I had my 1994 S500 coupe in for service at the local dealer. When I got the car back I noticed the following problem:

There is some play in the steering wheel at low speeds that is particularly noticeable when turning the wheel. This is not exactly a vibration -- I had that problem in the past that was corrected by replacing the caster bushings, so I know that feeling too. This is a bit different -- when driving straight I don't feel i too much, but if I lightly move the wheel from side to side or begin to make a turn there seems to be a little wobble and some play in the steering wheel itself. This sensation is is noticeable mostly at low speeds (normal city driving), but is also present during highway driving.

Unfortunately this is one of those things that is hard to put into words, but I hope my description at least makes some sense. When the car was in for repairs the dealer did the following work:

- Replaced front brake pads and removed all 4 wheels to preform brake inspection
- Rear differential had a leak at the side seals- removed differential, replaced 4 side seals and resealed cover
- Oil level sender leaking- removed oil pan and replaced oil level sender unit

My question: is it possible that somewhere in making the above repairs the dealer contributed to the steering problem I am having? I drive this car often and I'm very in tune to it's driving characteristics, so I'm about 98% sure this problem did not exist before the car went to the dealer.

Someone suggested I check and make sure they did not rotate the wheels. I take great care of the car but unfortunately I grazed a curb a few months ago with my right front wheel and scraped the side of it. Otherwise the other 3 wheels are flawless. I noticed that this wheel with the scrape was now on my front left, so they must have been rotated (of course, this goes against my owners manual, which states that when rotating tires they should always stay on the same side of the car).

I returned to the dealer and had them swap my two front wheels- the one with the scrape is now in it's proper front right position, and I believe the wheel in the left front position is correct based on my (non-expert) analysis of the "feathering" and wear on the tires. This seemed to fix some of the steering wobble I was experiencing, but not 100%.

I'd like some input on this before I bring the car back yet again. Thanks!

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Jonathan Goldstein
'94 S500 coupe
'97 SL320
'01 ML430