Airmatic relay - Swap
02-17-2009, 05:21 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Airmatic relay - Swap
Hi all
I have been reading much about the Airmatic relay that should be changed from the original Siemens type to the newer Hella type.
I purchased this online and have received it today but just wanted to know, do I just pull the old one and replace with new ensuring the pins etc are the correct way round.
Do I need to wait until the car goes to sleep or should I even disconnect the battery.
My suspension has never come up with any warnings but thought to do this preventative measure, to hopefully save problems later.
My car will lift when I start the car and drop when locked and left for around 30 seconds, is this normal? p.s. this has always behaved this way in the 4 1/2 years I have owned it.
My car is a 2000 W220 S500. I have also looked at the tops of the struts, although I cannot see any cracks as such, there may be a slight mark but cannot be sure. (I like to worry myself about these things....)
Any advice on the relay swap would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
I have been reading much about the Airmatic relay that should be changed from the original Siemens type to the newer Hella type.
I purchased this online and have received it today but just wanted to know, do I just pull the old one and replace with new ensuring the pins etc are the correct way round.
Do I need to wait until the car goes to sleep or should I even disconnect the battery.
My suspension has never come up with any warnings but thought to do this preventative measure, to hopefully save problems later.
My car will lift when I start the car and drop when locked and left for around 30 seconds, is this normal? p.s. this has always behaved this way in the 4 1/2 years I have owned it.
My car is a 2000 W220 S500. I have also looked at the tops of the struts, although I cannot see any cracks as such, there may be a slight mark but cannot be sure. (I like to worry myself about these things....)
Any advice on the relay swap would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
02-17-2009, 07:46 AM
#2
Super Member
Hello Kevin. You and I are the same way. I am a new owner and at 4 plus years I consider you a veteran at this and every little creak and movement makes us wonder when instead of enjoying the car. That is a Good thing though because I was able to notice my fuse had blown before the car had even dropped to the ground. I forgot the individuals name but he said if you notice things wrong early then repairs wont be so bad.
To answer you questions you can just go ahead and replace the relay without disconnecting anything. Just pop the hood and pull the old one out and put the new one in. As far as the car dropping, Mines does the same thing. I walk to the front of the car to see itself level out. As long as the car is dropping itself (computer controlled) and only to a certain height dont worry about it. Now, if you walk outside and the car has dropped itself all the way to its bottom then I would be worried. You should be able to tell the difference between the air suspension letting air out and stopping (like mine does) or having a leak and the whole car just drops to the bottom. (I asked the dealer the same question a week ago and that was basically their answer). Hope this helps
To answer you questions you can just go ahead and replace the relay without disconnecting anything. Just pop the hood and pull the old one out and put the new one in. As far as the car dropping, Mines does the same thing. I walk to the front of the car to see itself level out. As long as the car is dropping itself (computer controlled) and only to a certain height dont worry about it. Now, if you walk outside and the car has dropped itself all the way to its bottom then I would be worried. You should be able to tell the difference between the air suspension letting air out and stopping (like mine does) or having a leak and the whole car just drops to the bottom. (I asked the dealer the same question a week ago and that was basically their answer). Hope this helps
02-17-2009, 07:52 AM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Thank you for your reply, most helpful.
I have recently decided to be proactive in all items of the car as I want to keep my S-class and not trade it in for a Eco car just yet, starting with the known to be problematic, Airmatic suspension.
I shall swap the relays as decribed, thanks.
Apart from starting up the car and and hitting the raise button, would there be any other time the pump would run? i.e. say a speed bump hit hard, would the air escape causing the pump to refill?
Or would this simply mean there is a leak and the pump should not run other than initial start up or raise button pressed?
p.s. The suspension certainly only seems to release a controlled amount of air when turned off, then stop. Sounds like pppssssssssstt - stop, rather than ppssssssssssssssssstttt, fades away....
Thanks.
I have recently decided to be proactive in all items of the car as I want to keep my S-class and not trade it in for a Eco car just yet, starting with the known to be problematic, Airmatic suspension.
I shall swap the relays as decribed, thanks.
Apart from starting up the car and and hitting the raise button, would there be any other time the pump would run? i.e. say a speed bump hit hard, would the air escape causing the pump to refill?
Or would this simply mean there is a leak and the pump should not run other than initial start up or raise button pressed?
p.s. The suspension certainly only seems to release a controlled amount of air when turned off, then stop. Sounds like pppssssssssstt - stop, rather than ppssssssssssssssssstttt, fades away....
