OWNER makemann

[sheward]

Great job recounting your trip home! I made that same drive years ago but took the northern route. Too bad about the weather/timing. Must have been rough going for a while. Auto locks can be a bit sluggish in the cold due to the vacuum operation. Get yourself some Euro lights. You'll get used to inserting the key in the door. Beautiful car!

drew

 

[gsxr]

Love the story & photos! Thanks for sharing!

Tip about the headlights: Turn on the bumper fogs (pull out one click, not two, on the headlight knob). This helps substantially on low beam. I also use them during the day as DRL's.

 

[makemann]

The day after returning home, I stopped for lunch with the 500E. As I finished eating and headed out the door, a guy stopped me and asked if it was my car. He ends up owning one and lived within a few blocks of me. His name is Neal. I told Neal that I was taking it to Satish at Motor Werks to get a few items looked at. He told me that including Satish there are five owners of E500E's at his shop. I feel lucky to live so close to a repair shop specializing in our car!

I'm picking up my car on Tuesday after a week of maintenance, repairs and upkeep.

Here's what Satish and crew has done:
· Cylinder head front cover reseal due to oil leak
· Engine oil pan replaced due to a crack / oil leak
· Replaced all PCV breather hoses as they were hard, brittle and leaking
· Replaced kick-down solenoid o-rings
· Replaced both tie rods
· Replaced front wheel bearings
· Front end alignment
· Replaced head lamp wipers
· Changed oil
· Replace front brake pads and rotors
· Brake system flush
· Install horn
· Cooling system flush
· Synthetic oil change
· Replace front passenger window motor
· Replace N57 Convenience Module (crap)
· Replace SRS Module (holy crap)
· Replace hydraulic shocks (shoot me now)
· Replace rear accumulators
· Rubber bushing kit
· Evacuate and recharge A/C system, check for leaks (none found, yay!)
· Replace headlamp switch
· Mount Michelin Pilot A/S3 on all four corners
· Road Force balance
· 4-wheel alignment
· Install 2phast HomeLink Mirror
· Replace ambient temp sensor (it really wasn’t 165° in Detroit!)
· Hand wash vehicle

Can't wait to pick it up on Tuesday!

 

[Maui]

Some people removed the stickers so it is not necessarily an accident. Once you get the car sorted you'll love it even more.

 

[jlico911]

That will be one happy car. Can't wait to hear how it drives compared to your cross country experience.

 

[gerryvz]

Of course!

F*cking Priii !!!

 

[gerryvz]

Usually the ambient temp sensor isn't the problem ... it's more often the temp module in the instrument cluster, just FYI. Quite often one or both capacitors in the temp module go bad. They are cheap and easy to find on wrecked cars, but extraordinarily expensive from MB to buy new.

If you need one, I have 5-6 spares. I actually had to replace my original one on my E500 last year, as it was reading 20F too high. A spare unit fixed the problem. I have spare wire/bumper-mounted sensor but these are fairly simple and I don't see failures on them nearly as much as I do the modules that screw into the cluster below the speedometer.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Some people removed the stickers so it is not necessarily an accident. Once you get the car sorted you'll love it even more.

Ken, I've never seen anyone remove the stickers deliberately in nearly 12 years of ownership. They are pretty important stickers, particularly the black (early cars)/yellow one on the left side which indicates emissions compliance, and is NOT available from MB or any other sources.

My experience (and others should chime in here) both in owning cars and observing others without the stickers here has been that the radiator core support has been changed, and the sticker was no longer available from MB so it was not replaced. I've also seen some obvious removals/transferrals on a couple of cars over the years too. Usually the dead giveaway on a core support replacement is broken paint and/or different colored screws that hold the color/option plate down that is attached to the core support just to the right of the center latch. That is unless someone painted it, but then fresh paint is usually also a giveaway in this area.

 

[spaceman_west]

that colors too nice.
thanks for the write up and pictures.

 

[makemann]

Usually the ambient temp sensor isn't the problem ... it's more often the temp module in the instrument cluster, just FYI. Quite often one or both capacitors in the temp module go bad. They are cheap and easy to find on wrecked cars, but extraordinarily expensive from MB to buy new.

If you need one, I have 5-6 spares. I actually had to replace my original one on my E500 last year, as it was reading 20F too high. A spare unit fixed the problem. I have spare wire/bumper-mounted sensor but these are fairly simple and I don't see failures on them nearly as much as I do the modules that screw into the cluster below the speedometer.

