Mercedes-Benz M-class (ML320, ML350, ML500 and ML55) 2005 and earlier

bob259 · January 2001

ramesh: Did you install the bug deflector? If so that will contribute to the mirrors shaking. When you add the bug deflector the low air pressure that develops behind the deflector causes the turblance to say boil over and down the sides and top of the vehicle. My mirrors were fine till I added the bug deflector, then I noticed the vibration. This didn't concern me because I've had several Pickup's and knew this would happen.

biker5 · January 2001

Hi, Ramesh,
I have a suggestion on your problem ,if you didn't try it yet. Try this one....Fold your MIRROR ALL THE WAY AND PUT IT OUT IN A NORMAL POSITION THIS TYPE OF TECHNIQUE WORKS ON MINE. Try it a couple of times...Let me know.

kingscorpian · January 2001

The nav system is great but it is divided in 10 CD's and you only get the CD for the region in which you live. This is why I am willing to trade with other 2001 ML430 owners in a different region. If you have any questions feel free to mail me.

scott902 · January 2001

I would like to see the next ML offer a bit larger SUV, equal in space to Sequioa or landcruiser? Any word on this happening. My next SUV will have to be larger than I have now.

dt77 · January 2001

yeah, sometimes at the car wash, the guys manually fold in the mirrors without using the button in the ML. and when u manually push them back out to the original position, the mirrors are not as tightly held in place if they were done auotmatically with button. so many a time, as bike5 suggests, you'll have to use the button and 'reset' the mechanism inside. so just fold in and out and it should be good.

dt77

dt77 · January 2001

my whine was no where near fingernail stratching

and only audible when ML is stationary.

dt77

dt77 · January 2001

pretty interesting forum on lighting on philips.com

http://www.lighting.philips.com/forum/forum_6/wwwall.htm

dt77

biker5 · January 2001

dt77, thanks for adding some more info...i should say use the button to fold the mirror in and out.

biker5

drew_ · January 2001

Yikes! Make sure they don't do that as it can ruin the mechanism inside. There is a warning in the owner's manual IRT this, I believe. I know a couple of S-class owners that had their mirrors broken that way; of course the car wash had to foot the (expensive) bill for the mirrors.

Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

ramesh · January 2001

I don't have a bug guard (had one on the 91' Exploder traded for 01-ML430). I was planning to put the bug guard but now, I will not until I resolve the mirror shake.

I have numerous times, folded the mirror all the way in and out (did it once before the test drive with the tech.). It holds until the next time I start the vehicle and get onto to the highway.

Most of the driving has been in the city and on highway on the max about 30-45 minutes at a stretch (mostly sitting in traffic). I was planning to go to Tahoe last weekend but then the family fell sick. Planning to do it this weekend.

My dealer just called me and informed me that they have the color matched running boards available for 01 with M6, but he is waiting for the large brush guard to become available. Once both are available, I am planning to get them installed.

Unfortunately missed out on the Xenon option as my 01 was already manufactured when I became aware of the option!

Did notice a slight improvement in the mileage with the 3rd row seats removed. Now average around 16mpg instead of 14-15mpg.

Nav. system is not aware of my brothers house address though it was built 11 years ago!

Also, does not find the shortest route and for one particular address, it takes past 880 (from 84) and then back over 880 on a different road to get to my friends house (7 miles more than the short route)!

Other wise, for most major routes (Airport, Hospital, School, etc) works fine.

Need to play more with the Nav. System.

Thanks for all the input.

..Ramesh

dt77 · January 2001

acutally, I could've sworn it was acutally ok to manually fold them in ... ? i'll go check manuall

it's happened like twice. now i always fold them in with button before i go carwash.

dt77

cindy29 · January 2001

My driver side mirror also shakes at highway speeds. 'ooML430. I have been using the switch to open and close it which seems to work. I'll ask the dealer when I bring it in next week for the brake squeal. Getting worse and worse since 220 miles on the odo. Now I am at 2400 and am unsure of the right fix.

Do I have the pads and rotors replaced at the risk of a "softer" pedal or just have them "deglaze" and will this be a temporary fix?

ometofu · January 2001

Drew, can I simply order that extra seal and install it myself on my 99ML?

Anyone retrofited the 2000 door seal to 99ML? Any noise improvement?

Drew, do you have the part number for all 4 doors? thanks.

wmquan · January 2001

Are available at:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hot/rollover/

The bad news is that they have only released the ratings for a limited number of vehicles. E.g. the MDX, ML, RX300, etc. are not in there. Worse yet, within the next few months they'll rate many more but only the RX300 was mentioned as being one of the upcoming ones.

