phatisfy

Just to let you guys know that if anyone who get some sort of weird vibration in the front end of the car,(I can feel it through the steering wheel). it is possible your engine mounts are bad. I had my dealer take a look at my car because I had that problem,and turn out the engine mounts are shot.

Corsa9000

What year and how many miles on your S550?

phatisfy

2007 with 40k miles.

Corsa9000

Worn engine mounts at 40K miles is a little too early, but I am glad this solved your problem.

phatisfy

Many members had the same issue. I think it's just one of those factory defects because maybe the material used in the mounts is not though to handle our heavy cars?

egauster

Mine went at 50K... This is a common problem between 40 and 60k....

Em Bee Lover

Thanks to this forum, surely not my local MB dealer, who said changing the trans. fluid would eliminate my vibration, I learned what to at least have the mech look for. New mounts at 56,000 and no vibration in steering and floor. Appears more common than one would think, for a vehicle of this scope.

Corsa9000

Seems like a common problem with W221's and poor part selection by MB Engineering.

phatisfy

They should have atleast made the new engine mounts stronger from all the problems the w221 is having..

eugene22n

Perhaps people are having premature failures due to oversized wheels? I would expect the air struts to fail early as well in those cases. Its just unnatural for these very heavy cars to be jarred around like they are with big wheels. I believe pay-to-play is the term used.

Chucky300

Mine went at 51K miles - 3 were totally broken - last one was 60% done. Imagine if that one broke?

MASSIVE vibration - I thought I destroyed my tranny. My Service Advisor prompty fixed mine under warranty and I had it back in a day. I'll go ahead and send this thread to him as he is at MB Manhattan and if any advisory should be released - he will let me know. It might very well be this is just the life of the mounts for all cars (although I am no tech and don't want to put my foot in my mouth) - I trust my advisor and he will let me know and I'll let you guys know!

egauster

Nope- mine are stock... Happened to me... Sometimes the big wheels are actually LIGHTER. Performance wheels/tires are designed to have the least "rolling weight" to aid in breaking. This is why some of the non stock light alloys damage easily or crack, more so then stock.

phatisfy

Large wheels have nothing to to with the engine mounts. Mine went bad with stock wheels also.I just noticed more and more of the vibration as the days go by.

JoeVal

Geometry starts from axle height to determine center of gravity, the forerunner of all stresses applying to all components and the car as a whole. Yes, wheel change without further modifications affects car performance.

Nevertheless, in this case it looks that vibration due to mount failures happens to cars with and without differences from stock design. There is an open and shut case of mount failure (motor mounts now, and incoming for transmission mounts). This can only translate into a defect of material and/or workmanship, or a defect of design. Warranty repair: yes. Recall: only if one design or one vendor is the root of the problem.

Minimum preventive action: do not replace, or allow replacement, with same identical part. It has been proven weak.

Corsa9000

Well, one could argue that larger than stock wheels with lower profile tires provide a harsher ride which will tax the engine mounts more than stock wheels and tires. But, some owners here have all stock and yet premature failure of engine mounts.

I still think MB Engineering miscalculated the longevity of these mounts. So if you are still under warranty, have MB Dealer change them for you at no cost.

phatisfy

I agree with not replacing it with the same part.They should have replaced it with better,and more improved parts. But in my case,they had the same part#'s ordered and replaced.Well good thing is that it was still covered under warranty.