Cheers,
Gerry

Thanks Gerry, if it still doesn't read correctly after I pick it up, I may take you up on the spare.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Maui]

I know of a very pristine 500E in Irvine that does not have stickers and it has not been repainted or in an accident. I'm sure it is rare.

 

[Klink]

To each his own, but "Welcome to Beaver" and "Johnson Tunnel" sound like a step up from the "Bun Boy"...

 

[makemann]

To each his own, but "Welcome to Beaver" and "Johnson Tunnel" sound like a step up from the "Bun Boy"...

That's what she said.

 

[J-Sauce]

Thanks for the update. I've done that drive, albeit in a chrysler pacifica! The whole time, I drempt of doing the stint in my 500E. You are a lucky man and you have my envy.

On another note, I've also got a prius of the same generation and color as the one blocking your fast lane, I apologize on his behalf.

By the way, I've got a pair of intake tubes pulled from a 95 e420 that I'd be happy to sell to a fellow 122 owner.

 

[makemann]

Thanks for the update. I've done that drive, albeit in a chrysler pacifica! The whole time, I drempt of doing the stint in my 500E. You are a lucky man and you have my envy.

On another note, I've also got a prius of the same generation and color as the one blocking your fast lane, I apologize on his behalf.

By the way, I've got a pair of intake tubes pulled from a 95 e420 that I'd be happy to sell to a fellow 122 owner.

I'm glad I did the drive. Especially with my brother.

Ha! Apology accepted!

I'll buy the intake tubes if they're in good shape. Thanks!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[J-Sauce]

I threw up a new thread for the intake tubes.

http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7498

 

[gerryvz]

Thanks Gerry, if it still doesn't read correctly after I pick it up, I may take you up on the spare.

Happy to oblige a request !!

 

[makemann]

That will be one happy car. Can't wait to hear how it drives compared to your cross country experience.

Picked it up last Tuesday, and it now drives like a new car. I liked the car driving it cross country before all of the items were taken care of, but I love it now.

To recap what I had done:
· Cylinder head front cover reseal due to oil leak
· Engine oil pan replaced due to a crack / oil leak
· Replaced all PCV breather hoses as they were hard, brittle and leaking
· Replaced kick-down solenoid o-rings
· Replaced both tie rods
· Replaced front wheel bearings
· Front end alignment
· Replaced head lamp wipers
· Replace front brake pads and rotors
· Brake system flush
· Install horn
· Cooling system flush
· Synthetic oil change
· Replace front passenger window motor
· Replace N57 Convenience Module
· Replace SRS Module
· Replace hydraulic shocks
· Replace rear accumulators
· Rubber bushing kit
· Evacuate and recharge A/C system, check for leaks
· Replace headlamp switch
· Mount Michelin Pilot A/S3 on all four corners
· Road Force balance
· 4-wheel alignment
· Install 2phast HomeLink Mirror
· Replace ambient temp sensor

It stops quieter, smoother and faster than it did before. It also doesn't clunk from the rear after going over expansion joints. It accelerates super smooth and fast. It handles tighter with the new tie-rods and tracks perfectly with the new tires and alignment.

Now that I got all the major mechanical issues taken care of, I'll tackle the minor and cosmetic items this summer.

Here's a list of likes, dislikes and randomness about my new car:

1. The center vent worked on the trip back, but now I'm not getting air flow through the center vent. Vacuum related? I'm guessing a PIA job to fix? I'll use the search feature.
2. The heater fan squeals. Does it just need lube? WHY NO MIDDLE SETTING? Low, Auto, High. ARGH.
3. Above 70 mph, when I set the cruise control, it sets, but then quickly decelerates without me canceling the setting. It works below 70. I had the brakes redone. Could it have anything to do with an ABS sensor? Note: the cruise worked fine at any speed prior to service. Could be a coincidence.
4. I'm going to replace the sagging headliner. Going back and forth between the OEM material and a light grey alcantara liner. Thoughts?
5. I'm torn between keeping the Becker radio because I like the tactile feel of the switches, the originality of it and putting in something that will pair up with my phone and one that will sound better. The cassette adaptor is clunky.
6. The rear window tint has two annoying bubbles. Need to replace the tinting.
7. Need to take the time to calibrate the 2phast mirror compass. The HomeLink works GREAT. The range to open my garage door beats my other cars by about 200'!! Highly recommend this.
8. Would love to get the Cocomats floor mats. Anyone have them paired with their grey interior? Is their grey a close match to the MB grey? Do I go with black? Fürstil Stripes Marina would be bold.
9.I love the Michelin Pilots--smooth, quiet and grippy.
10. Wine of the month selection was good: Bovin Cabernet Sauvignon 2012.
11. Looking forward to driving the Johnson Tunnel later. Happy Valentine's Day.

And lastly, I'm calling my car the Grey Wolf™. It's not in sheep's clothing though.

 

[gerryvz]

Is the ambient temp display showing the correct temps now?

 

[makemann]

It is. I think Satish must have replaced the correct part.

 

[Maui]

The fan noise sounds like the fan needs to be replaced. Not a tough DIY. Might want to consider the fan regulator at the same time. I'll let the more experienced here speak for that.

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, in my experience lubricating the fan is only a temporary fix, if indeed it is squeaking. Don't try to just replace the motor portion -- just replace the whole unit. Use a factory unit or a Behr. There are differences between early and later cars, so make sure if you do replace it, that you get the right part.

The blower regulator (aka "porcupine" .... which lies directly underneath the fan) is another part that WILL go out at some point. As Ken says, it's a good idea to replace it at the same time you do the fan -- that way you only do the whole job once. Both parts are a bit spendy, but if you DIY it (it's not that tough of a job) you will save enough money to make it feasible.

One tip is that there are numerous small metal clips that hold the two halves of the blower motor box together. When/if you disassemble it, you will need to be VERY careful so that you don't lose any of these clips - you will need them for reassembly !! I did this job about 4-5 years ago, but unfortunately didn't take any photos to do a HOW-TO. However, there are several sites on the Net that have good HOW-TOs for this job -- just google it.

You can source the blower motor and regulator at AutohauZ or via any of our normal MB factory parts discounters. Expect to pay around $160 for the blower motor, and $200+ for a blower regulator on the aftermarket.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[vatc5637]

. . . Here's a list of likes, dislikes and randomness about my new car:

1. The center vent worked on the trip back, but now I'm not getting air flow through the center vent. Vacuum related? I'm guessing a PIA job to fix? I'll use the search feature.

5. I'm torn between keeping the Becker radio because I like the tactile feel of the switches, the originality of it and putting in something that will pair up with my phone and one that will sound better. The cassette adaptor is clunky.

1. Perhaps a vacuum line or fitting came loose. If not, the vacuum pod located in the evaporator (& controls center vent) may be going/is bad, and the entire dash has to be pulled to access it. HOW-TO: Replacing the HVAC vacuum pods. One "option" is to keep the center vent open by placing a physical object to keep the flapper valve open, downside is you lose the front defogger/defrost. This "kluge" is likely employed primarily in warm & dry climate cars.

5. If your primary goal is to play music through an ipod player, then the stock radio can be retro-fitted with an aux cord (or integration device) for that purpose, but you lose the ability to connect a cd changer.500E & E500 Becker radios.iPod integration with STOCK MB BE1492. If improved sound quality is the goal, there are a number of threads regarding replacing speakers and alternative head units.

Good luck. Car looks great btw.

 

[gerryvz]

Only cold (air-conditioned) air is supposed to flow through the center dashboard vents. Heated air and cold air goes through the side dash vents and lower dash vents.

The BE1432 (the two-piece radio found in 1992 and 1993 US 500Es) doesn't, as far as I know, have an iPod cable available for it. You can send in the unit to Becker and they will add a 1/4" jack that allows you to connect an iPod.

The BE1492 that was used on the 1994 models, which is a one-piece design, DOES have an iPod cable with big-style iPod connector that plugs into the back of the radio in place of the CD changer plug. This allows direct connection of an iPod to these radios and allows charging too. I believe this works with iPhones as well, and with the adapter, to the new iPhones with the Lightning connector.

I agree that a more modern Bluetooth equipped head unit is going to be best for connecting phone / music player to the ICE system.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[J-Sauce]

My first suspect for speed-dependent cruise control like yours would be mismatched tire sizes. If the front and rear are staggered, and the rolling circumferece difference is more that 3% or so, cruise will be finicky at higher speeds. Can you post your tire sizes, please?

 

[Klink]

The Sauce Man is on it!

