Steering wheel adjustment (up/down) not working

[sgregory124]

Hi all,

I know this topic has been discussed previously as i've done a search but I just want to confirm things.

The up/down adjustment on the steering column in my W205 C63 has 'ceased to be', it was working fine a few days ago but now, adjustment for reach still works fine, but when trying to go up on the lever I hear a relay 'click' and theres no movement. Likewise, when I push for down adjustment, I hear absolutely nothing and no movement occurs.

Is this the dreaded failure i've heard and read about? It seems the consensus is either reset the memory positions/seats etc (How do I do that?) or extend the wheel all the way out and either hit the wheel hard (don't really want to do that) or move it vigorously up and down whilst using the lever to adjust in the same direction.

Can someone confirm? If this is a garage visit, presumably its going to cost me a vital organ to fix? (I don't need both kidneys right?)

As always, thanks in advance.

Simon

 

[st13phil]

Angie's R172 SLK55 has had little use over the last 12-14 months (guess why?) and when I got in it a couple of months back I noticed the steering wheel didn't move down from its "comfort access" top position. In/out adjustment worked fine, but up/down adjustment via the joystick just resulted in a clicking relay and no movement. After a bit of googling I concluded that it was the sticky limit switch problem that is often described and also that this:

extend the wheel all the way out and either hit the wheel hard (don't really want to do that)

...had been successful for many people who had encountered the problem.

I hit the wheel hard on the top of the rim with my palm while operating the joystick to motor the wheel down and after a few good thumps (enough to hurt my hand) it started to motor up and down on command exactly as it should. Not wanting to tempt fate, I disabled the "comfort access" option for the car so that the wheel doesn't motor to its uppermost position when I remove the key and it's been fine ever since, working fine to swap between our different memory settings. BTW, I didn't need to motor the wheel all the way out to do this.

presumably its going to cost me a vital organ to fix?

From what I could deduce, the whole upper column which include the adjustment motor assembly has to be replaced to fix the problem. So lots of labour and expensive parts. For the SLK55 it looked like it would be the thick end of £2k. The thought of that size of bill should overcome your reticence about using "percussive maintenance"

 

[sgregory124]

Cheers for the info. What I find hard to believe here is that my car, for its age (4.5 years old) has only done 22k and the steering adjustment fails like this? Talk about poor build quality/design.

I've tried to do the 'manual' adjustment you suggested but it still doesn't work, it might be that i'm not hitting it hard enough, although it seems to have had an 'effect' in as much as the adjuster now 'clicks' when trying to go up or down. My other issue is, I don't know which position it failed in, i'm assuming all the way at the top based on what it feels like when the seats are in my stored position, but its hard to tell. So i'm not sure which why is best to hit it to get some kind of result?

To say i'm annoyed is an understatement

 

[sgregory124]

Ok, I fixed it. The banging on the top or bottom of the wheel didn't work, but putting all my weight on it and pulling down released it. That was the third time i'd been out to do that and god knows what my neighbours must think, they already see me washing the car more often than is healthy for an adult man

Thanks for the advice, oh and easy/entry and exit is also now firmly turned 'off'!

 

[jasonh]

My steering wheel would park itself permanently from time to time.

Without taking too much trim off if you stand on your head in the footwell you can see the worm drive and motor for the steering wheel. I can't remember exactly but I think the drive from the motor to the mechanism was via a flexible drive and that moved a worm drive. If you lubricate the worm drive with some fresh grease the problem is solved and stays solved (for over a year now on my car).

 

[sgregory124]

My steering wheel would park itself permanently from time to time.

Without taking too much trim off if you stand on your head in the footwell you can see the worm drive and motor for the steering wheel. I can't remember exactly but I think the drive from the motor to the mechanism was via a flexible drive and that moved a worm drive. If you lubricate the worm drive with some fresh grease the problem is solved and stays solved (for over a year now on my car).

Thanks for that - I’ll take a look when I have time, I’d like everything to work as intended at some point