Power steering problems

[Dr.Drew]

First question is, is there a different damper or shock on amg cars with the wider tires,

Second my steering is really inconsistant day to day could it be poor power steering fluid, how do you change it any DIY 'S

Third all of suden i am getting vibration at 120km/h, checked all the tires they have weights on them any other ideas ?

just had an aligment done so everything should be in spec.

[Abuimad]

well, my power stearing when i first bought the car was really bad, it felt really heavy, and the fluid was fine, apparently there is something called a power stearing pump...wich i changed and the steering worked fine, the pump here in lebanon cost me 150 dollars
as for the shaking...dont know, does it shake alone or on braking ?

[jnolte]

damn drew you car got problems

[Dr.Drew]

my car is a nightmare honest to god if i didnt fix 90 percent of the problems my self i might as well just leave it at the dealer

[benzfan]

I seem to recall the damper is the same for all 202 and 210, and perhaps a couple of other models too, but you might want to confirm that with a dealer. Changing the damper will partially mask an underlying problem. You say that the alignment is good. I would have the balance checked. You may want to carefully spin each wheel on the machine by hand first just to check that they are all true, tires included. Tires can wear out of round after a while with a balance problem, and at that point, only a new one will help. Cheaper aftermarket rims may not be drilled in the center. I have seen several so far out that they had to be sent back to the distributor as useless. Tire belts can also separate internally. You may want to find a shop that will do a high-speed balance on the car. It really can help to pinpoint tire problems.

As for your power steering pump, they do go bad sometimes. Checking fluid level will indicate if there is a leakage problem that you need to find first.

[Abuimad]

well i took it that a custamry balance is always done when getting the alighnment, but if you didnt do a balance then its a must, cause when i got my rimms, i didnt do a balance till after a whole week, and everytime i would get over 110 km/h (65) the steering wheel would shake

[Dr.Drew]

new tires and amg rims not crappy aftermarket they were fine a few days ago.

[Abuimad]

even if the rimms are new, and the tires are new, u still need to get a balance done, im pretty sure thats ur problem, or at least i hope it is, because its the cheapest thing to fix...
good thread on this is
http://www.club202.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62&highlight=wheel+balance

[Dr.Drew]

tires are ballanced fool i think i know what i am talking about i wouldnt post if my tires wernt ballance read at the top it says i check the weights.

[benzfan]

I understand, but the presence of weights does not necessarily mean that the balance is correct. It can change significantly as the tire wears.

[Abuimad]

fool u said u checked..... were saying take it to be checked using a damn machine

[c280nz]

yea as tires wear they can get out of balance, not always but if you are getting vibration i would reccomend a wheel balance from a shop? im not sure in all that abuse flyin around above if you said u got a balance done or not?
well that would be my first checking point anyway, if you take it back to the shop you bought the tires off and see if theyl do it again for free cos say they cocked it up first time.
imo anyway man!

[benzfan]

The other thing(s) to check on the 202 are lower suspension arm pivot bushings and lower ball joints. Both wear quickly on the 202, especially with wider wheels and spirited driving. Both can have a very large effect on that highway speed vibration.

Also, are you getting a pronounced vibration when you hit the brakes from a speed above normal highway speed (150km/hr or so)? If so, adjusting your wheel bearing preload can improve things too. Just another inexpensive thing to check.

Don't get discouraged. A few years ago, my wife's car got to that age where everything seemed to go. I spent almost $10,000 that year (including new wheels and tires), but since that, it has been trouble free. Since then, I've also learned a lot about the 202 and do most of the work myself.

[Hotbasco]

All of these items can create a "vibration." I replaced the bushings and it was like a new car. Additionally, I've discovered my vibration was due to bad steering damper. This fit on the steering system and controls irritating vibrations. $48 and two bolts. Good luck.

[Denlasoul]

Originally posted by Hotbasco
$48 and two bolts. Good luck.
You can find it for like $25 shipped on ebay.