jt1643

Hi i currently own a 2004 S500 with just under 99,000 miles and am a little worried about the notorious airmatic suspension failing around this mileage. I know that it will likely fail and i have a few different options. I could take it to a dealer and have them replace all components of the airmatic for several thousand dollars (i'm not going to do this) i could get a variety of different new and or refurbished airmatic struts or i could convert over to coil spring suspension. Arnott coil spring suspension seems to be the cheapest and most reliable option so i am leaning towards that route although i am a little worried that i will be dissapointed with how the car rides. Airmatic rides sooo smooth and it's one of if not the best of the cars attributes. Anyone have experience with converting Airmatic to coil springs? How much less smooth is the ride any advantages/disadvantages? Sorry for the long post thanks!

Jack_88

The car will not ride as well with the coilovers, and it will not adjust as the airmatic will to conditions. Converting to coil overs is an option I recommend only to people who encounter something they cannot repair themselves and have a budget that makes it impossible to pay someone else to properly diagnose and repair. If you're a driver who is in tune with your car, you will notice the degradation in ride and handling. But it's more or less a replace and forget it forever system, hence it's popularity. If this kind of effort to guarantee of reliability is your ultimate goal, there are a lot very nice Civics and Corollas on the market.

tusabes

If your car is riding fine stop worrying
Just as many cars make it to 150000 miles without needing any airmatic work as cars that don't . Just drive it and enjoy - when the time comes to replace a part then you can decide

the airmatic cars do not need preventive maintenance unlike abc cars

W211E320

When airmatic first came out I could see the logic in changing to a coilover suspension,(1000 dollar struts, dealer only pumps, new complex system, etc).

But now the game has changed. Companies now not only make cheaper struts but they actually redesign them and make them better than what was stock. As Jack said there is no comparison between an air ride and a steel spring ride. But really what is the point in a conversion when companies like Arnott charge half the dealer for a better product and if it ever breaks you get a replacement for free!

jt1643

Thanks for the feedback guys after more research on prices for Arnott coil springs vs air springs i've found that a new air springs + a new compressor is about $2,200. refurbished air springs + a new compressor is about $1900. The coil springs + a new air compressor is about $2,000. At this point it seems like refurbished air springs are the way to go. I'll still have the smooth ride from the airmatic suspension and also save a little bit of money. My only concern is how long the refurbished springs will last and if there are any known problems associated with them.

tusabes

There's about a ten percent failure rate with arnott refurbished struts and a higher failure rate with other brands (suncore, rebuildmastertech, etc). Most offer lifetime warranty but arnott is most hassle free . You will have to pay Labor again though

Remember with airmatic you don't need to replace all the struts - just the bad one . The other three May last tens of thousands more miles . Do not proactively change all 4 struts and pump that are currently working fine . That is not the way to handle the airmatic system !

it's not like traditional struts that need to be replaced in pairs . An air strut is either "good or bad " - not "functional but worn out " like conventional struts

YounesBenz

I've replaced mine with chinese made arnott clones. They came with an error module to disable the defective display/malfunction of airmatic. Downside is, there will be 2 buttons useless on the dash. Just for decoration.

It drives and handles well, i dont remember how it waswhen i had the airstruts in.

airmatic function relies on several factors:

- Relais in fusebox 40 A
- 4 Struts (wich can leak on top and bottom, so doubles the fail rate)
- Valveblock
- compressor
- airfilter for compressor
- Airtank
- more then 15 meter pneumatic lines wich can have a crack

All those gone with the coil suspension. Its wonderfull how to drive in the heart of Amsterdam over TramMetro railways and bumps. Car sits higher, but with a nice profile, front lower then rear...avantgarde styl.

Its a choise, anyway have fun !

greetsz

Nuno Henriques

Can you please indicate what kit was?