2004 E-class airmatic problem
10-03-2014, 05:31 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2004 E-class airmatic problem
Hello, all.
I am from Norway, but hope my english is understandable.
I own a 2004 E240 4matic 211 estate, where the airmatic system is giving me a headache. I don't think the E240 4matic was sold in the US, but all parts are the same as the other e-class 4matic, including E280, E320, E500, E55 AMG and diesels. There are slight differences to the 2wd versions, but I dont' think of any influence regarding my problem.
I have noe leak, no compressor trouble, nor hight trouble. The problem I have is related to the damping valves on the front, right airstrut. Those valves, two of them on each strut, regulate the stiffness of the damper. When the valves are activated, the damper is soft. The valves can be (de)activated one at the time, giving a number of different stiffness to the damper. When the car is shut off, all valves are deactivated, and all dampers are at maximum stiffness.
Back to the problem. This first appeared summer 2013. The car told me to visit workshop and spend a lot of money. I have the star diagnose system, and it told me there is a breakage (unterbrechung) on one(!) of the front, right valves. It took a while before the problem reappeared. Same code. During the fall and winter, the fault would come more and more often, until i exchanged the entire airstrut this winter.
After exchanging the strut, the problem was gone for half a year or so, before it apeared again this spring. Now, there was a breakage (unterbrechung, my star is in German), on both (!!) right, front valves. It would take another couple of months before the problem reappeared, and only for a short while. Letting the car sit for some minutes, and the problem was gone at the next start up. The car is used daily, and about 18.000 miles / year. We've seen the problem 3-4 times during the summer, and every time, star says there is a breakage on both right, front valves.
Now, as winter is closing in, and temperatures some days are down to freezing point, the problem appeares for almost every time the car is used.
The new airstrut I put in was one overhauled by Arnott.
Because star now indicates problems on both valves, I have a hard time believing the error is in the accual valves. Still, changing the airstrut this winter, the problem went away, indicating the problem is not in the car it self, rather in the air strut.
I've tried to search the web for the same problem, but all I can find are other problems related to airmatic.
Can any one help de out here? Where to start? All help will be highly appreciated.
I am from Norway, but hope my english is understandable.
I own a 2004 E240 4matic 211 estate, where the airmatic system is giving me a headache. I don't think the E240 4matic was sold in the US, but all parts are the same as the other e-class 4matic, including E280, E320, E500, E55 AMG and diesels. There are slight differences to the 2wd versions, but I dont' think of any influence regarding my problem.
I have noe leak, no compressor trouble, nor hight trouble. The problem I have is related to the damping valves on the front, right airstrut. Those valves, two of them on each strut, regulate the stiffness of the damper. When the valves are activated, the damper is soft. The valves can be (de)activated one at the time, giving a number of different stiffness to the damper. When the car is shut off, all valves are deactivated, and all dampers are at maximum stiffness.
Back to the problem. This first appeared summer 2013. The car told me to visit workshop and spend a lot of money. I have the star diagnose system, and it told me there is a breakage (unterbrechung) on one(!) of the front, right valves. It took a while before the problem reappeared. Same code. During the fall and winter, the fault would come more and more often, until i exchanged the entire airstrut this winter.
After exchanging the strut, the problem was gone for half a year or so, before it apeared again this spring. Now, there was a breakage (unterbrechung, my star is in German), on both (!!) right, front valves. It would take another couple of months before the problem reappeared, and only for a short while. Letting the car sit for some minutes, and the problem was gone at the next start up. The car is used daily, and about 18.000 miles / year. We've seen the problem 3-4 times during the summer, and every time, star says there is a breakage on both right, front valves.
Now, as winter is closing in, and temperatures some days are down to freezing point, the problem appeares for almost every time the car is used.
The new airstrut I put in was one overhauled by Arnott.
Because star now indicates problems on both valves, I have a hard time believing the error is in the accual valves. Still, changing the airstrut this winter, the problem went away, indicating the problem is not in the car it self, rather in the air strut.
I've tried to search the web for the same problem, but all I can find are other problems related to airmatic.
Can any one help de out here? Where to start? All help will be highly appreciated.
Last edited by frodes; 10-03-2014 at 05:37 AM. Reason: typo
