W213 E63s 4Matic clunking... Anyone else?

[AyEmGeE63]

I had a test drive in a used E63 yesterday and I was smitten with the car, as was the rest of my family and planned on getting back to them today to agree a deal for collection this month.

I had dismissed a feeling of the steering jumping at slow speed as gravel under the front wheels and only came across the crabbing issue on other models by chance whilst looking for an owners' manual. A search didn't bring up this thread, but somebody kindly pointed me here.

Mercedes UK's attitude to the whole issue has really put me off purchasing not only this car, but anything they offer as it appears they only acknowledged there was a problem when threatened with legal action.

I wonder how many potential sales this issue has cost Mercedes UK?

 

[DRIVER200]

MB could not care less about you and your problem because Your £ is now in Their Back Account. I have been down this road with my C43 and when you complain they look down their long corporate nose at you wait for you to finish and then offer the solution of winter tyres AT YOUR COST!! Unless of course you drive a GLC and then they will pay!! Crazy or what you couldn't make it up. As for loosing sales once again MB could not care less as they are too big and can carry problems like this until the next generation of 4Matic hits the streets and then this will be history. Threaten to reject the car and see what they say...... It's the Emperors New Clothes Syndrome on acid......

 

[Riverside Red]

......... the next generation of 4Matic hits the streets and then this will be history.

Unfortunately the 4Matic+ as fitted to the E63 is the next generation of Mercedes 4WD, if it irritated me as much as it does you I'd simply sell the car and move on to another brand.

I plan to test drive an E63 later in the year, and will make up my own mind about 4Matic+ and crabbing, however I'm not a great fan of 4WD anyway.

RR

 

[DRIVER200]

Unfortunately the 4Matic+ as fitted to the E63 is the next generation of Mercedes 4WD, if it irritated me as much as it does you I'd simply sell the car and move on to another brand.

I plan to test drive an E63 later in the year, and will make up my own mind about 4Matic+ and crabbing, however I'm not a great fan of 4WD anyway.

RR

I have owned Audi Quattros on 21'' wheels and never had crabbing problems. I like the idea of 4wd as sometimes it gets you out of trouble. As for keeping the car it's not a keeper but there again it was never going to be as normally change my car every 2 years or so but feel that MB have not come out of this smelling of roses. Once again LHD do not suffer from this problem regardless of wheel size so something isn't quite right on RHD cars.

 

[S2000Paul]

Can only make the W212 double in value

 

[gr1nch]

(my car is not an AMG, I know, so in the interests of understanding the extent of M-B cars affected....)

Since it started getting cold, I've started to experience the same crabbing described in these posts on my new S-Class (2017 S350d, RHD, RWD) and I'm not happy about it! It doesn't sound like the tyre is slipping on the surface at all. It sounds and feels like the electronics or mechanical parts are locking and unlocking in a sharp, juddery fashion. Ackerman angles or not, this is very undesirable behaviour.

Will bring it up with the dealer asap.

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk

 

[whitenemesis]

What sizes are the tyres and wheels?

 

[AyEmGeE63]

The E63 I drove was on 19's with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres, so 265/40R19 on the front and 295/35R19 on the rear. Admittedly, the weather was pretty cold (between 0 and 2 degrees C according to my car) which seems to be a factor. I've already been out this morning and it's 8C, so am contemplating going back to have a drive around their car park today to see if the temperature makes a difference.

 

[daveenty]

It'll still do it though it won't be anywhere near as pronounced.

I just live with mine by avoiding using full lock really, it's more of an inconvenience than a nuisance to me really.

 

[DRIVER200]

I thought that you held no further interest in the site?

The E63 I drove was on 19's with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres, so 265/40R19 on the front and 295/35R19 on the rear. Admittedly, the weather was pretty cold (between 0 and 2 degrees C according to my car) which seems to be a factor. I've already been out this morning and it's 8C, so am contemplating going back to have a drive around their car park today to see if the temperature makes a difference.

The Devil in you is saying go for it but be under no illusion it can happen when the temperature is in double figures. The bottom line is that if all cars did this then perhaps we could rest easy... But not all cars do so you have to ask yourself why do some cars have this ''characteristic'' and others don't... There will probably only be one answer..... and it's nothing to do with tyres...... Perhaps you could invite the MB dealers who use this forum to enlighten us with their Corporate view on this issue.

 

[gr1nch]

What sizes are the tyres and wheels?

The rears 275/35, fronts 245/40 both R20 and ET38.

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk

 

[whitenemesis]

The rears 275/35, fronts 245/40 both R20 and ET38.