There is only about one possible cause for lack of cruise control operation at higher speeds without the presence of malfunction warning lights, and that cause is an imbalance between the average front axle wheel speed and the average rear axle wheel speed. Anomalies between front and rear average wheel speeds are "assumed" by the cruise control logic to be traction related, and this results in immediate switch off of the cruise control. This phenomenon is most often discovered after some change is made to the wheels and / or tires.

Absolutely accurate and complete information is required here, you cannot just gloss over or assume any of it. It has to be EXACT. Forgive me if this sounds pedantic , but you have NO idea how many times I have been through this with people, only to find that a wildly expensive path was set upon because they considered a piece of information to be too insignificant to mention, and / or simply assumed that no one would "mess up something so obvious" as tire sizes and types, wheel allocation, etc. Once I was involved "over the phone" with an SL500 that had been the recipient of at least $6000 worth of parts chasing this issue. These people wanted a bunch of credit, and / or warranty consideration for "defective new parts"...
On at least four separate occasions I emphasized and inquired about the types of tires and wheels installed, and each time I was told erroneous information. When the car was finally towed the 200 miles distance to me, I immediately noted the Pilot Sport tires on the front, and the Pilot Sport AS tires on the rear...

These people wasted hours of my time and gobs of money, even though I had repeatedly asked them about this exact possibility, even specifically asking about possible mixing of pilot sports and pilot sport AS by name, and told them exactly what to look for to tell the difference. And this was a shop, not simply a customer!!
This was only one of at least 10 similar incidents that I have been involved with over the years...

So with that out-of-the-way, tell me exactly and fully the make, model, size, speed rating, and load rating of each tire fitted to each corner of the car as it sits right now. Also report the sizes, offset numbers, and part numbers of each wheel, also noting its current installation position on the vehicle.

With that information in hand, I will get back to you.

Best!

 

[makemann]

I just checked the tires. J-Sauce and Klink are correct.

The old Yokohama tires were:

Front: 245/40R17
Rear: 255/45R17

The new Pilot Sport A/S3 tires are:

Front: 245/45R17
Rear: 255/40R17

I never questioned that the shop would put different sized tires than what was on it. Hopefully they'll take care of it. I've got an email into the shop.

Thanks guys for the info, never would have thought to check tire sizes.

 

[texas993]

Wow, can't get that kind of knowledge anywhere else in the world! Makes you wonder how you can afford to own a car like this without the resource of those on this board. I have the same benefit for my Porsche - couldn't afford (or want to) own it without the experts on Rennlist.

Makemann, I caught up on your story today. Great story, and as I stated earlier in the thread, very similar to mine. I got caught in snow (in October) all the way through Colorado. Summer tires and 4" of snow on the road are not a great combo. But the cars made it! Enjoy your 500E, it sounds like you are making all the right upgrades/repairs.

 

[J-Sauce]

Great, we have a culprit! However you should know before you call them, the old tire sizes are also wrong. 245/45/17 is the closest you'll get to stock 16" circumference. However, before dropping down from a 45 to a 40 profile, you'd need to increase the rear width to at least 265. 275/40 would be ideal if your wheels are wide enough. Depending on the tire manufacturers suggested range, you'd probably need at least a 9.0"-9.5" wheel width, which I expect your AMGs have.

Here is a great online tool to help you check and compare sizes. Be sure to click the "visualizer" button to get a practical look at the difference. Your new tires actually fell just within that standard 3%+/- difference (rears are 2.6% smaller) which explains why your cruise will even work in the first place. Your front tires are spinning 785.7 revs per mile, and your rears are spinning 806.1 revs during that same mile. As you increase in speed though, that same difference in revs is calculated in a smaller amount of time, and the computers interpret a loss of traction. Make sure you compare all potential tire purchases in the future to the stock tire size of 225/55/16 to ensure your speedometer and odo will read correctly.

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-comparison/

 

[gsxr]

1. The center vent worked on the trip back, but now I'm not getting air flow through the center vent. Vacuum related? I'm guessing a PIA job to fix? I'll use the search feature.

As Gerry noted, only cool air should come out the center vents. If the system is on max cool with engine running, and there is zero airflow out the center vent, it's a likely vacuum issue. The vacuum pod can fail, and that requires pulling the dash out (6-10 hours DIY labor, 4-6 hours professional labor)... and right now the pod is NLA, fortunately an aftermarket rebuild kit is available. Hopefully it's just a vac tube knocked loose or something else simple.