Thanks.
Last edited by KevinJ; 02-17-2009 at 07:55 AM.
02-17-2009, 08:29 AM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Sure, but I am in the UK.
http://www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk/
It came next day for just under £10.00.
It seems this may be more expensive in the US as I have seen quotes on this board for $45.00+?
Thanks
http://www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk/
It came next day for just under £10.00.
It seems this may be more expensive in the US as I have seen quotes on this board for $45.00+?
Thanks
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02-17-2009, 10:18 AM
#9
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S430,300D X2,190E X2,280
FYI
Autohausaz has this Hella relay for less than $7US.
Get two. The same relay is used for the secondary air pump. If it fails in airmatic usage, I assume it could fail there too.
Get two. The same relay is used for the secondary air pump. If it fails in airmatic usage, I assume it could fail there too.
Last edited by samdon; 02-17-2009 at 10:20 AM. Reason: Can't spell.
02-22-2009, 05:26 AM
#14
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2002 S320-CDI
Just wanted to add my 2 cents, as I just did the airmatic strut repair. First of all, if your car is going down after shutting it off, and back up when you start it, chances are about 99.9% that you have a leak in the system. The car should NOT go down. While the car is running (and you have a leak), the pump will keep up and replace the air that it is loosing. When you shut the car off, the pump shuts off, and the car goes down. Put some soapy water on top of the struts and see if bubbles appear (try it when the car is running and just after you shut it off). If you see bubbles, you will know where the leak is. You can then look in the forum for "Airmatic repair". The pump has 2 pairs of wires going to it. One set (the thick ones) supply power to the motor. The othe set (very thin) come from the pressure sensor and run back to the relay. When the pressure gets low enough, it sends a signal to the relay, the relay closes, and sends power (electricity) to the pump motor and the pump runs until the pressure in the airmatic system is back to operating pressure and shuts the pump off. Replacing the relay isn't going fix your leak. The one you have is doing it's job. Before I did the strut (leak) repair, I could hear the air leak out when I shut the engine off and got out of the car. Now it doesn't do that anymore. Also, when I had the tires switched from summer to winter tires on a rack, the car would lower and I would have to wait for the pump to raise it. Now the wheels don't drop any more when it's on a rack.
I finally was forced to repair the leak when the pump quit working, and the car wouldn't raise anymore. I bought a pump on e-bay. I removed my pump, and replaced it with my "new" one, I decided to try it before I replaced all of the plastic covers (2 under the engine, 2 inside the wheel wells-about 30 screws). I started the car and waited for the car to rise, and the "car too low" display to go out.....nothing happened. I started to remove the new pump by removing the 2 wire harness clips, I noticed that one of the (thin) sensore wires was broken off just inside the clip (pure luck that I saw it), I went to MB and bought a new clip, soldered the wires to it, put the pump back on, started the car. It started to rise, the low car display went out, I took it for a test drive....everything OK.
My car is a 2002. The pump motor is now replaced with a different part number, which is used in newer car models. The one I bought on ebay was the new number, so I left it on the car....I tested my old pump, and it worked...so in my case it was just the broken sensor wire. I already had replaced the relay with the newer part number, so I didn't replace it again. Replacing the relay (4 months before the repair) did NOTHING. Fix the leak
before the strut totally goes bad....that can cost a couple of grand. Good luck.
I finally was forced to repair the leak when the pump quit working, and the car wouldn't raise anymore. I bought a pump on e-bay. I removed my pump, and replaced it with my "new" one, I decided to try it before I replaced all of the plastic covers (2 under the engine, 2 inside the wheel wells-about 30 screws). I started the car and waited for the car to rise, and the "car too low" display to go out.....nothing happened. I started to remove the new pump by removing the 2 wire harness clips, I noticed that one of the (thin) sensore wires was broken off just inside the clip (pure luck that I saw it), I went to MB and bought a new clip, soldered the wires to it, put the pump back on, started the car. It started to rise, the low car display went out, I took it for a test drive....everything OK.
My car is a 2002. The pump motor is now replaced with a different part number, which is used in newer car models. The one I bought on ebay was the new number, so I left it on the car....I tested my old pump, and it worked...so in my case it was just the broken sensor wire. I already had replaced the relay with the newer part number, so I didn't replace it again. Replacing the relay (4 months before the repair) did NOTHING. Fix the leak
before the strut totally goes bad....that can cost a couple of grand. Good luck.