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk

As expected... Wide and low profile.

 

[DRIVER200]

As expected... Wide and low profile.

Ever thought about applying for a job with MB they need people like you. This problem could have been engineered out but MB decided not to as it would be too expensive.... Please let us all face up to this fact.

 

[whitenemesis]

Ever thought about applying for a job with MB

Now if that was MiB I'd fire up the CV in a shot

This problem could have been engineered out but MB decided not to

I wonder if expense was the reason? After all any development/face lift would cost many €Ms, so this would be relatively small potatoes?
What compromises would MB (or any of the many other marques) have to make to remove this characteristic, must be significant if they continue to 'refuse' to do it?

 

[DRIVER200]

Now if that was MiB I'd fire up the CV in a shot



I wonder if expense was the reason? After all any development/face lift would cost many €Ms, so this would be relatively small potatoes?
What compromises would MB (or any of the many other marques) have to make to remove this characteristic, must be significant if they continue to 'refuse' to do it?

Well I see life in Black and White and if we can send people to the moon and then bring them back again then why can't MB make a car that doesn't have problems like this..... Answer: because they can....

 

[whitenemesis]

Well I see life in Black and White and if we can send people to the moon and then bring them back again then why can't MB make a car that doesn't have problems like this..... Answer: because they can....

If that's so then all one can do is walk away, buy another marque. Those that do walk away can be happy, they have a fault free car. Those that stay with MB can be happy, they have the car they want. The only possible looser is MB and I reckon they've done their maths on this.
Doesn't make it right, just business ....

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

Another E63 with a 'clunking' noise while turning to add to the list.

When I collected the car and first drove it out of the showroom I thought it was just cleaning products on the inside tyre making it slip. After a few times of hearing/feeling it I went back to the dealership because I was concerned about torque wind (or torque wind-up), but like everyone else I was quickly advised by the service manager that it was in fact the tyre size/profile and brand that was causing the issue. Not totally convinced, I went and spoke to the AMG Technician and he was primed with the same story, he informed me like above and in the other threads that Mercedes are in talks with Michelin to solve the problem. Again like already mentioned above he also suggested winter tyres to help avoid the issue, I never discussed at who's cost that would be, but I guess I already knew the answer.

I never noticed this when I took the demo for a test drive.

Am I p155ed off at this issue - Yes.
Would I have still bought it if I'd have known about the issue - Yes.

 

[Riverside Red]

Another E63 with a 'clunking' noise while turning to add to the list.

When I collected the car and first drove it out of the showroom I thought it was just cleaning products on the inside tyre making it slip. After a few times of hearing/feeling it I went back to the dealership because I was concerned about torque wind (or torque wind-up), but like everyone else I was quickly advised by the service manager that it was in fact the tyre size/profile and brand that was causing the issue. Not totally convinced, I went and spoke to the AMG Technician and he was primed with the same story, he informed me like above and in the other threads that Mercedes are in talks with Michelin to solve the problem. Again like already mentioned above he also suggested winter tyres to help avoid the issue, I never discussed at who's cost that would be, but I guess I already knew the answer.

I never noticed this when I took the demo for a test drive.

Am I p155ed off at this issue - Yes.
Would I have still bought it if I'd have known about the issue - Yes.

I'll have to keep an eye out for you as I live in MSG, there's a lot of stuff on the forum about the crabbing issues with 4-Matic cars, especially GLC and C43 models but it also seems to affect the E43/63 models too.

My C63 and Boxster occasionally do it when reversing off the drive, but the crabbing 4-Matic owners suffer seems to be on another plane.

Did you purchase the car from Teesside Mercedes?

RR

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

I used to pass MSG regularly on the way to Yarm. I don’t get over that way much now as my Daughter has moved schools closer to where we moved to. You might still see me around as I’m intending on driving this one (Selenite grey Edition 1). I sold my 2 year old C63s edition 1 saloon with 9,700 miles on the clock for no more money than if it had 20,000 miles on.

I found this forum while researching the issue, like you say there is lots to read about it. I understand why sales reps don’t bring this known issue to our attention when we are test driving 4matics, but it doesn’t stop me from being very disappointed.

Yes, I bought all but 1 of my Mercs from Teesside.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Well I see life in Black and White and if we can send people to the moon and then bring them back again then why can't MB make a car that doesn't have problems like this..... Answer: because they can....

Using the moon trip as an example is not the best choice. You would be surprised at how many people do not believe man stood on the surface of the moon.

Now where did I leave my tin foil hat ?