2. The heater fan squeals. Does it just need lube?

Lubing is usually a temporary fix. If the blower motor is old or original, get a new Behr... better yet, replace the regulator at the same time (OE or OEM only) and you should not have to mess with this for another 20 years.

2. The heater fan ... WHY NO MIDDLE SETTING? Low, Auto, High. ARGH.

I feel your pain on the lack of a medium fan setting... you'll learn over time how to attain this with careful temp selection on "auto". Some folks investigated other solutions for fan speed control but nothing easy nor eloquent. What I'd give for the Euro-only manual climate control with separate driver/passenger temp controls AND four fan speed settings... *sigh*

3. Above 70 mph, when I set the cruise control, it sets, but then quickly decelerates without me canceling the setting. It works below 70. I had the brakes redone. Could it have anything to do with an ABS sensor? Note: the cruise worked fine at any speed prior to service. Could be a coincidence.

This is due to mis-matched tire sizes. The tires need to be within about 1% difference front to rear, if not identical. The sizes you specified above for your new A/S 3 Michelins are about 2.5% different, which is causing the problem. Click here for specs, note the "revs per mile" is 810 front vs 831 rear. The sizes you mentioned from the old Yoko tires should not have worked either, btw. What is the width of the front and rear wheels? You need the wheel width to determine the correct tire sizes. You appear to have staggered wheels, and running the same size all around is probably not ideal.

4. I'm going to replace the sagging headliner. Going back and forth between the OEM material and a light grey alcantara liner. Thoughts?

You could always buy a new one from the dealer... $2240 MSRP now. (kidding!)

5. I'm torn between keeping the Becker radio because I like the tactile feel of the switches, the originality of it and putting in something that will pair up with my phone and one that will sound better. The cassette adaptor is clunky.

Keep in mind that replacing the head unit will require a complete re-wire of all speakers and adding aftermarket amplifiers. Expensive, and difficult to do properly so it sounds as good or better than stock. If you just want convenience and don't care as much about the sound, that will be easier. This topic has been discussed several times.

 

[Klink]

I just checked the tires. J-Sauce and Klink are correct.

The old Yokohama tires were:

Front: 245/40R17
Rear: 255/45R17

The new Pilot Sport A/S3 tires are:

Front: 245/45R17
Rear: 255/40R17

I never questioned that the shop would put different sized tires than what was on it. Hopefully they'll take care of it. I've got an email into the shop.

Thanks guys for the info, never would have thought to check tire sizes.

Yet, there is still a little bit more to the story. I would have expected the sizes they removed to be more likely to exhibit this problem than your current sizes! Don't misunderstand, the tires are definitely the active change in this equation, but I still want to know the wheel sizes, offsets and part numbers. Their pick for a front size definitely rings correct, and their pick for the rear size should be friendly enough to work, so I am thinking that there is some other unfavorable dynamic issue going on here, likely involving wheel widths. Please report.

Best!

 

[makemann]

The knowledge on this forum is incredible! Thank you so much. You guys rock!

 

[makemann]

Yet, there is still a little bit more to the story. I would have expected the sizes they removed to be more likely to exhibit this problem than your current sizes! Don't misunderstand, the tires are definitely the active change in this equation, but I still want to know the wheel sizes, offsets and part numbers. Their pick for a front size definitely rings correct, and their pick for the rear size should be friendly enough to work, so I am thinking that there is some other unfavorable dynamic issue going on here, likely involving wheel widths. Please report.

Best!

It is 14° right now, but feels like -2° in the garage. I will attempt to get the wheel sizes, offsets and tire sizes, but it may take some time.

 

[Klink]

Great, we have a culprit! However you should know before you call them, the old tire sizes are also wrong. 245/45/17 is the closest you'll get to stock 16" circumference. However, before dropping down from a 45 to a 40 profile, you'd need to increase the rear width to at least 265. 275/40 would be ideal if your wheels are wide enough. Depending on the tire manufacturers suggested range, you'd probably need at least a 9.0"-9.5" wheel width, which I expect your AMGs have.