Last edited by brenner; 02-22-2009 at 05:32 AM.
02-22-2009, 10:15 AM
#15
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96 and 08 911 turbos
If you read his post, he says the car does NOT go down.
My car doesn't drop even after sitting (well, maybe about 1/4" or so after a week), but it still releases air on occasion after shutting it off. That has been described as completely normal behavior.
My car doesn't drop even after sitting (well, maybe about 1/4" or so after a week), but it still releases air on occasion after shutting it off. That has been described as completely normal behavior.
02-23-2009, 04:49 AM
#16
Member
Thread Starter
Thanks for replies, but I'm now confused.
I have owned my car for 4 & half years and since day one, the operation of my Airmatic is that the car will rise when starting the vehicle (i.e. pump will run and car will rise about 1", then pump stops and does not come back on for this situation).
If I hit the Raise button, the pump runs and the car raises to the higher setting as per handbook.
If I release the Raise button, the car releases air and drops back slowly to the running height.
If I turn the car off say when I park outside my house on the driveway on an incline (parked on drive facing the incline), the car will wait then release air and drop around 1" to the original level before starting.
This release of air is not like a leak, it is a controlled release just like when the Raise button is pressed.
I have never had a warning for the Airmatic system in my ownership time and I have no cracks in the tops of the strut housings.
I read on this forum and others that the above operation is normal and sometimes that it is not.
Can people desribe their Airmatic operation when starting the car and turning off/locking the car. My pump does not run much either only when starting car and hitting Raise button.
I need to do some tests for sure, but what would happen if I start the car, let it rise to the normal ride height and then push on the car to make the suspension go up and down each side. Should the Airmatic hold all the time and never release air and not need the pump to come on? Or does the system allow for such things, i.e. if you go over a speed bump hard, does the system need to put more air into the system (i.e. let the pump run).
Sorry for the dribble, but I am now starting to doubt my Airmatic operation that I have come to trust is normal for the past 4 & half years....
Thanks
I have owned my car for 4 & half years and since day one, the operation of my Airmatic is that the car will rise when starting the vehicle (i.e. pump will run and car will rise about 1", then pump stops and does not come back on for this situation).
If I hit the Raise button, the pump runs and the car raises to the higher setting as per handbook.
If I release the Raise button, the car releases air and drops back slowly to the running height.
If I turn the car off say when I park outside my house on the driveway on an incline (parked on drive facing the incline), the car will wait then release air and drop around 1" to the original level before starting.
This release of air is not like a leak, it is a controlled release just like when the Raise button is pressed.
I have never had a warning for the Airmatic system in my ownership time and I have no cracks in the tops of the strut housings.
I read on this forum and others that the above operation is normal and sometimes that it is not.
Can people desribe their Airmatic operation when starting the car and turning off/locking the car. My pump does not run much either only when starting car and hitting Raise button.
I need to do some tests for sure, but what would happen if I start the car, let it rise to the normal ride height and then push on the car to make the suspension go up and down each side. Should the Airmatic hold all the time and never release air and not need the pump to come on? Or does the system allow for such things, i.e. if you go over a speed bump hard, does the system need to put more air into the system (i.e. let the pump run).
Sorry for the dribble, but I am now starting to doubt my Airmatic operation that I have come to trust is normal for the past 4 & half years....
Thanks
02-23-2009, 11:59 AM
#17
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96 and 08 911 turbos
If you don't get the warning and haven't had any problems in 4.5 years, don't worry about it.
Mine doesn't really lower when turning it off, but it does release air on occasion.
Mine doesn't really lower when turning it off, but it does release air on occasion.
01-04-2011, 12:25 PM
#18
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2001 S500
Did not want to start a new post but wanted to add something to the subject for new owners.
My car would drop a little overnight. Did my homework and after no leaks were found and the issue being erratic I figured I would change out the relay. I bought the Hella relay from Autohausaz in November. I was not in a hurry to put the new relay in so I waited and waited. I changed it yesterday evening and put the car in the garage. I decided to go for a short ride to get petro before going to bed (better at night then on the way to work) and what a BIG difference. The car has never driven like this since I bought it a year ago. It feels firm and solid. No more big boat floating feeling. My sister hated my car because it was not firm enough (she drives a G37 coupe). Now it drives much better with the new relay. I should have changed it months ago.
