ML Vibration

[dokalj]

Is it acceptable for a diesel ML (2003) to have some vibration through the steering wheel, while idle?

Additionally the vibration noise changes a little when the steering wheel is turned. (Not louder, just a different tone)

Ball joints? Engine Mounts? Normal?

dokalj

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Some vibration is normal - has yours changed?

The change in tone may simply be the extra load from the PAS pump.

 

[dokalj]

Some vibration is normal - has yours changed?

The change in tone may simply be the extra load from the PAS pump.

Thanks,

No not to my knowledge. I was driving a couple of petrol cars this week and I didn't notice any vibration. So I was just wondering if this is a trait of diesels.

The PAS pump makes sense.

I know my front ball joints need replacing, I was just wondering if this would be a sign?

Thanks again Bobby Dazzler

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Always welcome. Diesels, especially older ones, do tend to transfer more vibration into the cabin than petrol engines, and the ML seems to do so more than other models with the 270 engine.

It sounds like you're more sensitive to it after flirting with petrol power for a while but unless it's different to how you remember it, or it's now being transmitted through the seat or pedals then I wouldn't worry.

MLs do get through their fair share of ball joints but if it was very badly worn it would be mentioned in an MOT.

 

[dokalj]

The ball joints came up at my local MOT station this time, I was thinking is this vibration caused by them? If so, I can look forward to less vibrations when I have them replaced. (Hopefully at the next service)

How are you getting on with your ML? (If you don't mind me asking)...would you rather drive your C32 than the ML or are the two not really comparable?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I like driving both in different ways. I only really use the C for work, and so whilst the ML is the car Mrs D uses, I probably do more miles in the ML than the C because it's our family car - so much easy than the C with children: ISO-fix, higher for strapping in, bigger boot, tougher material inside, etc.

We've had the ML well over 7 years now and we really didn't expect to at the outset. It really has been a great car, and I still think it's a handsome looking thing too. Given that t owes us nothing and has served us well, plus it's worth relatively little, justifying a replacement is difficult.

An ML63 or GL500/420 are the first, second and third logical choices, but we both got very excited about a Supercharged Range Rover Sport in a moment of weakess over Christmas.

Environmental policy for business use will mean that I'll have to stop using the C for business at the end of 2012, so that's likely to trigger a shuffle of the Dazzler fleet. Probably the cheapest car that meets the policy - FIAT Panda perhaps - and either keep the ML and get a spicy garage queen, or just get a spicy SUV for the family.

...or we might just stay as we are with a Panda on this side.

 

[dokalj]

I assume from that statement you love the ML!!! Does your ML still look the same as the day you got it? Are all the materials fine? Any signs of rust?

I agree a replacement for the ML is difficult. I suppose though, if it's not broken, don't fix it! I need the 7 seats, so I was hoping the next generation (166) might have the third row seats because the GL looks a lot bigger than the 163.

Also, do you still get yours serviced by MB and how is the kickdown from your ML?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

We are very fond of it!!

It looks just the same as it did when new. The only changes are a Becker stereo which I fitted almost straight away, Bosch flat blade wipers, Bosch S5 battery and iPod kit, which I fitted at the weekend. Everything else is original or MB parts counter (child seats, boot liner, etc).

Materials wise it's fine. The drivers seat squab has split slightly and the steering wheel has worn more than I would have liked, which is strange because my hands haven't seen a hard day's work in their life, and Mrs D's haven't seen even an easy day's work, so not exactly like sandpaper.

Rust appeared around the release mechanism when the car was very young, and the outsourced dealer bodyshop had three half-hearted and unsuccessful attempts to rectify - they switched to a different bodyshop who did a proper job and it's been fine for years.

Servicing and repairs have been through main dealers, with the exception of replacing the inlet manifold gasket and gearbox service because I trusted Olly more than the dealer for those jobs.

Kick down is fine. I lost it altogether when the MAF failed. It made for an interesting drive home, a few hundred miles, 5 up with 2 weeks of luggage, and 1.8 tonnes of caravan in tow.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

...or we might just stay as we are with a Panda on the side.

