All C43 AMG owners - What shall I do?

[Riverside Red]

Point taken.........hope you all get your issues sorted.

But I guess your next car won't be a MB or any of the myriad of other cars that exhibit a similar, though less pronounced, issue to this.

RR

 

[dejongj]

Is it really that bad on these GLC`s ? You cannot `feel ` it watching a video, so I apologise if I appear ignorant to the problem. My last 4 cars have all suffered a degree of this on full lock/slow speed.....
A45 AMG
BMW i8
RS4 B8
C63 AMG

ALL done it....

No you cannot feel it, but you can hear it

Further more, Mercedes has recognised it as an issue, so why are people still saying it is normal. Mercedes sees it as an issue as well.

And as Tony has said, if this is so normal then why don't the LHD models do it?

 

[stevebgt1]

so.....why did my BMW and Audi`s do it also ?

 

[Snooky]

So what happens when your S5 does the same thing as my Q5 does this? Granted it's not as pronounced as the videos I have seen of the GLC's, but it's just an effect of the 4 wheel drive system.

We have an A4 Avant Quattro at the moment - this replaced a Q5 which replaced another A4 Quattro. I've also had a TT Quattro in the recent past. We experienced very, very occasional crabbing on each of these cars (a couple or three times in a year during cold weather). From what I can see the current MB models with 4Matic present this issue very frequently and many users are reporting serious tyre wear as a result (never had any uneven or excessive tyre wear on any of our Audis).

The noise evident externally from this crabbing (resulting in comments from pedestrians to the drivers) is way beyond what I would expect from a premium car.

If my S5 has as much crabbing as our A4 (both essentially the same platform and drive train) then I will be happy.

Not a decision I took lightly though as most reviews give a clear win to the C43 on driving dynamics.

 

[dejongj]

so.....why did my BMW and Audi`s do it also ?

So why didn't mine? Nor my Mercedes Benz GL class?

 

[stevebgt1]

Dunno...weird......this is only a guess but.....
When they are set up at the factory, are the steering lock limits set manually ?
It could just be a few sneak through with more lock available, hence causing these issues?
It does not really bother me as other than that, steering feels very precise during normal driving....

 

[snipez999]

My 2017 model S63 AMG coupe does the juddering at slow speeds in reverse, 3/4 lock etc but only does it on cold mornings. Weird.


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[John Jones Jr]

When they are set up at the factory, are the steering lock limits set manually ?
It could just be a few sneak through with more lock available, hence causing these issues?

What are you saying now, that M-B UK overlooked the lock limits and could have advised their dealers to adjust and reduce the limit to resolve the issue?

 

[stevebgt1]

I'm not 'saying ' anything. Just thinking out loud , rightly or wrongly , to understand why some owners are having the issue and some arent .
I am not technically knowledgeble enough to fully understand why its happening to be honest . My A45 does it , full lock , forward and backward ...


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[John Jones Jr]

I'm not 'saying ' anything. Just thinking out loud , rightly or wrongly , to understand why some owners are having the issue and some arent .
I am not technically knowledgeble enough to fully understand why its happening to be honest . My A45 does it , full lock , forward and backward ...


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Sorry, but you are the one that stated that you didn't know what all the fuss was about with the 'crabbing' issue on GLC's and C43's and it was a tyre issue. In doing so you were basically dismissing owners and potential owners of their very valid concerns.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out something is not correct when one sees/hears vids of cars actually doing the crabbing, the problem being reported in the motoring press, the umteen comments on the net (there's three threads running on the subject here alone) including excessive front tyre wear reports and M-B itself actually acknowledging there is an issue and now it's going as far as getting buyers to sign a waiver upon purchase.

 

[stevebgt1]

Sorry but if you read on after my comment you are referring to , i did actually apologise for lack of knowledge of the size / scale of the problem .,
Upon reading through the thread again ,, I had no idea that MB were asking customers to sign waivers .,as i have also pointed out , My A45 does it , but it 's obviously not just singled out on the 4 matic models , as my C63 also used to do it .
My god this is a mess .
Although part of me accepts MB 's explanation as the steering otherwise feels safe and precise .. time will tell regarding tyre / component wear .


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[John Jones Jr]

My A45

I saw your thread, lovely car. Just as well it's quick enough to carry off the stripes! Enjoy.

 

[stevebgt1]

More than John ! More than ... !
[emoji12]


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[JBD]

Sorry but if you read on after my comment you are referring to , i did actually apologise for lack of knowledge of the size / scale of the problem .,
Upon reading through the thread again ,, I had no idea that MB were asking customers to sign waivers .,as i have also pointed out , My A45 does it , but it 's obviously not just singled out on the 4 matic models , as my C63 also used to do it .
My god this is a mess .
Although part of me accepts MB 's explanation as the steering otherwise feels safe and precise .. time will tell regarding tyre / component wear .