If you recently purchased a used S class (late year with airmatic) and the car feels soft. If you notice it sitting lower some mornings then other mornings. I would suggest you check the relay. My car had the Hella relay (not sure how old it was) but I read a post that suggested changing them out if you have airmatic anomalies. I can testify that it makes a big difference.
That’s my two cents to everyone new. Oh FYI: Autohausaz part number 0025421319 $14.17
My car would drop a little overnight. Did my homework and after no leaks were found and the issue being erratic I figured I would change out the relay. I bought the Hella relay from Autohausaz in November. I was not in a hurry to put the new relay in so I waited and waited. I changed it yesterday evening and put the car in the garage. I decided to go for a short ride to get petro before going to bed (better at night then on the way to work) and what a BIG difference. The car has never driven like this since I bought it a year ago. It feels firm and solid. No more big boat floating feeling. My sister hated my car because it was not firm enough (she drives a G37 coupe). Now it drives much better with the new relay. I should have changed it months ago.
If you recently purchased a used S class (late year with airmatic) and the car feels soft. If you notice it sitting lower some mornings then other mornings. I would suggest you check the relay. My car had the Hella relay (not sure how old it was) but I read a post that suggested changing them out if you have airmatic anomalies. I can testify that it makes a big difference.
That’s my two cents to everyone new. Oh FYI: Autohausaz part number 0025421319 $14.17
04-24-2011, 12:27 PM
#21
Newbie
airmatic...
...is there any hope?
i bought my w220 2 weeks ago and after 4 days it went down, all wheels.
right now it is so low i cant drive it anymore...
i replaced pump, relay, fuses, checked struts...i was looking for any leaks - there is none. computer error-C1517 (critical vehicle level at front axle). the pump doesnt work at all on its own (i opened the old relay's plastic cover and made the pump working by pushing the relay's blades together), but the car doesnt rise at all
what are the chances that it is the Airmatic computer unit?
any other ideas? i would be grateful for any!
cheers!
i bought my w220 2 weeks ago and after 4 days it went down, all wheels.
right now it is so low i cant drive it anymore...
i replaced pump, relay, fuses, checked struts...i was looking for any leaks - there is none. computer error-C1517 (critical vehicle level at front axle). the pump doesnt work at all on its own (i opened the old relay's plastic cover and made the pump working by pushing the relay's blades together), but the car doesnt rise at all
what are the chances that it is the Airmatic computer unit?
any other ideas? i would be grateful for any!
cheers!
04-24-2011, 10:04 PM
#22
AutohausAZ is quoting $14 for part 0025427219 which is the part # mentioined above. Is this the right part? On the AZ website it says its the fuel pump relay??
05-07-2011, 11:25 PM
#24
Are you sure??
In the w220 Owners Start here sticky thread, the part number to get is 0025421319 per:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...nation%20Relay
yet in this thread the part number is
0025427219
I wonder if both work?
everyone says get the Hella brand relay, let me know if you find a cheaper price than AutohausAZ I want to buy one just in case.
Im not going to change it now, but just keep it in the car, and if I ever notice the pump running after I turn my car off I will have it handy to swap.
In the w220 Owners Start here sticky thread, the part number to get is 0025421319 per:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...nation%20Relay
yet in this thread the part number is
0025427219
I wonder if both work?
everyone says get the Hella brand relay, let me know if you find a cheaper price than AutohausAZ I want to buy one just in case.
Im not going to change it now, but just keep it in the car, and if I ever notice the pump running after I turn my car off I will have it handy to swap.
Last edited by tusabes; 05-07-2011 at 11:33 PM.
05-08-2011, 04:58 AM
#25
Newbie
Are you sure??
In the w220 Owners Start here sticky thread, the part number to get is 0025421319 per:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...nation%20Relay
yet in this thread the part number is
0025427219
I wonder if both work?
everyone says get the Hella brand relay, let me know if you find a cheaper price than AutohausAZ I want to buy one just in case.
Im not going to change it now, but just keep it in the car, and if I ever notice the pump running after I turn my car off I will have it handy to swap.
In the w220 Owners Start here sticky thread, the part number to get is 0025421319 per:
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...nation%20Relay
yet in this thread the part number is
0025427219
I wonder if both work?
everyone says get the Hella brand relay, let me know if you find a cheaper price than AutohausAZ I want to buy one just in case.
Im not going to change it now, but just keep it in the car, and if I ever notice the pump running after I turn my car off I will have it handy to swap.
