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Thanks for the update VR. Quick question...when you plugged the unit in for the first time, did you have to save your cars factory height setting prior to messing with the custom setting?
No I did not. I’m not sure how it knows what the factory default is. That’s a good question. I’ll ask him.
EDIT: So I purchased one of these recently and thought I would write my full review here. I ordered through the Ebay link above and when the seller found out I was in Canada, he offered to have is Canadian partner send me one. I think they are on the other side of the country, but it still got here in a few days.
The device is super small and compact and plugs into the OBDII port under the dash.
The device is as pictured here (although mine is blue). It plugs into the OBD Port and provides a menu on your COMAND screen allowing you to lower the ride height or return it to stock.
The menu system is straight-forward and simple
On my C218 2016 CLS550, I don't have a touch pad as shown in the video so you navigate using the numeric keypad on the head unit... 2 and 8 are up and down, 4 and 6 are left and right, and 5 is enter. Very straight forward.
The device comes with three options for ride-height:
- Factory
- Low (-32mm)
- Custom (you set the front and rear drop yourself)
There are two menu options:
1. The current setting applied and the setting you want to apply (one of: Factory/Low/Custom)
2. The ride height settings for the custom option (Front drop and Rear drop)
I wanted a drop of about 20mm so I started with a custom setting of -15/-15 and that wasn't enough for me. I ultimately settled on -25 front and -20 rear to get the ride height dialled that I like. This gave me a ride height about 20mm lower than factory. Note that it's not accurate to the mm. I suggest you lower it on a very flat surface and use a yard stick held up to the fender aligned with the wheel hub to measure before/after height. Here's what I found using different custom settings:
Front Left Factory: 690mm (ground to fender on my yardstick)
With Custom -15mm = 677mm (actual drop of 13mm)
With Custom -20mm = 675mm (actual drop of 15mm)
With Custom -25mm = 670 (actual drop of 20mm)
When I asked the seller about the slight discrepancy, he aptly pointed out that the system is only accurate to +/-5mm due to a variety of factors at play in the system, so you may have to play with your custom setting if you're as picky as I am.
I found I had to dial in a -25 setting to get my desired 20mm drop on the front, but only -20mm to get an actual 20mm drop on the rear. You may have to experiment similarly.
The beauty is that this system is so easy to adjust. You can dial in new settings in about 30 seconds and see the results instantly.
The bottom line: This system really does make any other lowering option for Airmatic cars look foolish in comparison. No mechanical work, no wiring, it really couldn't be easier to change settings, or revert to stock any time. I wish all my previous cars had been this easy and affordable to lower.
Feel free to contact the seller for more info. I've exchanged several emails with him and he's a great guy based in Eastern Europe.. He's invested a lot of effort into this product and it shows. He deserves every dollar he makes from this. It's a great device.
Here's how you use it:
- Turn the ignition ON but not the engine
- Insert the device into the OBD port
- The menu will appear on the screen
- Select one of the preconfigured settings or set your own custom setting
- Apply the setting (it will take a few seconds for it to write this to the car)
- Remove the device
- Turn off the ignition
- The next time you start the car (even immediately) it will adjust to the new ride height.
You can have it in whatever mode you want when you start (sport or comfort).
The Sport and Comfort button still works as expected. Sport is still about 10mm lower than Comfort. I will actually use the comfort setting more often now when I have others in the car.
Here's some quick photos of the 20mm drop on my car with my new Rohana RC10 20" wheels (245/35 front, 285/30 rear)...
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll do my best to answer.
Love it! Thank you for the write up this is very exciting now. That drop is perfect in my opinion
It's a very good module with the price is below what links with labor will cost. But it definitely doesn't make other products look "foolish" by comparison.
Have this module and Renntech's V3 and had other ELM's/links before. Here are a couple pros/cons:
Pros:
- Better than links. No labor costs and ability to change height as desired in seconds
- Comand interface is a natural extension of changing setting on the car.
- Not locked to VIN. Can be used on multiple cars, just like ELM's with a harness
Cons:
- Inability to adjust each wheel. Links and other modules allow for that. Not irrelevant as MB Airmatic/ABC/MBC often have height differences between sides
- Will require alignment when dropped just like links. Inner wear on your tires will cost you more that the links or pricier ELM's
- Won't raise the car at speed (which eliminates the need for alignment)
Pricier ELM's do function better but either have other disadvantages or self-imposed restrictions. The Renntech is better in some ways and inferior in others.
