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Hesitation when the pedal is to the floor

20242 Views 47 Replies 22 Participants Last post by  TZ-MI
I've been doing some reading in some other forums besides this one and this is an interesting situation that some people are experiencing (including myself) When I floor the pedal while in D, I get about a 1-2 second hesitation before the car takes off. I know I can hold the auto-stick to the left and I will move into the gear best for acceleration. When I do that, I get no hesitation at all. The thing that I'm wondering is if this symptom goes away around 1500 miles. Some people claim that it does, I only have 850 miles on my C so I don't know if it will eventually go away or not. I remember a thread earlier in which people said the car "woke up" between 1000-1500 miles. I'm wondering if anyone on this board noticed the hesitation before the car hit 1500 and now is gone after the mileage count.
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My car has 1600 miles. Today I passed two vehicles on a two lane hiway starting at
60mph. As I passed vehicle # 2, i looked down at the speedo and it read "100". I then pointed this out to my wife who had the predictable reaction - but we were both amazed as it seemed like we were doing about 80.

There was absolutely no hesitation and never has been when flooring it. It just
goes like a bat out of hell. ;)
Does it feel like a tranny hesitation? If so, that will never go away! That is how that MBZ tranny operates. It is common post on the MB forums. I have had two Mercedes with this tranny and they both do it. My 98 E430 and my 02 E55 both feel like the tranny is spooling up the engine power and then letting it loose. :confused: :(
It definitely feels like tranny hesitation. If I just drop the gear by holding the stick to the left then no hesitation at all. Only in auto do I get it. I actually expect it to be there, the thing I was curious about is someone said it went away after 1000-1500 miles (in another forum). I was just wondering if anyone in here could confirm.
On my two different C test drives I noticed the hesitation, I believe most notably from a dead stop. I own a turbo, and the C's hesitation is very similar to turbo lag.
That hesitation makes a big difference when running the 1/4 mile. Like others suggested, by holding the stick to the left it is usually eliminated and that leads to better times.
I have it and it is not only from a dead stop but when accelerating hard from any speed. I am getting fed up with this car, I do not think it is tranny, the computer is getting in the way of performance BIG time.
Test 1,Standing start in "D", ESP "ON", instant response, lays out about 20 feet. Test 2, ESP "OFF", instant response, BURNS RUBBER all the way through 1ST! BOTH TIRES! Then before shifting to 2ND the electronic throttle backs off for an instant to save the trans.....chirps a little through 2ND , pulls GREAT....OK that was FUN! Reminds me of some of my previous "440" powered muscle cars!
Just to add, I only get this hesitation when cruising at a speed and then smashing the pedal while in "D". Acceleration is strong from a stand still with no hesitation at all either in "D" or manual mode. I'm just curious if anyone can report different behavior both before and after 1500 miles... I'm almost positive mine is due to tranny hesitation.
standing start

arnoldw said:
Test 1,Standing start in "D", ESP "ON", instant response, lays out about 20 feet. Test 2, ESP "OFF", instant response, BURNS RUBBER all the way through 1ST! BOTH TIRES! Then before shifting to 2ND the electronic throttle backs off for an instant to save the trans.....chirps a little through 2ND , pulls GREAT....OK that was FUN! Reminds me of some of my previous "440" powered muscle cars!
arnoldw. during your tests do you rev up with brakes on? if so, what rpm?
James, I simply floored it, no brakies! (3500 miles on the car now)
Umm. . .

Mine doesn't do that.

I've driven a couple and none of them did that.

What'd you do, put a 50 shot on it?
Musta been a good day....it kinda surprised me actually, but on the other hand you would think that a low 14 sec. car should be capable. I'll have to try it again....
i have noticed the 1 second or so hesitation when flooring it in drive from dead stop. i haven't tried it holding stick to left yet. wonder if the hesitation is normal? i forgot, i got 2500 miles on odometer.
I drive pretty hard but nothing like you guys, you all must have lease cars you plan to give back in a few years. For $10 I could go to National Trails drag strip for a run but I bought this baby and plan to keep for 7yrs. I drove an old 6.3 MB too hard and tore up the flex disc in the drive shaft.
II kings 9:20 said:
I drive pretty hard but nothing like you guys, you all must have lease cars you plan to give back in a few years. For $10 I could go to National Trails drag strip for a run but I bought this baby and plan to keep for 7yrs. I drove an old 6.3 MB too hard and tore up the flex disc in the drive shaft.
LOL..no i bought mine, and i keep all my cars for about ten years. however, i do drive them moderately hard at times. BUT, i do keep my oil clean.
:) I bought my car in April, have over 12k on it now and I find no hesitation what so ever. I normally don't put this many miles on my cars, but I find I just can't stay outside of the thing! Whenever the wife and kids leave me alone for any length of time, I jump in and go for a drive! Stressed, get in and go for a drive, can't sleep, get in and go for a drive.... I could go on, but you get the picture!
I have to leave a side note, those 12k miles aren't all babied either. I bought the car to drive it and enjoy it. With the amount I paid, I plan on enjoying it and certainly have! I probably won't keep it 7 years, but I do plan on having one type <coughSRT8cough> of LX over the next 10 years! :cool:
II kings 9:20 said:
I drive pretty hard but nothing like you guys, you all must have lease cars you plan to give back in a few years. For $10 I could go to National Trails drag strip for a run but I bought this baby and plan to keep for 7yrs. I drove an old 6.3 MB too hard and tore up the flex disc in the drive shaft.
HA...bought mine too. Why buy a 340hp. hemi and just baby it? I'm sure that with the computer babysitting everything, the only damage would be the rear tires. ;) :p :D :)
Commonbelief said:
:) I bought my car in April, have over 12k on it now and I find no hesitation what so ever. I normally don't put this many miles on my cars, but I find I just can't stay outside of the thing! Whenever the wife and kids leave me alone for any length of time, I jump in and go for a drive! Stressed, get in and go for a drive, can't sleep, get in and go for a drive.... I could go on, but you get the picture!
I have to leave a side note, those 12k miles aren't all babied either. I bought the car to drive it and enjoy it. With the amount I paid, I plan on enjoying it and certainly have! I probably won't keep it 7 years, but I do plan on having one type <coughSRT8cough> of LX over the next 10 years! :cool:
I UNDERSTAND...i have to exert extreme self-control to leave it alone at times.
Arnoldw, I don't fully understand how you are getting your 300C to light the rear tires through first gear. Mine just doesn't do anything near that in the street. I do however, believe it has A LOT to do with the asphalt compound. In Southern California, the Asphalt is not smooth but has all sort's of little chunks of rock in it. However, in parking lot's where the aslphalt coated over I've really made some fireworks with the rear tires.

Quite frankly, I with I could get the similar fireworks on the street. It's a great headrush.
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