Here is a great online tool to help you check and compare sizes. Be sure to click the "visualizer" button to get a practical look at the difference. Your new tires actually fell just within that standard 3%+/- difference (rears are 2.6% smaller) which explains why your cruise will even work in the first place. Your front tires are spinning 785.7 revs per mile, and your rears are spinning 806.1 revs during that same mile. As you increase in speed though, that same difference in revs is calculated in a smaller amount of time, and the computers interpret a loss of traction. Make sure you compare all potential tire purchases in the future to the stock tire size of 225/55/16 to ensure your speedometer and odo will read correctly.

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-comparison/

You are taking him exactly where I want to go, Sauce! I was thinking about 265, but I have found myself wondering if the original fitters of the wheels were trying to avoid a rubbing problem, or who the hell knows what, because what they originally had on there was definitely too skinny for a seemingly proper fittment. That's why I am hounding him for the wheel dimensions...

 

[makemann]

To save me some time freezing my arse off in the garage, do you know where I'd find the wheel size? I'm guessing I have to take the wheel off to see it on the inside?

 

[gsxr]

To save me some time freezing my arse off in the garage, do you know where I'd find the wheel size? I'm guessing I have to take the wheel off to see it on the inside?

Unfortunately... yes.

 

[makemann]

Unfortunately... yes.

Darn. This question will be addressed in the spring. Or when it warms up above freezing.

 

[Klink]

To save me some time freezing my arse off in the garage, do you know where I'd find the wheel size? I'm guessing I have to take the wheel off to see it on the inside?

If you have a flexible head workshop mirror on a wand and a flashlight with some decent focus you can place the mirror through the wheel openings and find the various numbers. You can find an appropriate inspection mirror in the tool section almost any normal auto parts store. You may have to move the car a few inches a number of times to move appropriate parts of the wheel clear of the calipers, and so on. I do not have the ability to do so right now, but maybe you can go to GSXR's 124 performance site and look at the insides of some of the AMG monobloc wheels to get some idea of the kind of text you're looking for...

 

[gsxr]

I believe the wheels on this car are aftermarket (not MB / AMG), but the markings should be similar to the photo below for size/offset:

 

[Klink]

I believe the wheels on this car are aftermarket (not MB / AMG)

now that you mention it, I think that we speculated about that when this car was first posted...

 

[gerryvz]

It is 14° right now, but feels like -2° in the garage.

ouch! I'm in shorts & t-shirt, getting ready to change oil & trans fluid on my G-wagen out in the garage. It is 79F outside right now, but feels like 79F in the garage

 

[Klink]

ouch! I'm in shorts & t-shirt, getting ready to change oil & trans fluid on my G-wagen out in the garage. It is 79F outside right now, but feels like 79F in the garage

What, no Utilikilt?

 

[makemann]

ouch! I'm in shorts & t-shirt, getting ready to change oil & trans fluid on my G-wagen out in the garage. It is 79F outside right now, but feels like 79F in the garage

That is cruel.

Okay, I got a mirror, sat in some frozen slush and made out the following:

Both wheels read, "Made In Germany"
Front wheel: 8J x 17H2 (did not see an ET#)
Rear wheel: 9J x 17H2 (again, no ET#)

If I'm reading the Tire Size Conversion chart correctly, and using 225/55R16 as the OEM size, I should have the following sized tires:

Front: 245/45R17 This is what I currently have now. Pilot Sport A/S3 99V
Rear: 275/40R17 Will this size fit on a 9J x 17H2? I'm currently running 255/40R17 94V making the Circumference -2.7% off of OEM with Revs/Mile +2.8%.

Let me know if I am interpreting this correctly please.

 

[bing]

now that you mention it, I think that we speculated about that when this car was first posted...

Yes we did ! But I think "makeman" is too nice, and as well as the car being a cool color , so it was never mentioned again .. well, till now.

@Klink, I've also experienced something on my W163 ML in the past when the ESP would cut in at above 60mph (IIRC). I remember thinking at the time while on the Autobahn , ''what the heck, why is the triangle flashing and why it won't pass 60mph ?" This happened a few times, each time when I joined the highway again from rest areas, and of course this required a quicker acceleration to level and not impede other vehicles. Didn't like it ! I had to build up speed slowly then it was fine all the way to 115-120 easy. Cruise control however was fine during this phenomena. But I was already thinking, Tyres, tyres...hmmm! Kinda in denial here since I knew that the tyres were all the same size all around, but I also knew one tyre , rear left, had a different tread pattern and depth. Later we plugged in SDS, my friend watched live data while i drove and he saw the difference in wheelspeed on that odd bugger of a tyre. Ok no biggie, and since winter was nearing at the time, so I just stuck the 'ol winter tyres on (which were all the same brand/size), end of nuisance!