Thanks for the update VR. Quick question...when you plugged the unit in for the first time, did you have to save your cars factory height setting prior to messing with the custom setting?
Apperently it does store the factory values the first time it connects... automatically.
Has anyone even heard of this before? It seems too good to be true.
You can have it in whatever mode you want when you start (sport or comfort).
The Sport and Comfort button still works as expected. Sport is still about 10mm lower than Comfort. I will actually use the comfort setting more often now when I have others in the car.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll do my best to answer.
Hi,
Thanks for the nice feedback and review.
I do have a question which think you're able to answer me :-):
- If I lower the car (custom) -20mm (example), when I'm in Sport Mode, will the car will also be 20mm Lower (than standard) in the Comfort Mode?
- The -20mm lowering is like a baseline and from that point the all the options (sport or Comfort) I choose are always -20mm lower?
It's a very good module with the price is below what links with labor will cost. But it definitely doesn't make other products look "foolish" by comparison.
Have this module and Renntech's V3 and had other ELM's/links before. Here are a couple pros/cons:
Pros:
- Better than links. No labor costs and ability to change height as desired in seconds
- Comand interface is a natural extension of changing setting on the car.
- Not locked to VIN. Can be used on multiple cars, just like ELM's with a harness
Cons:
- Inability to adjust each wheel. Links and other modules allow for that. Not irrelevant as MB Airmatic/ABC/MBC often have height differences between sides
- Will require alignment when dropped just like links. Inner wear on your tires will cost you more that the links or pricier ELM's
- Won't raise the car at speed (which eliminates the need for alignment)
Pricier ELM's do function better but either have other disadvantages or self-imposed restrictions. The Renntech is better in some ways and inferior in others.
Overall a great product
Good points but the ELMs are not a quick and easy DIY for most people. You have a serious chance of screwing something up with those, and resorting to factory (removing it) if you need to get your airmatic serviced is equally problematic.
I think if you have left to right issues, you’re best getting Mercedes service to rectify that before you lower.
As far as alignment, it’s only $100 to do an alignment around here, and in my case, switching to comfort mode will get me within 10mm of stock height anyway. There are too many factors to say one method is better than the others for tire wear... like how much you lower, what type of driving you do, etc.
Also keep in mind, this product is brand new. He’s looking at adding more features down the road, maybe speed dependent ride height might be one.
While ELMs do offer a bit more features, I wouldn’t consider or recommend them to anyone in light of this new option.
I do have a question which think you're able to answer me :-):
- If I lower the car (custom) -20mm (example), when I'm in Sport Mode, will the car will also be 20mm Lower (than standard) in the Comfort Mode?
- The -20mm lowering is like a baseline and from that point the all the options (sport or Comfort) I choose are always -20mm lower? It really does work just like you would expect. I need to try the Raise button (off-road mode) on my setup to see that still works as before.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Yes... If you drop it 20mm in sport, comfort will raise it by 10mm (like normal) and you’ll still be 20mm lower than factory comfort ride height. (Within +/-5)
Yes... If you drop it 20mm in sport, comfort will raise it by 10mm (like normal) and you’ll still be 20mm lower than factory comfort ride height. (Within +/-5)
Good points but the ELMs are not a quick and easy DIY for most people. You have a serious chance of screwing something up with those, and resorting to factory (removing it) if you need to get your airmatic serviced is equally problematic.
I think if you have left to right issues, you’re best getting Mercedes service to rectify that before you lower.
As far as alignment, it’s only $100 to do an alignment around here, and in my case, switching to comfort mode will get me within 10mm of stock height anyway. There are too many factors to say one method is better than the others for tire wear... like how much you lower, what type of driving you do, etc.
Also keep in mind, this product is brand new. He’s looking at adding more features down the road, maybe speed dependent ride height might be one.
While ELMs do offer a bit more features, I wouldn’t consider or recommend them to anyone in light of this new option.
You are mistaken on the left/right issue. Virtually all MB's have small variations between sides. This is neither a problem nor a rarity but it's nice to be able to accommodate for it.
