bzliteyear

hi all,

i drove a 2001 E55 today that i'm very interested in. it was starmarked until six months ago and it's been well cared for. one item i noticed was that since the owner seldom drove the car, i think there may be dead spots on the new-ish tires. therefore, there's vibration at 45-50 miles/hr. this is a very different/subtle vibration, much different than front wheels being out of balanced. also, after the tires warm up, i think the vibration goes away.

my question is, will i need to get 4 new tires to get the car to drive properly or will this go away if the E55 become a daily driver? in other words, is the flat spot a permanent state on the tires in which case i will need to replace them...or can it be cured if the car gets driven regularly?
thx to all for responding.

jangy

Two things. First, it that is it, you will need new tires to completely "fix" it. It will only get worse as the wear will be uneven.
Next, it may be an alignment issue as well. MBs are notorious w=for this vibration and it can definitely be worked out with some play. If that is all you noticed, then it must be clean.

glennbaz

I've had numerous MB's with vibration issues when cold after sitting. If it goes away when warmed up, then it's not a balance issue. To find the "flat" spots" is easy. You don't even have to remove the wheel from the car. Before the car is moved mark the tire as to the contact point with the ground. Jack the car up so the wheel is just off the ground. Place and object that is staight across with a clear edge in front of the tire but not touching the tire. With a flashlight put some light between the 2. Spin the tire and watch for change in spacing between the tire and object. Make note where the gap increases and decreases. Make a few marks on the outside of the wheel. The greater the spaces the greater the vibration. If the only difference is where the tire was originally contacting the ground the I would say the tires are not necessarily bad. Drive the car, park it so a different part of the tire is in contact with the ground and come back and recheck the same way the next day. Needless to say, be sure to check tire pressures before hand. Lower pressures will increase your chance of flat spots.
Glenn

bzliteyear

thx for input, but i'm not sure how indentifying the flat spots actually helps solve the problem...can it actually be fixed? also, since i don't own the car and i'm just considering the purchase, perhaps it's just easier to factor in new tires into the purchase price - though not cheap on the 18" tires....

p.s. does the alignment actually go bad?

glennbaz

Planning on new tires is always a safe bet. As far as alignment going out, yes all cars will go out to different degrees depending on mileage, road conditions and method of driving. But I wouldn't relate an alignment problem to vibration issues.

Vetluver

If the tires are Continentals, save yourself a lot of grief and have them replaced. They junk and are prone to shakes or shimmies even when new. I've had Goodyears that do the same. Another issue with W210s are tie rod ends. They wear and cause intermittant shimmy. Starmarked and CPOd W211s will usually have new front tie rod ends.