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Yes this is a mess and it's getting a little out of hand now. What we do need to do is separate the issue from the norm. Hundreds of cars crab, it's normal and unavoidable in certain conditions. The difference is that some of these MB models are doing it a lot more than normal. When my RWD C cab does it, it's minor and not often, where as some cars are doing it all the time. That's where the issue lies. No manufacturer is going to stop all cars crabbing at all, it's not physically possible.


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[dejongj]

Yes this is a mess and it's getting a little out of hand now. What we do need to do is separate the issue from the norm. Hundreds of cars crab, it's normal and unavoidable in certain conditions. The difference is that some of these MB models are doing it a lot more than normal. When my RWD C cab does it, it's minor and not often, where as some cars are doing it all the time. That's where the issue lies. No manufacturer is going to stop all cars crabbing at all, it's not physically possible.


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Fully agreed It is the excessive and persistent nature of the crabbing or 'tyre skipping' as Mercedes calls it on these vehicles. It is far beyond what one can reasonably expect. And nothing like the occasional slip or crab experience.

 

[stevebgt1]

well..... I have been researching through many sites and forums and this is not unique to MB. Owners of Ford, Subaru, and Porsche in particular all suffer with varying strains of this pushing/crabbing effect. Reading notes from customers, dealers, mechanics, engineers etc, a lot of the science behind it relates to the Ackerman Geometry, which can and is affected by modern technology such as diffs, suspension , larger wheels and fatter tyres. All these technological improvements have been made to increase our driving pleasure during normal use, the price we pay ( apparently) is this horrible feeling on full lock at low speed..........

 

[Tony Mac]

So why don't the left-hand drive GLC's suffer with crabbing?

All manufacturers will be fully aware of the Ackerman theory, and should be designing family cars such as the GLC range, within the Ackerman constraints, that have normal driving characteristics - most succeed, and MB have with the left-hand drive GLC's.

Yes, high performance manufacturers such as Porsche will compromise low-speed grip for high speed stability, hence some wheel skipping / slipping. But still nothing like the awful and persistent juddering and bouncing being experienced by right-hand drive GLC owners.

Remember this characteristic is happening on 220d 168 bhp diesel GLC's running on 18" wheels - these are NOT SPORTS CARS!

 

[stevebgt1]

Can`t answer that one Tony........

Although many people say its a common problem with most SUV/4 x 4`s.......

 

[dejongj]

Can`t answer that one Tony........

Although many people say its a common problem with most SUV/4 x 4`s.......

First time for me to experience it in this violent tyre shredding way. My Mercedes GL did not do it, my Nissan Murano did not do it, my VW Golf R doesn't do it, my Audi Quattro doesn't do it, my Nissan Navarra didn't do it, my Nissan Patrol didn't do it, my Mercedes G wagon didn't do it, my Subaru Legacy didn't do it. And so on.

Likewise we actually talk to my neighbours; to the left their Hyundai Santa-Fe doesn't do it. To the right their Range Rover Vogue doesn't do it, nor their Nissan Pathfinder. Across the road their Range Rover Vogue doesn't do it, nor their VW Toureaq. On the other side their Tiguan doesn't do it.

A little bit further on their Land Rover Discovery doesn't do it, and the Range Rover Evoque doesn't do it.

Nor does the owner of the Macan behind us experience it, nor their neighbour with their Cayenne. Or the one next door to that where they have a Range Rover Sport and a Jaguar F-Pace.

Also no such reports from their neighbour with an ML by Mercedes.

I went to Alfa-Romeo this afternoon, the Stelvio wasn't available to test drive but I took them out in my GLC instead and they couldn't believe it. As it was quiet I drove two Jeep's part of the showroom, and they didn't do it either.

I really wonder about these statements that it is normal, because in my experience and the tests done since I've experience this, it is anything but normal.

 

[stevebgt1]

Why don't owners get independent advice from an Auto Engineering company ? See what the outcome is ? If it is concluded that it is dangerous, then the media needs to be aware of it and expose MB for their failure to see it and not re-calling, or pulling these cars off the road ? If this turns out to be the case, they are not only a danger to themselves but a danger to other road users.
Is it a steering assembly issue?
is it a steering geometry issue ?
Is a component issue ?

Either way it does not sound good for you owners of this model. Like I said earlier a few of my recent cars have crabbed to a degree but nothing like this.
I just accept that what I am witnessing is `normal` there again, there could be a fault with mine too. It is defo something I will be highlighting when I go for my first service, if I keep the car that long....

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this is, I am concerned now for all involved.