Doubtless that these ratings are very controversial. They do not account for differences in vehicle dynamics, e.g. suspension stiffness, tires, and many other factors that may contribute to rollover.

It's important that a reader remember that the rating is for the likelihood of rollover (based on a purely static factor) ONCE YOU CRASH. It does not rate the likelihood of entering such a crash.

Some other interesting items:

- The Honda Accord was the only rated vehicle with a 5 star rating.

- Most SUV's that did get ratings were 1-3 stars.

- The NHTSA thinks enough of electronic stability control systems that, with the rollover resistance rating, it will publish an additional column specifying if the vehicle has stability control. Sort of a two stars+ rating.

NHTSA's FAQ states the following:

"What makes Electronic Stability Control (ESC) promising is the possibility that with its aid many drivers will avoid running off the road and having a single vehicle crash in the first place. However, ESC cannot keep a vehicle on the road if its speed is simply too great for the available traction and the maneuver the driver is attempting, or if road departure is a result of driver inattention. In these cases, a single vehicle crash will happen, and the rollover resistance rating will apply as it does to all vehicles in the event of a single vehicle crash."

Thus, stability control is viewed as a positive, enough to list with the star ratings, even though it does not have a direct effect on the star ratings.

drew_ · January 2001

Ouch! That's quite pricey, isn't it! Will you be going for it? FWIW, Canadian models have had it as a factory option (with or without the skidplate) since MY2K. Price is about the same.

Several owners have gone Boston Acoustics tweeters mounted at the corners of the dash by the A-pillars, or in the sail panels in the doors themselves.

drew_ · January 2001

Nordleth sells two different EGR hood deflectors for the ML. I think most people have the less pricey unit (the EGR Superguard). I wonder if the other will make a difference WRT the mirrors? What puzzles me is if the hood deflector causes the vibration (common at high speeds on other vehicles as you mentioned), why do some MLs only seem to be affected by it? FWIW, my MB Canada deflector doesn't seem to have this effect, if that is indeed the root of the problem.

drew_ · January 2001

A compass feature was added to the trip computer for MY01. That's it! WRT the distance till empty, you can drive all the way to E. A warning light will come on after that, indicating that you're on the reserve fuel (12 litres reserve, specifically; the tank is 72 litres for the ML320/ML430). Time to fill up shortly after that warning light illuminates.

Yes, there is room for the 3rd row. The seats are full-sized with head restraints and 3 point seatbelts. An adult wouldn't want to spend more than about 45 minutes back there though. There was adequate knee and legroom for me - 5'9", shoe size 9.5. However, kids should be just fine.

drew_ · January 2001

Some dealerships have done it as a courtesy (to resolve wind noise issues) for their customers. I'm sure you can install it yourself if you like, but you may need instructions. Drilling is optional. Ken, can you remember if any of the list members have done this?

WRT the seals, have a look at these messages by Omar:
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m9256.html
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m9260.html
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m9340.html

drew_ · January 2001

The next generation ML will be available in long and short wheelbases. However, I'm not sure (don't think) it will be as large as the full-size Ford Expedition/Toyota Sequoia/Chevy Tahoe. At least I hope not! There are plenty of behemoths on the roads already. :-)

drew_ · January 2001

For the previous MLs yes, but I don't believe our power folding ones are designed to be manually folded in. Folding them in before you get to the carwash is a good idea :-p

drew_ · January 2001

I think the new unit should be okay, as long as it doesn't have any problems. Keep an eye on it in any case.

drew_ · January 2001

Yup, I've been doing it in bulk recently :-)

Yes, I saw the coupe. It's a weird vehicle though, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. The Volvo safety concept is also very interesting. I mean, transparent A-pillars using glass bricks inside to maintain structure strength!? Wonder how much that cost! Looks like we'll also be going into 4 and 5 point seat belts in the future. People already refuse to buckle up with a 3 point belt. Can you imagine the 5 point? That hydrogen BMW is very intriguing. I saw a segment on it and the production facility on robTV. I like how it's has two tanks and can run on either regular petrol or hydrogen.

Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

senc · January 2001

I think RBM and Atlanta Classic are owned by the same family(Ellis), so you will probably get the same sales philosophy from each of them. Service will probably be good though. My recollection is that unless you are willing to lay your purse on the table, they are tough to deal with.

senc · January 2001

My '99 ML320 has a strange thumping/knocking noise coming from the front of the sunroof above approx. 65-70 mph. It never seems to repeat for the service dept.(they are not near an open highway). Has anyone experienced that? I do have a deflector(aftermarket) on it and they tell me I need that removed for them to properly diagnose it. By the way, Beck in charlotte gave me great service and vehicle drove better after service at 36k miles than new. Any ideas on the sunroof noise?

kenyee · January 2001

Yes, quite a few folks on the M-Class Mailing List have done it.
Someone is also doing a full writeup w/ pics but I owe him some pics of my ML's door seals so he can post comparison pics. I'm going to clean my ML this weekend so it doesn't look too disgusting for pics. Is your ML clean enough for pics? :-)

chica · January 2001

Wow, I didn't realize there was a button to fold the mirrors. I pulled them back for the car wash and I didn't feel any resistance or anything that would make me think I shouldn't do that. Hope I didn't do any damage.

chica · January 2001

Oh, "enhancement" sounded so important. I didn't realize that was the only change. heh heh! Oh well, if it's accurate, it's still helpful.

The trip comp is supposed to estimate how many miles you have left with the amount of fuel remaining, correct? Does it estimate that on your previous driving-Aggressiveness, speed, AC, starting, stopping frequency etc?

djohnson64 · January 2001

Biker 5
I hear the whine only during braking, especially during backing up.
Have been to the dealership 3 times for this, but I haven't talked to them yet about the fuel filter
David

biker5 · January 2001

Hi!,chica mija, I think you need to read your manual or watch the video one more time before you make any damage to your new toy :-)just kidding...

swimmom · January 2001

Thanks for the info from everyone. I have just decided to pull the plug on one of the most frustrating car buying experiences I could have imagined. In attemtping to lease a new ML, pay cash for a 4matic wagon and trade a 99ML I got nothing but the run around from two of the big MB dealers in Atlanta. I attempted to negotiate most of the deal by phone as I have 3 young kids and arranging to get to the dealers with my husband and arrange sitters is tough. After much pleading on my part I finally got the sales people to give me some prices and when I attemtpted to begin negotiating no one would budge unless I came into the showroom or gave them a credit card# as a good faith deposit on a car. - I felt like I was dealing with a Chevy dealer. The lease rates from MB were outrageous money rates that equate to somewhere in the 11% range for tier 1 financing!!! I just cant believe that they want to make it so tough to sell me $100,000 worth of cars!!! I decided to cool off for a few months and try again in April. Perhaps find a dealer not so local who is more helpful

biker5 · January 2001

David here is onother suggestion fom the old biker. If you have time this weekend try to take your wheel off, both of them and check it your self if...maybe something got stuck in between your brake pad and rotor....On other hand you'll have a training how to take the jack and wrench in case of emergency. That's what i did. let me know..

chica · January 2001

Hey, thanks! I know I can always rely on sound advice from this forum. Now, when I back up & hear a crunching sound, that's just what the gear sounds like in reverse, right?

:P

sydney6 · January 2001

I have a 00320, and noticed the same thing. Took it to the dealer and they fixed it (under warantee)

chica · January 2001

Hey, thanks! I know I can always rely on sound advice from this forum. Now, when I back up & hear a crunching sound, that's just what the gear sounds like in reverse, right?

:P

senc · January 2001

sydney6: Did they tell you what was causing it? My techs can't find it. It only does it about half the time, but on a trip, it's a REAL pain. thanks

senc · January 2001

swimmon: Try Fred Faurer at Rahall-Schmitz MB in Dothan Ala. My brother buys several cars/yr from him on phone and knows several people in Atl. that also do it. He sells alot of cars in Atlanta because people don't like the arrogant'we'll sell it anyway' attitude there. I would say, that, having grown up in a similar business, they all deal with so many people that just call up trying to bargain to get their local dealer down, they don't like dealing with trades on the phone. Conditions of vehicles vary-super clean to you and me means fair condition to them when they see it. Also, they never know if you are another dealer trying to get info. MB dealers are not fond of other dealers selling into their territory either. Even if you buy elsewhere, you will get good service in Atlanta-they get paid to do warranty repairs anyway. If you must try RBM, talk to a guy with last name of Edwards, can't remember his 1st name. My bro. knows him too.

biker5 · January 2001

MIJA, THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE, HOPE I DID NOT OFFEND YOU ON MY POST...BTW, YOU WON'T HEAR THE CRUNCHING SOUND UNLESS YOU HAVE A STICK SHIFT. I BET YOUR SATURN IS A STICK, RIGHT....NOT ON YOUR ML..:-)YOU CAN SHIFT IT NICE AND SMOOTH..But if you hear something crunch you better check it...again :-)

sydney6 · January 2001

No, they didn't tell me. I believe, however, that it was related to the pop-up windscreen that deploys as the sunroof is opened. They must have tightend up some screws or something.

