mheglin

Hi,

Looking for feedback. Vehicle been to dealer severals times. Right front lower along with right rear when vehicle measured. Cause? Dealer replaced accumulator in rear not ABC pump. Had new pump on but removed when didnt fix problem.

Vehicle has problem with fishtailing. Dealer rodeoed and said nothing wrong with abc or suspension. Any feedback on what would cause lean or lower on right side? Thanks

Ifari

The dealer is messing with you. Get them to recalibrate the ride height and top up the ABC fluid to get rid of the fishtailing. If that does not work, then you probably need a ride height sensor.

Is the lean when parked or when driving?

mheglin

It leans running or when shut off. Not sure if when driving. Fishtailing on small bumps and manhole covers. Dealer put new tires on but hasnt fixed fishtail. Will check abc level. Thanks Ifari.

Ifari

Did they flush the system and then RODEO?
The flush and Rodeo should have corrected the problem.
If not, then you may need a Valve Block replacement.....BUT.....try the ride height calibration first...BECAUSE...it is the LESS expensive option.

On second thought, since the dealer said there is no problem with the suspension......the ride height calbration alone should do the trick.

Best.....

ataie

ok, almost same issue here. after sitting for a day right front lowers. when the car is started the warning says ABC, car too low, stop. I press the hight adjustment and the car instantly rises up and stays up once the the raise light is turned off. no oil leak or the suspension.

I had to replace a air shock on my 02 S500 but these cars have ABC. so is it still air shock or it's fluid in the there? any assistance on the overnight drop would be appreciated.

02 CL500

tusabes

ever figure out what was the problem?

saintz

CL will have ABC, not airmatic. If a corner drops overnight, it can be either a leaking strut or leaking valve block.

If there are no leaks and the reservoir level doesn't drop, you're probably looking at a valve block leak. You can choose to fix or live with it sagging overnight. Even Mercedes says that if it sags after a week, this is normal, so it's really just about how quickly it sags.

If the fluid level is dropping in the reservoir, you have a strut leak. This is more serious because if all the fluid leaks out, you'll run the pump dry and burn it out.

ataie

no leak from the strut - so mine has to be valve block. prices are a little rediculous, so I'm just going to live with it. it's ok if driven every day, but you can see the right front lowered if sits more than ONE freakin day. Love the car, but not sure why mercedes has to do these crap. we also have a 05 BMW 745Li no air shocks, and the car handles and drives excellent. stupid airmatic on S-class and these ABC on CLs & SLs

mf219

Mine also fishtails- surprising for a car that's supposed to handle as well as these. I also tried getting new tires and it didn't seem to help. I did top off my ABC fluid recently, it was nearly a liter low. We'll see if that solves the problem, not sure why it would?

Babs1305

My 2003 Cl500 seems to fishtail slightly. Feels like loose rear end when hitting small bumps or manhole covers. curious to find out what happens.

mf219

I've heard a number of members describe this fishtailing, yet no one's offered an explanation. Any ideas?

saintz

First, do you have proper width tires on the rear? When I had too wide tires on the rear, it would squirm.

The hydraulic suspension on the CL seems to react differently than conventional coil springs. It doesn't give in the same way, and I believe that causes more squirm. If it bounces side to side and returns back to the center, I would consider that squirm. If it pulls drastically to one side or the other, that's more fishtailing.

What are people seeing more of?

bzliteyear

i had this like yours - sadly, the writing is on the wall and there's definitely a leak. for me, it lasted 1-2 months and then eventually the RED "STOP" happened - i had to replace both the pump, and the valve block, and then flush/replace fluid, and rodeo...after mkt warranty paid for about 1/2, but it was VERY expensive.

Bo CL500

I get a warning that says "ABC Visit Shop" it's not in red letters and I it goes away when I turn the car off and back on and adjust the level. My mechanic told me not to worry about it unless it happens all the time because it's not in red letters the warning sign. is this true?

saintz

Do you feel the car raise or wobble when you turn it on if that message appears? How long does the car have to sit undriven before that message appears?

Bo CL500

yes it does when i start the car, it use to take several days before the car starts to sink, but not it's only a few hours and sometimes it sinks when im driving it.

saintz

Ok, that's a problem then. Check the reservoir (drivers side, near the head light). If it's low, your strut has a very bad leak. If it's full, your valve block has a very bad leak. I would suggest getting that fixed, because if the suspension drops while driving, you could have safety issues, or at the least, might damage some other part of the car.

Skip the dealer and try to find a very competent Mercedes repair shop near you. Call them and ask if they can repair and rodeo an ABC suspension. If they say "no" (or "huh?") then ask if they know anyone that can.

Bo CL500

Thanks, but will the warning sign ever turn RED? or will it always stay white? they did the flush and rodeo and said that if its just a valve it cannot get any worse if dont dont want to repair it now. We know its the ABC because there are no leaks and reservoir was fool.

Babs1305

I checked my tires and the rear on 03' Sport package are 275/40/18. I did see that factory are 265/40/18. Could this be causing the squirming effect? Your right it doesn't seem like a fishtail but more of a squirm. Anyone who knows more let me know.

saintz

10 mm difference shouldn't cause much squirm. If you had 285 or 295, I would say that could do it. Never know, though. What brand tires and inflation?

Do you notice it on concrete freeway joints?

Babs1305

I'm using Bridgestone Potenza and inflation is about perfect. I understand where you are going with the highway dividers but I don't remember noticing a difference. The shimmy effect I get is slight and I never gave it a second thought until reading some of the posts that mentioned it. I know this is a different suspension but I used to have a Chevy Lumina that had a broken control arm and it did the same thing. Just a thought. Let me know if you have any other ideas. I'm about to get all new tires. I was thinking about the Michelin Pilot Sports. Ideas on tires?

mf219

My 2004 CL500 has Continental tires: 225/55/17 front and rear.
The fishtail effect is more noticeable when I hit a bump in the road or manhole while turning, but my rear end slides out sometimes when I accelerate while turning. It even happened once when I went into an offramp too hot --> scary stuff.
Inflation is 29/32 as per manufacturers recommendation. I'm at 34/34 now as the dealer told me to use higher pressure in winter.

Babs1305

I have never noticed a fishtail while accelerating but I drive like a grandma. I usually feel it when I'm going over an isolated rough bump.It's very hard to describe but it seems like the back tires are aimed a different direction than the front (even though they aren't). After the shimmy feel its like the rear end slides back to the left then straightens out.

saintz

Possibly I'm misunderstanding, but if you go into a turn too hot, or get too hot on the throttle when cornering, and the rear slides out, that means there's something wrong with your driving, not with the car. Even the 500 motor has enough to power slide.

I would consider an actual problem to be hitting a divider or pothole, under coasting throttle, while going straight, and having the car squirm back and forth in the back end.

mf219

ha ha. OK, maybe my driving's not that great. That was a one time deal, probably should have left it out. My problem is that the *** end slides out under normal acceleration, usually while making a left hand turn- it's happened several times. I also noticed a similar phenomenon while going over a bump in the road, usually on a curve. It feels like the rear end is losing traction and the whole car is sliding. This happens on dry pavement.