Renntech's module is also ODBII so it functions similar. Plug and play. It's is much faster to drop a car with the Renntech module and no interface is needed at all. The biggest difference is that costs much more ($1500) and unless any other height than their 3 presets is desired, you have to plug it into a tablet/PC. Biggest drawback is that on the first insertion into the ODBII port, the module locks itself to the module and can't be used on other cars.
Re. the alignment, speed height adjustment eliminates the need for it. Simple as that. I have driven over 30k miles on dropped SL's (roughly 30mm) with ELM's and tires wear normally. Same on links, even with alignment will still wear (depending on drop).
MB's speed and mode-based height adjustment makes things just a bit more complicated. Tire wear will primarily occur at higher speeds.
Either way, a 10mm drop is no big deal...
I like this module and it's a no-brainer from a price point; it is still under development and it isn't trouble free yet but I am using it but want to make sure that all info is listed for other forum members.
I mean you would be driving around with variations anyway had you not lowered it, right? So I think it really doesn't matter and therefore for the price this module can't be beat..
Thanks virtual. I picked one up.. Seller is a nice guy, he's going to ship to me asap. Will likely be here before my car gets off the truck.
I mean you would be driving around with variations anyway had you not lowered it, right? So I think it really doesn't matter and therefore for the price this module can't be beat..
Thanks virtual. I picked one up.. Seller is a nice guy, he's going to ship to me asap. Will likely be here before my car gets off the truck.
Not sure if this was directed at me but the answer is yes. Module works. On our 2018 E63s not all the time but on your CLS it should work just fine.
For simplicity, the price can't be beat. For a DIY, you can drop the car for less than a buck/free in 30 minutes. All it takes is a sensor adjustment...
You are mistaken on the left/right issue. Virtually all MB's have small variations between sides. This is neither a problem nor a rarity but it's nice to be able to accommodate for it.
Renntech's module is also ODBII so it functions similar. Plug and play. It's is much faster to drop a car with the Renntech module and no interface is needed at all. The biggest difference is that costs much more ($1500) and unless any other height than their 3 presets is desired, you have to plug it into a tablet/PC. Biggest drawback is that on the first insertion into the ODBII port, the module locks itself to the module and can't be used on other cars.
Re. the alignment, speed height adjustment eliminates the need for it. Simple as that. I have driven over 30k miles on dropped SL's (roughly 30mm) with ELM's and tires wear normally. Same on links, even with alignment will still wear (depending on drop).
MB's speed and mode-based height adjustment makes things just a bit more complicated. Tire wear will primarily occur at higher speeds.
Either way, a 10mm drop is no big deal...
I like this module and it's a no-brainer from a price point; it is still under development and it isn't trouble free yet but I am using it but want to make sure that all info is listed for other forum members.
I’m not sure what you mean by “it isn’t trouble free”? I have had no trouble with mine. The seller has told me he will continue to refine this product and I’m sure he will as long as it continues to sell.
Why don’t you get an alignment done at the lower setting? Is it because Mercedes doesn’t offer camber adjustment on a lot of cars? Is yours in this group? How much are you lowering yours?
With every car I’ve ever owned (several now) I’ve lowered it with springs, got an alignment done and was done with it. However, My BMWs still wore tires unevenly due to their factory camber settings. This is my first Mercedes.
There are always consequences to lowering a car... alignment is just one aspect. Ride quality, shock life (on traditional suspensions), clearance, etc for example. Everyone should read up and be aware of the consequences of lowering, mitigate - find work arounds, or accept them.
In my particular case, I plan to get my car up on alignment rack this week or next and see where it’s at both in sport and comfort mode and see what the specialist says. From what I understand, there are camber bolts for the front for my car, that will allow a bit of adjustment but no camber adjustment on the rear. If I can get it close to spec in comfort mode, I’m gold. If it looks like it’s going to wear the tires badly, I’ll probably take the 30 seconds to just set it to factory height before going on a road trip. But that’s rare for me.
For those following this thread, I’ll definitely report back on my alignment findings.
Last edited by VirtualRain; 03-25-2018 at 07:52 PM.
stay away from these lowering modules, or you will end up in a dealership with a hefty bill, been there
Yoo can’t leave us hanging like that!
