dsmith0610

I have a 2011 S550 4MATIC and the steering wheel shakes around 50 mph. I have had the tires road force balanced, and 1 rim trued out...still vibrates; even on the smoothest of roads. I finally bought the car of my dreams, and I am so disappointed. I will be taking it in this week to see what comes up. Replaced a Rt front ABS sensor at the same time as the balance, so I am thinking it may be a bearing issue. I will post the results.

dineshdhir

My 2009 S550 had the same nagging issue a few years ago, and it turned out that my AMG rims were very slightly bent.
I had Wheels of America refinish my wheels and the vibration went away http://www.wheelsamerica.com/Wheels-...r-Services.php

Mike5215

Yikes. Did it shake over 50 on the test drive? Unlikely its anything but a wheel or tire issue. Are these OEM wheels and tires with the factory wheel offsets (43mm)? Really the only way to rule out wheels is to swap on another set. Since you're a 4matic I assume you're running a square set up, so start by swapping fronts for rears. If the vibration moves to the seat and the steering wheel is suddenly okay, replace the front rims. (It may be harder to sense the vibration in the rear. Leave the passenger seat unoccupied and fully extend the headrest. It'll shake pretty obviously if the rears aren't right.)

dsmith0610

Thanks Mike,
Unfortunately I bought the car w/o being able to drive it over 55 due to tourist season in FL; I bought it with 1 yr left on the factory warranty so I wasn't too concerned, and by the way, it is a Merc. I will have new tires put on, Michelin, and see what happens. The current Continentals only have about 5K left on them. I'll let you all know what happens.

dsmith0610

Thanks, if the tires don't eliminate vibration, I will look at the rims...they are OEM.

Mike5215

I live in Florida. You just have to head inland enough to get away from the tourists and find a nice stretch of highway. My 2010 shook at 80 on the test drive and the dealership spent several hours getting it figured out before I would agree to take delivery. Next time...

It being a Mercedes is no hedge against vibration issues. In a lot of ways the car's suspension is so refined that even the slightest abnormality becomes even more obvious. Chasing down vibrations in an S Class can be very frustrating and expensive.

I'll bet the Contis are the problem. The car IMO only rides its best on the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 ultra summer tires. They should help a great deal. Good luck!

Em Bee Lover

Different take. I have tolerated for nearly five yrs. an annoying, very tangible vibration in the steering wheel. Not at all at highway speeds. It's at a stop light or similar, where there is a distinctive vibrating feel in the steering wheel, while the transmission is engaged. Put trans. in neutral or park and it is gone. I have replaced motor mounts and transmission mount. I've spent hundreds w/ the MB dlr., to no avail. It hasn't worsened over time, it hasn't impacted steering or performance. It's just maddening as hell and doesn't seem right for an S MB. I've posted this here, w/ minimal insights, so here I go again. Thoughts?

dsmith0610

I feel your pain. I am going with new Michelin tires, and if that doesn't fix it, a new BMW will be my next purchase. Fortunately I have until Oct 2015; that is when the warranty expires.

Nuru

Did either of you contact MB NorthAm and ask them about it? How about posting on other forums including the UK forum?

ambitioussteve

PLEASE PLEASE HELP GUYS!! I have an intermittent from little vibration to nasty (like a harley motorcycle) vibration felt through steering wheel, seats, & Chasis of my '07 S550 (88k) [Not 4matic] when stopped at a light in "D". Goes away in "P" or "N" also goes away if I raise RPM's by 50 however it's still present when raising 50 RPM but much smoother of a vibration when doing that. Again it's intermittent as 30% of the time the vibration is almost non existent, 70% of the time it is there annoying the heck out of me In the last 500 miles I've changed: Both Motor mounts, & Trans mount, all Spark Plugs OEM, all air filters, cleaned throttle body by hand, also ran BG44 (cleans fuel injectors), Replaced all 4 Camshaft Magnet Solenoids (Mercedes TSB with updated Magnets, easy DIY). BUT Vibration still there! HOWEVER, when I take the serpentine belt off everything is smooth as butter in "D". All pulleys feel fine and free spinning, alternator has a whining sound, but pulley spins PERFECTLY & Voltage is fine. This is killing my driving experience & depresses me each & everyday! Someone please reach out to me and fully explain in detail what else to do since mechanics tell me (oh it's normal, just the way my car is) No way! I have driven/owned many many Mercedes models between my father & I and this is certainly not normal & I am tired of wasting money changing parts!
F.Y.I. My M273 engine is not effected with the balance shaft timing chain issue, the engine serial # is good. ALSO, if I am in "D" & slightly turn the steering wheel by putting pressure on the steering wheel pump but not actually turning the wheel I feel a vibration manifesting as well. Please & Thank You MB World.

