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hi i hope anybody can shed a light on to this
i have a c400 airmatic 6000kms in and 4 months old , after replacing a runflat tire 1 month ago it has started having a very stiff ride on and off in any mode comfort /sports/sports+ , it feel s if the shock(aromatic) are not there or very stiff. i feels it is associated with the park on the steering wheel/ on the dash .i am not able to reproduce it at will ,i decreased the pressures of the runlets there is no change . it has been to two dealer for dragging on the highway , all clear no messages as per dealer. I recently go the malfunction error on parking , it has given Malfunction indication x 2 . But when u switch the engine off it went away.i am not sure whats happening ?
BMW e89 Z4 sDrive 35i & MB S205 C200 AMG Premium Plus
AirMatic can be bumpy over sharp ground, rough ground, manhole covers that sort of thing generally it's an awful lot softer and more floaty feeling however in general use. On my car I don't think the 19 inch runflat help that much. But it seems on this version of the car they tried to give it a more sporty feel so that it doesn't feel too soft & floaty .
Get rid of runflat tyres!
BTW: There is nothing "aromatic" about the AirMatic suspension
That's funny Glyn and I agree about the runflats. I will eventually ditch them, but since my dealer and Costco (unless I have a spare) won't put non runflats on, I get a little concerned. edit: It must be a liability thing.
Every time I hit a bump, pothole, or road irregularity, I just feel the ride would be so much smoother/softer with regular tires.
It's got 19 inches rim , My front right run flat tire punctured a month ago but the indicators did not come on ,the dealer said as per the manual it may or may not come on, 67 thousand dollar car with useless flat tire indicator which is a safety concern as well.
The concern is 4 month old car and already has been to the dealership 3 times I did talk to customer relations of mb canada west but nothing from there side , Is there any place to officially lodge a complaint against the manufacture and the dealer .
yea. i can imagine the ride being better with the air suspension, but even with the solid sports suspension and 19" run flats, the ride is much smoother and way more compliant/quiet than my 2012 ford focus i traded for this thing
C400 fully loaded
Date of purchase March 2015
6000 km
Has been to dealership 5 times already out of which checked by three different ones .
Problems up to date :
1. Bumpy ride : So finally the dealer was able to find the cause was the right rear suspension was the culprit and they are replacing both the suspensions ( 4 month old car) They could not pick up before on scans as its a new release they did not have all the updated tools / diagnostics .
It took them one week to take the car in the shop and still waiting for it to be fixed 5 days in parts yet to come in .
2. The run flat indicator in a c400 is a passive system as per the manual shown by my service advisor .therefore it may or may not work with runflats .
My car had a flat tire and no indicator came on after informing Mercedes canada nothing can be done .
3. Drove on a pit after they fixed the runflat tire ,felt as if steering is stiff took to my dealership foreman drove with me says its normal .took to a different dealership said all is ok but have to pay 170 dollars for diagnostics which is not covered by Mercedes warranty .MB canada agreed .
4. Speaker buzz: as per the latest answer by the dealer it's a know issue with apple Bluetooth and apple is working on it . They said previously a software update was the cause.
Foreman again looked at it says this is normal .they are replacing she speaker will test it once I get back the car .
5. There is some issues with the parking brake which may not disengage I was driving to jasper after a pit stop for coffee the car started giving high rev with engine smell as if overheating had to use road side assistance but dealership could not find the cause until now ,
70000 $ car very poor support from the dealership and from Mercedes canada .
I have a c400 and the past week the car ride suddenly started to feel very bumpy and stiff. This morning I just got the malfunction warning like yours. Did Mercedes say what was the reason for all this?
Originally Posted by Dramz
C400 fully loaded
Date of purchase March 2015
6000 km
Has been to dealership 5 times already out of which checked by three different ones .
Problems up to date :
1. Bumpy ride : So finally the dealer was able to find the cause was the right rear suspension was the culprit and they are replacing both the suspensions ( 4 month old car) They could not pick up before on scans as its a new release they did not have all the updated tools / diagnostics .
It took them one week to take the car in the shop and still waiting for it to be fixed 5 days in parts yet to come in .
2. The run flat indicator in a c400 is a passive system as per the manual shown by my service advisor .therefore it may or may not work with runflats .
My car had a flat tire and no indicator came on after informing Mercedes canada nothing can be done .
3. Drove on a pit after they fixed the runflat tire ,felt as if steering is stiff took to my dealership foreman drove with me says its normal .took to a different dealership said all is ok but have to pay 170 dollars for diagnostics which is not covered by Mercedes warranty .MB canada agreed .
4. Speaker buzz: as per the latest answer by the dealer it's a know issue with apple Bluetooth and apple is working on it . They said previously a software update was the cause.
Foreman again looked at it says this is normal .they are replacing she speaker will test it once I get back the car .
5. There is some issues with the parking brake which may not disengage I was driving to jasper after a pit stop for coffee the car started giving high rev with engine smell as if overheating had to use road side assistance but dealership could not find the cause until now ,
70000 $ car very poor support from the dealership and from Mercedes canada .
I have a c400 and the past week the car ride suddenly started to feel very bumpy and stiff. This morning I just got the malfunction warning like yours. Did Mercedes say what was the reason for all this?
You'll know if there's an AirMatic malfunction just by looking at the car. It'll be squatting down with the tires up inside the wheel wells and it'll drive like a go kart. AirMatic functions normally as long as there is sufficient air pressure in the system. Malfunctions are almost always due to a leak that allows air to escape. This causes the compressor to run continuously trying to keep the system pressurized. Eventually it'll quit or shut down due to a thermal fault.
There are other bits (valve blocks, sensors, controller) that can have issues too but the most common is just a loss of pressurization. The point where the air tube enters the top of the strut is a common area for leaks.
I've never seen an intermittent warning for an Airmatic Malfunction, so my guess is your Airmatic controller is throwing false warnings and the system itself is fine. One quick test is to hit the Lift button. If it functions normally and raises the car it's fine.
As for the bumpy ride after a dealership visit, double check the tire pressures. The service tech always checks pressures and I've had them decide on their own that my tires all needed an extra 5psi and pump them up accordingly.
Yessir. Optional up to 2017. Highly recommended if you're at all concerned about ride quality issues, or want to run 19" wheels and still retain kidney function.
Yessir. Optional up to 2017. Highly recommended if you're at all concerned about ride quality issues, or want to run 19" wheels and still retain kidney function.
I really think you exaggerate the firmness of the ride with 19" wheels (non-runflat). We have some of the worst rode surfaces in the country and the ride is hardly kidney jarring.
Since you run your tire pressure way low at least level with folks on the subject and tell them you enjoy boat mode suspensions. "Insert fog horn audio here"
I really think you exaggerate the firmness of the ride with 19" wheels (non-runflat). We have some of the worst rode surfaces in the country and the ride is hardly kidney jarring.
Since you run your tire pressure way low at least level with folks on the subject and tell them you enjoy boat mode suspensions. "Insert fog horn audio here"
Not just me. Lots of owners and reviewers find the ride on 19" especially harsh. After I had that 430 over the summer I put the tire pressure on the C back to OEM and set the suspension, engine and steering to sport. I could probably set the ride height to Comfort and run 19's if I felt the urge. There's just so little sidewall on the OEM 19" tire size.
Ride quality is subjective and relative of course. Your kidneys may vary.
Currently I'm driving my kid's FR-S which is so insanely stiff it's actually funny, so I'm guessing if I got back in a C it would feel very comfortable.
07-24-2015, 11:50 PM