What problems have you had?
From what I’ve read, lots of owners have lowered their vehicles through various means and I’ve read very few issues that were directly attributed to lowering. There’s lots of Airmatic problems out there, but they happen just as often to stock vehicles as any lowered car from what I’ve seen. But I may not have come across your case or others like it.
stay away from these lowering modules, or you will end up in a dealership with a hefty bill, been there
That's a new one. Dealer can't charge you for anything unless you messed up on the wiring harness and shorted something in the process. The only thing I can think of. We have been lowering our MB's for 14 years...
I’m not sure what you mean by “it isn’t trouble free”? I have had no trouble with mine. The seller has told me he will continue to refine this product and I’m sure he will as long as it continues to sell.
Why don’t you get an alignment done at the lower setting? Is it because Mercedes doesn’t offer camber adjustment on a lot of cars? Is yours in this group? How much are you lowering yours?
With every car I’ve ever owned (several now) I’ve lowered it with springs, got an alignment done and was done with it. However, My BMWs still wore tires unevenly due to their factory camber settings. This is my first Mercedes.
There are always consequences to lowering a car... alignment is just one aspect. Ride quality, shock life (on traditional suspensions), clearance, etc for example. Everyone should read up and be aware of the consequences of lowering, mitigate - find work arounds, or accept them.
In my particular case, I plan to get my car up on alignment rack this week or next and see where it’s at both in sport and comfort mode and see what the specialist says. From what I understand, there are camber bolts for the front for my car, that will allow a bit of adjustment but no camber adjustment on the rear. If I can get it close to spec in comfort mode, I’m gold. If it looks like it’s going to wear the tires badly, I’ll probably take the 30 seconds to just set it to factory height before going on a road trip. But that’s rare for me.
For those following this thread, I’ll definitely report back on my alignment findings.
Different cars with different versions of Comand. I don't have a CLS but have responded to your thread as you had cross-posted it. On the 2018 E213 AMG the module doesn't always activate (plugging in does nothing). One member could never get it to work. It's likely just some slightly different coding for different software levels.
Just want to be clear that my issue isn't been with lowering, etc. or the module which I like very much. It was with your statement that it renders all other modules "foolish" which it doesn't. Different solutions for different people, cars and uses. It's nice to have more options are than less.
For those of you interested in how the suspension ride-height buttons work after you lower with this module, here's what I've found... all measurements are made using a yardstick from my flat concrete garage floor to the fender aligned to the center hub of the wheel.
Stock height on "Sport": 690mm
After lowering on "Sport" (-25/-20): 670mm
After lowering on "Comfort": 685mm
After lowering on "Raise": 700mm
So in my case, "Comfort" is now very close to the stock "Sport" ride height. It still looks good, but not dropped. "Raise" gets me back to about where the Stock "Comfort" setting was which looks unsightly - fender gaps are a bit much. But if you need extra clearance to get on a hoist, or over a drive way, this is still going to be nice to have.
I'm going to check my alignment on Sport and Comfort. I expect on Comfort it should be close to the alignment spec as the ride height is very close to stock "Sport".
lowered the car its out of warranty, and its simply not designed to drive that low at all times, parts wear out faster they they should
Lowering the car doesn't void the warranty. This has been a much discussed topic over the years. In extreme cases, MB has the right to exclude certain suspension components from warranty, nothing else.
I had issues with on of the first modules. They have been replaced without issues. The one I have now works like a charm. I’m located in Toronto and shipping has been instantaneous for me. He offers great support and I would not hesitate to recommend this little device. I ordered links for my car because that’s what I always do but now I don’t need them. Anyone interested in a set of links for a w213?
I just got mine. I'll mess with it tonight after I watch the video on how to use it again. The unit shipped with no written instructions...just the OBD2 module. I'll update later with my thoughts and results.
I plugged it in and got into the factory height menu but could not get out of it. I have the 2012 w218. I don't have the touch pad but was assured by the seller it will work with my vehicle. I've tried everything from turning the dial, clicking it left,right, up,down, using the buttons on my steering wheel and it's just stuck on the initial factory height menu. I emailed the seller...just waiting for a reply.
03-25-2018, 04:26 AM