ambitioussteve

I have the same exact problem on my 2007 S550, did you ever find out what caused yours?? It is driving me insane...I have replaced a lot of parts for nothing. If I take the belt off it is smooth in Drive or Park...so it must be an accessory but all the pulleys feel fine... 😭😦

MBNUT1

What about the vibration damper on the end of the crank shaft?

ambitioussteve

I have the same exact problem on my 2007 S550, did you ever find out what caused yours?? It is driving me insane...I have replaced a lot of parts for nothing. If I take the belt off it is smooth in Drive or Park...so it must be an accessory but all the pulleys feel fine... 😭😦 I appreciate all the advise. I love Mercedes but this is killing my experience. I just bought the vehicle couple months ago.

Bobitza

Same here after I got my 2008 S550 a few months ago. It's really an experience killer since you're supposed to drive in this "cloud" (air suspension + noise blocking + comfortable seats) ... but the cloud vibrates.

Is your vibration worse when the engine is cold/just started? Do you feel it in the armrests as well? Mine was really bad when the engine was cold and was getting better as I drove the car around. Changing the engine + transmission mounts did the trick for me; it's not completely gone but it got reduced by 90% or something like that. I see the rims have seen better days, maybe the remaining 10% is coming from the rims+tires. How do your tires and rims look like?

ambitioussteve

It does it cold or warm, sitting at stoplights, not moving, so I know it couldn' be the Rims or Tires...when I take the serpentine belt off it goes away completely in "D" foot on the brake, but all pulleys are smooth. I have replaced emgin & tranny mounts, plugs, all air filters, spark plugs, cleaned throttle body, ran Bg44 to clean injectors. Car runs works drives 100% other than at lights it's like holding a harley. Yes it is felt through the whole body seats arms rest. Soo annoying

ambitioussteve

It looks and spins good. I have none of the symptoms for a failing Damper, they usually are felt at high RPM's...I feel this at 560 RPM idle, in Drive, foot on brake...😐🤔

DaveW68

Why don't you guys spend around $150 (1 hour labor) and let a certified MB trained technician diagnose the issue instead of throwing a bunch of parts and money at it with no idea what is causing the issue?

ambitioussteve

BECAUSE MB TECHS at the Dealers are IDIOTS!
Been there done that, they often have replaced the wrong parts wasting me time & money many of times.
I have fixed issues by reading these forums over the last 10 yrs on my Mercedes cars & when I decide to post for the first time you ask a stupid question like that!? I
If dealers were so great this forum would not exist!
Anyways I had a MB Tech tell me it's the Torque Converter....even though with the belt off in Drive the vibration symptom is gone, explain that costly unnecessary repair. Mercedes Benz dealers have the dumbest I mean dumbest people working for them in my experience hard to find a intelligent, thorough one that would take the time to factually find the issue...

DaveW68

I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were a MB master trained tech. Apparently your diagnostic skills aren't any better than those idiot MB techs at the dealers since you're still throwing parts and money at a problem that still hasn't been resolved.

People come here seeking free advice because their cars are out of warranty and they think they can fix their own cars without paying high Benz labor rates, not because "MB TECHS at the Dealers are IDIOTS!" You can often find useful help here that will save you a little bit of money for very basic issues that have come up here many times. But most repairs are better left in the hands of the MB trained techs or indys who have lots of experience with these cars. These cars are not Toyota Corolla's or Honda Civics that are fairly easy for anybody with basic automotive skills to work on. The high priced labor and parts rates for these and other high end German cars are why their values drop like a boulder when the initial factory warranty ends.

If your experience is so poor at the dealer you've gone to before, then you might want to consider a different dealership. Not all dealerships and techs are equal.

ambitioussteve

If it's mechanical not electrical, these car are just as easy as a Toyota (in many cases easier to replace parts) ignorance I trll ya.. (electrical you need a STAR to chase)

ambitioussteve

did you ever figure it out? Might have been the clutch pulley on the alternator. It would still spin freely by hand but if you stop the stator with a screw driver it should only spin one way?

nath_h

I know this is an old thread, but thought I'd add my experience. I had the same problem as everyone else....steering wheel shaking at 60+, which was really annoying and embarrassing for a car that should be smooth as glass. After focusing on fixing the wheels, then switching tires, then balancing and rebalancing, nothing worked. Then, I started replacing front suspension components. I think all my 15 year old bushings were worn, and just not tight enough causing the car to not be tight enough to stay in the original tolerance range (whatever that is). Anyway, people with this problem might want to look there at control arms etc. before giving up and feeling like you have to just live with the problem.