 

[Klink]

Yes we did ! But I think "makeman" is too nice, and as well as the car being a cool color , so it was never mentioned again .. well, till now.

@Klink, I've also experienced something on my W163 ML in the past when the ESP would cut in at above 60mph (IIRC). I remember thinking at the time while on the Autobahn , ''what the heck, why is the triangle flashing and why it won't pass 60mph ?" This happened a few times, each time when I joined the highway again from rest areas, and of course this required a quicker acceleration to level and not impede other vehicles. Didn't like it ! I had to build up speed slowly then it was fine all the way to 115-120 easy. Cruise control however was fine during this phenomena. But I was already thinking, Tyres, tyres...hmmm! Kinda in denial here since I knew that the tyres were all the same size all around, but I also knew one tyre , rear left, had a different tread pattern and depth. Later we plugged in SDS, my friend watched live data while i drove and he saw the difference in wheelspeed on that odd bugger of a tyre. Ok no biggie, and since winter was nearing at the time, so I just stuck the 'ol winter tyres on (which were all the same brand/size), end of nuisance!

It really doesn't take much sometimes. Note that in my rant above, it was only the MODEL of tire that was truly different. The front and rear sizes were absolutely as specified for the model. It was simply new Pilot Sports on the front, and half worn Pilot Sport AS on the rear...

 

[gsxr]

Front: 245/45R17 <--This is what I currently have now. Pilot Sport A/S3 99V
Rear: 275/40R17 <--Will this size fit on a 9J x 17H2? I'm currently running 255/40R17 94V making the Circumference -2.7% off of OEM with Revs/Mile +2.8%.

Yes - both Conti and Michelin show the acceptable wheel width range as 9-11" for the 275/40/17 tire. However, I'm not sure if the A/S3 is available in that size...

 

[gsxr]

It really doesn't take much sometimes. Note that in my rant above, it was only the MODEL of tire that was truly different. The front and rear sizes were absolutely as specified for the model. It was simply new Pilot Sports on the front, and half worn Pilot Sport AS on the rear...

I think we need to hear more of this story, Klink!

 

[Glen]

It sounds like the computer is more sensitive to smaller rear circumference than fronts.

 

[makemann]

Yes - both Conti and Michelin show the acceptable wheel width range as 9-11" for the 275/40/17 tire. However, I'm not sure if the A/S3 is available in that size...

Yes, it looks like they're not available in that size. Although if I run 255/45R17 on the rear, I'll only be about 1% off from OE. Thanks for the help.

 

[Klink]

That is cruel.

Okay, I got a mirror, sat in some frozen slush and made out the following:

Both wheels read, "Made In Germany"
Front wheel: 8J x 17H2 (did not see an ET#)
Rear wheel: 9J x 17H2 (again, no ET#)

If I'm reading the Tire Size Conversion chart correctly, and using 225/55R16 as the OEM size, I should have the following sized tires:

Front: 245/45R17 <--This is what I currently have now. Pilot Sport A/S3 99V
Rear: 275/40R17 <--Will this size fit on a 9J x 17H2? I'm currently running 255/40R17 94V making the Circumference -2.7% off of OEM with Revs/Mile +2.8%.

Let me know if I am interpreting this correctly please.

Yes - both Conti and Michelin show the acceptable wheel width range as 9-11" for the 275/40/17 tire. However, I'm not sure if the A/S3 is available in that size...

And that's the bugaboo here. The PSAS is not available in 17" in anything that large. A number of other tires are however, as Gixxer pointed out.

That still may not be enough to put you right, as the wheel offsets may be something that rubs with an adaquately sized rear tire, which likely explains the undersized tires that were fitted when you got it.

Dollars to donuts, they got the wheels first 'cause they always do: it's ALWAYS wheels first, ask questions later. They subsequently discovered the lack of joy. Then they ran the biggest tire they could in the rear without obnoxious rubbing. Then they shrank the fronts untill it worked. If my experience is any indication, that is EXACTLY what happened. Now your shop fitted the correct size fronts, and the lurking condition blows up on you like a Taliban bomb...
In the immortal words of Tommy Boy, "I've seen it a hundred times".

Here's hoping I am wrong, but in the worst possible case, you need wheels and there's lots of them about...