See bottom image: http://janinemaclean.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween-in-yeongtong-trick-or-drink.html

 

[dokalj]

Cheers Bobby Dazzler!!! Haha nice link!!!

Your ML sounds very cherished!!! The ML we have, had a harsh life before we owned it!!! So, slowly it is looking better and better. I do have the rust on the rear tailgate to think about. It seams I am always fixings cosmetic touches courtesy of the previous owners. The ML is only driven on weekends, so I don't really do much mileage...the car is sort of in retirement... When did you get the inlet manifold gasket changed? What problems did the car throw up? Has your car reached 100K yet?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Cheers Bobby Dazzler!!! Haha nice link!!!

Your ML sounds very cherished!!! The ML we have, had a harsh life before we owned it!!! So, slowly it is looking better and better. I do have the rust on the rear tailgate to think about. It seams I am always fixings cosmetic touches courtesy of the previous owners. The ML is only driven on weekends, so I don't really do much mileage...the car is sort of in retirement... When did you get the inlet manifold gasket changed? What problems did the car throw up? Has your car reached 100K yet?

It works for it's living - lots of shopping bags to carry for Mrs D , boystrous children, and towing a caravan - but we do look after it well.

Manifold gasket was around May this year. Black spots appeared on the sides of the car and on the wheel but there was no trace of a leak from the engine or transmission, or even the dampers. Worse still it made a mess of the front of our caravan as it was dragged back in the air stream.

Then some time later black spots appeared on the driveway. It was very difficult to see, but when you removed the covers from the top of the engine, you could see the black stains on the side of the block. The car was running fine though. New gasket and cleaned up the stains, and no more spots!!

It's about to hit 100,000 miles in the next week or two. Because it's been been with us so long, the mileage has been fairly constant, rather than tapering off with age which is more typical as cars change hands.

 

[dokalj]

Cheers for the help!!!

With regards to your steering wheel, you could try the gliptone kit for about £16 + the leather cleaner & conditioner.

Yeah ours will hit 100K this year sometime.

The most recent works I have had done are a new poly v-belt and a new wheel sensor.

Have you ever had these changed?

I remember a while ago, you told me you had some suspension parts changed under warranty. Have you had any other issues with the suspension since then?

Your ML sounds very good.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

V-belt and wheel sensors are original.

We had a broken NSR spring and a weaping OSR damper when the car was about 4 or so years old, and so Mercedes replaced the spring/damper units on both sides at the rear under the Service Plus scheme - they also replaced two ball joints.

Technically the work needed doing to make sure the car was spot on, but I hadn't noticed ill-effects from any of those items before replacement, and I didn't notice any real differences after replacement. Maybe they had a quiet workshop to fill

 

[dokalj]

Sorry for the late reply Dazzler, glad to hear your car is in top condition.

I feel I have taken up all your time with this thread.

Thanks again.

dokalj

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Always a pleasure.

 

[V12]

MB started fitting different steering wheels to diesel versions of the various vehicles from about 2003. My december 2002 clk didn't have the newer style diesel wheel with the counter balance type weight in it to act as a vibration dampener. I changed it and got a brand new wheel with the dampener in and the vibration was marginally better.

My mum had a ML270 for 7 or 8 years, it always groaned very slightly from the power steering pump when started from cold. The fluid level was always correct and this "feature" was checked by MB Jacksons in Basingstoke a handful of times.

 

[V12]

Just thought i should add, my mum took hers from less than a year old and 9k miles up to 139k when it was sold. She lost £25,000 on it, but over the best part of 8 years, that's not much. It was the most reliable car she's ever had. Although my older sister and I moved out some time ago, we have several much younger siblings which were ferried about everywhere in it. It saw some light off roading at my hands once and a couple of cracks in the rear bumper in my mothers! But come MOT time it just needed a brand new set of tyres every year...Never had any faults or expensive bills (well apart from the tyres).
She has an R Class now and had a 211 estate for a year in between but doesn't like either as much as her old ML.