Sorry I can't be of more help. I guess you could have your dealer call mine (Hohen in Carlsbad, CA) and ask them if they can help.

Good luck

chica · January 2001

Nah, you didn't offend me, I thought it was funny! That's why I joked back.

What does "MIJA" mean?

BTW- what happened to Spikethedog? I thought he was hilarious!

dt77 · January 2001

there's SHOULDN'T be any crunchin sounds with reversing.

whine can be cause be various things. one thing a senior tech at my dealership told me was DUST. he suggested hosing it down and pumping it later.
it worked initially, but then it came back.

so i brought it to dealer and the brake pads and rotors (Front) were replaced. i did notice that the brake feeling was softer, but nothing to extreme. i don't even notice it anymore.
SA said something along the lines of 'uneven brake wear' - er okaaay.

dt77

dt77 · January 2001

djohnson64,

u say u hear a whine when backing up? hmmm...or squeal ? hehe ...

well, I had both at one point in time so I hope I can help. it seems like the 'whine' yer hearing might be the squeal ? My brake squeal occured when I was braking at low speeds.

the whine was only audible to me when the ML travelling at low speeds or stationary cuz the road noise simply masked the whine. I believe my whine was constant whenever the ML was turned on was NOT LOUD.

brake squeal - dealer replaced front pads and rotors.

ML whine - dealer replaced fuel filter.

dt77

rover96 · January 2001

#794 (Thor3)
Once again thnaks for your detail tips. My car is at the dealer now. I should be able to pick it back up today. They agree to replace the trnasfer case after I strongly complaint & asked for the replacement due to the rear end abnormal vibration. They also replace a bunch of stuff that I asked for (e.g. Wind shield plastic tank cracked, rust lug nuts...) I shall be a happy owner once again, We'll see!!

Now, question. Do the new ML2000 or 2001 model lug nuts still rust after a short period of time? The service manager told me he can't get the silver lug nut(discon). He offer me some black one (6 shorted in silver one). I don't think the black one go with the wheel. I thought MB updated the bad nut with a newer material so they won't rust so easy. Am I wrong? I supspect the service man didn't care to order the new nuts & gave me the left overs. I just want to confirm with you guy. Anybody knows anything about this lug nut problem?

biker5 · January 2001

"MIJA" I'm not spanish but I heard it from my neighbor they called their young daughter "MIJA".
So I asked them and told me MIJA means "Young Daugther" Have a nice Day/Drive Going Home...

kenyee · January 2001

rover96:
The fix *is* to use the black ones. They don't rust :-)

drew_ · January 2001

The vendor supplied MB with a bad batch of lug nuts way back for the MY1998 models and they rusted prematurely. No rusting problems with mine! The service guys should have at least offered you the chrome lugs.

Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

jwomac · January 2001

I have a 2000 ML, and my lug nuts rusted after three or four months. The dealer replaced with new ones (silver) that have done well so far.

dt77 · January 2001

djohnson64,

u say u hear a whine when backing up? hmmm...or squeal ? hehe ...

well, I had both at one point in time so I hope I can help. it seems like the 'whine' yer hearing might be the squeal ? My brake squeal occured when I was braking at low speeds.

the whine was only audible to me when the ML travelling at low speeds or stationary cuz the road noise simply masked the whine. I believe my whine was constant whenever the ML was turned on was NOT LOUD.

brake squeal - dealer replaced front pads and rotors.

ML whine - dealer replaced fuel filter.

dt77

rover96 · January 2001

So you guy were saying there is a new revised material nut out there that MB came up with. It must be new P/N. I wonder why the Service manger don't tell me!!!

djohnson64 · January 2001

I may have been too loose with my terminology when describing the abnormal sound coming from the rear of the car.
It is a high pitch sound similar to what you hear when the brake pads need replacing. In fact, when this noise was first heard, the service advisor immediately blamed the brakes. These were cleaned and the replaced. No improvement.

David

kenyee · January 2001

Drew:
I remember the initial report about the 1998 bad batch, but I could swear we've heard from a few folks on the list that they had to keep replacing them until they got the black ones. I definitely got black ones on my 2001.

Mercedes-Benz M-class (ML320, ML350, ML500 and ML55) 2005 and earlier

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy