vmystikilv

As it says. Walked outside and looked at my car and noticed that it looked good. To good. Car was sitting just a little to low. Got in the car and drove for about 100 miles today and while the car rode fine, there was something wrong. I just knew it. Went to the dealer and they were going to check it in tomorrow so I drove home. Some where in between this time I noticed that the airmatic raise button didnt work. It would just stay on. Sprayed the soapy water trick, no bubbles. Car does not drop an inch overnight whatsoever. Finally pop the fuse cover and saw a blown fuse. replaced and car raised right up. I then looked on the message board and saw there was an updated relay that says "hella" (mines says "tyco"). So I got two extra fuses and one relay and hopefully that will be the end of my problems. If I get another problem, major or minor, I am going the conversion route. I love the car to much to get rid of it (3rd day of owning) and for 800 bucks I would never have to think about the suspension on this car again, for me, its worth it. Nothing leaks, nothing drops overnight, the compressor was changed in late 03 at 43,000 miles. Now has 100k. Any idea what caused the fuse to blow? Everything seems to be working perfectly. The struts in the front within the last 50k miles were replaced also. How long are they suppose to last? I really want to know why that fuse blew.

4matic

phew!!!

haha how relieved were/are u...

vmystikilv

Still a little unsettled. I use to have a ML that would blow its aux fan fuse like every 3 months. That, I can live with. What I dont want is to wake up tomorrow and the same fuse is blown after a spirited drive. Car rode perfect all night tonight though and I checked the fuse again and its still good. I still want to know if its something that happens every now and then or is there something I need to be looking for.

4matic

hmm yeah thats a great point...hopefully just a fluke and not a reoccuring instance

i guess time will tell..

vmystikilv

Yup, time will tell if I buy these. I wanted to share the link in case anyone wants to go down my road

http://www.strutmasters.com/catalog.php?cat=57

Somewhere I saw a post about an individual wanting to convert and everyone blasted the guy on everything for you cant afford to play then dont buy one or the other one was if you cant afford to fix it buy a Honda. I guess I will toss my two cents in. I have had prob 4 range rovers 3 of which had air suspension. Dont get me wrong, I love it. I think its a great thing. The only reason I do not buy a new model range rover is because there is not conversion to get like all the others made until 2002(which is why I now drive ML's ). I am the type of guy that wants to hop in his car everyday and just enjoy it. I can do simple to medium repairs on cars and I can also afford to drop it off at the dealer anytime I want. My issue with air suspension is not that it takes so much money to repair but, when one thing goes, it all goes, and in sections. I have the money but I dont have the time to make a trip after trip to a dealer or independent every other month to fix the same system over and over in different sections. If I can spend 1000 bucks and never and I mean NEVER have to worry about it again. Yeah, I think thats a piece of mind thats worth it. I dont want to drop 1500 on fixing a section only to be wondering when the next 1500 dollar sections is going to go. I have been the guy sitting on the floor changing an airbellow in my garage at night. I've been the guy that drops his car at the dealership only to be terrified on the bill and had to just do it anyway. An for anyone that says its not a S class after that I beg to differ. The 90's S class was excellent in everyway and it was on coils. Plus last time I checked there were at least anywhere form 100-1000 patents on this car besides the air suspension that make it a mercedes. If it sounds like im griping, I am not. I just making my point and getting ready for anyone to rebutle me on choosing the quick...easy...painless... and reliabling proven way out.

Hey 4matic. Ever raise that thing up and go off road, lol. I saw a youtube video of a S class doing that and i was in such disbelief. While I have no serious use for it and if the weather is bad I just drive the ML I am curious as to the performance in the Rain. I could care much less about snow and off road but is there a significant improvment when driving in say a thunderstorm?

Quadcammer

Let me be the first to give you a proper beating over this paragraph.

The w220 S-Class was designed with an air suspension (or abc, but lets leave that alone for now). If you replace the air suspension with standard coil springs/struts from a company I've never heard of, you will have changed the very nature of the car. The W140 was designed with coil springs, and lets not forget that it had 16 inch wheels with about a 55 series tire, giving it a smooth ride. The primary reason the 220 rides so smoothly even with big wheels is that air suspension.

You speak about the airmatic breaking in sections, and that applies to anything. A standard coiled springed car can still have strut wear and failure on various corners. That said, remanufactured struts are about $400.

Airmatic is not a complicated system mechanically. If you have a new relay, fairly new struts/pump, then stop worrying. If you have fuse or electrical problems, then don't blame it on the suspension.

Its a sealed system. If you fix problems immediately, no other failures occur. Its the people who see the car dropping, but just hit the "raise" button for several months that end up crying because they had to replace the pump as well as a strut.

If you stay on top of it, airmatic is not an unreliable system. If you let leaks go and ignore noises and symptoms, you deserve what you get.

Why ruin a 220 with a slapped together coil spring kit. Just buy a W140 or a Lexus if you want to get-in-and-go.

If my airmatic breaks, I'll go straight to the dealer, have them fix it and pay the bill. Once thats done, I'll continue to enjoy the smooth comfortable ride the air supension provides. If you are unwilling or unable to do so, or are afraid of what might happen, then maybe you purchased the wrong vehicle.

Quadcammer

and to be quite frank, I wouldn't put this on a golf cart, much less an S-Class:

4matic

lol! nah...never been offroading with it haha...although me and my buddies were talking about starting to rally...where i came across this (second pic down) http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mercedes-glk/ke2078.html


anyways...i have raised it in thunderstorms and such...but mainly because i hate going through huge puddles and feeling all that water brush up underneath my car and honestly i did notice just a better feel...in the rain...

hows the car doin today? any..."flukes"? lol

vmystikilv

Ill be the first person to drop by a dealer if anything goes wrong. I still brought it this morning and according to them, they say no problems. "They say". If you think that putting coils on a S class will ruin what a s class is suppose to mean. I think you need to research your car a little more. The amount of safety systems that are in place along with the crumple zones are ten times more important to me than the air suspension. The style combined with comfort and safety are the most important things to me and why i bought a s class. Not because it can go up and down. I bought the right vehicle and plan on keeping for quite some time.

You right though, the system is not complicated at all. Its actually easier than the range rover. Also, the advice on a lexus, thanks. I have an Acura that I drive everyday. I have owned a lexus and the car is just a little to boring and not very attractive either.

vmystikilv

Hey 4matic. I brought it to the dealer this morning and they say everything is perfect. I had already changed the fuse and relay and the pump and suspension checked perfectly. So for now, I will keep enjoying

Its impossible to find a 4 matic down here in the south. If I had saw one that was easy to go get I prob would have bought it.

Quadcammer

Um, well, whats important to you isn't necessarily the point of the car. Yes, an S-class is known for safety...just like just about every other full size luxury car. When the 220 came out, it was one of the first cars to have an adjustable air suspension. Thats part of what made it special as opposed to the lower MB classes and cars like the 7 series and ls4xx.

Crumple zones? Name a car made in the past 10 years that doesn't have crumple zones. Thats like saying you bought an S-class because it has seats and doors.

The fact that it can "go up and down" has nothing to do with the overall benefits of the airmatic, one of which is the comfort that you mention.

vmystikilv

Um, well, whats important to me is the reason and point to MY car. There are also plenty of full size luxury cars that have no where near the level of safety and comfort that the S class mercedes has. When the 220 came out it definitely was "not" one of the first cars with air suspension, maybe the first mercedes. Both Range Rover and the Ford motor company(lincoln) beat them to it. BTW, if no one knew the late 70's 6.9 mercedes has hydropneumatic suspension which worked off nitrogen gas and not air. Either way, my point is, the 220 series mercedes it not and no where near the first. The previous 140 series was suppose to have air suspension but mercedes at that time felt that they couldnt make it reliable and decided to scrap it and go to coils. Crumble zones, seats, doors, Thats funny. But, I did buy an s class because they have seats, seats that adjust lumbar support for the ruptured disc in my back plus, the comfort of being able to slide the bottom lumbar all the way back to keep my spine perfectly articulate while driving(im not old, just had a really fun childhood). The fact that they can heat and cool and so on is nice also but to just call it a seat. Thats like calling mark twain a writer or the titanic a ship. (wasnt this a mercedes commercial once upon a time) As far as the doors, yet again, doors are equipped with airbags, automatic close assist which is still not found on a lot of luxury cars, and the dual pane windows in that door that keep the interior nice and quiet. So yes, I bought a S class because of "its" seats and doors along with a whole list of other reasons.

Up and down, I was making a joke. Some will laugh. You didn't. I will, however, trade reliability for comfort, to an extent. If I felt that the coils would screw the ride up to the point it would make it uncomfortable i would in a heart beat rebuild that entire air system cost no option. However, in my history of autos, doing such a conversion does not sacrifice the ride comfort. At least to the point to were I would feel unpleasant. Surprisingly, in actuality, it's easier to sale a range rover if the conversion has been done because potential resale buyers that know those cars know that it will cost them money down the road. Wether or not it would raise or lower the value of my s class. I don't care. My cars are important to me. Wether or not someone else appreciates is nice when the do but irrelevant if it they dont.

Quadcammer

honestly, I don't care if you want to run old twigs for suspension components.

Lincoln had an air suspension but it wasn't adjustable. Range Rovers are not cars.

Feel free to do what you like. I'll think you're hacking up a nice car, but I guess since you paid for it, you can do what you like.

enjoy.

vmystikilv

Trust me, if it turns out bad then I'll be the first to email you and say you are right. We are all S Class owners here for whatever reason we all have it and hopefully enjoy it. You, I , and all of us im sure enjoy are cars very much. I saw a few designo ones when I was searching for a s class but I didnt know they made sport and designo together. Do you have any pictures on here. I would be very interested to see the color combo, I bet it looks quite nice.

Quadcammer

sure:

vmystikilv

Absoluting gorgous car, WOW. I never knew you could get both a sport and a designo together. I just noticed....Why does everyone have 4 matic but me? I have seen one in my life (s class with 4 matic) and its funny that both you and 4matic have it. But yours, absoluting perfect!!

Quadcammer

thank you.

your car looks very nice too with those wheels. I do really like it when people stick with oem type wheels.

Freiberg75

having spent nearly 20k on air suspension, and now starting back replacing stuff that was already replaced once... coil struts sound like a good option.

I would like keep my 600 maybe take to the track as a weekend toy, but I need to feel that it was reliable instead of just a ABC money pit.

Quadcammer

abc is not an air suspension

newguy2008

Thanks, this is tempting but they don't have anything for the ML series.