISPLACEMENT 3.0 LITER
M642 V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
P31 AMG LINE EXTERIOR/AMG SPORTS PACKAGE EXTERIOR
P49 MIRRORS PACKAGE
P64 FRONT MEMORY PACKAGE
R02 ALL SEASON TYRES
R55
U10 FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH WEIGHT SENSING
U12 FLOOR MATS - VELOUR
U22 LUMBAR SUPPORT ADJUSTMENT
U41 FUEL - WATER SEPARATOR AND LUBRICATION PACKAGE
U42 DIESEL EXHAUST TREATMENT BLUETEC SCR GENERATION 1
U71 DVD PLAYER WITH REGIONAL CODE 1, USA
V59 SPEED- + LOADINDEX 107H XL
VL FRONT AXLE HALF, LEFT
VR FRONT AXLE HALF, RIGHT