brauhaus313

Hey all, my question about the Agility Control Suspension is regarding US spec E350s.

The agility control is purely in the valving of the shocks, and not electronically controlled, correct?

Therefore, if I upgraded to coilovers, I won't run into sensors going crazy or warning lights going off on my dash right?

Sorry if this has been asked and answered. I've only found anecdotal evidence of my assumptions above via the search function.

BTW, have any of you who have leased and lowered your vehicles run into problems with dealerships trying to void your warranty even if you don't go in to service with a suspension related problem?

K-A

Do E Sedans have Agility Control? I don't even know what it is exactly (sounds like a Marketing gimmick, perhaps), but I remember reading it involving the E-Coupe, which shares the C-Classes chassis, tended toward a sportier drive.

brauhaus313

I'm certain the 2012's have it, and I think the w212's have had it since their introduction. It is described on MBUSA's website and given a very cursory description.

My question more specifically is whether or not the shock damping is variable because of the use of magnetorheological fluid which requires a charge or magnet to be applied by the car electronically, or if the variable damping is purely a physical function of the internal valving in the way of Koni FSD's.

My confusion arises in large part from the fact that in certain other countries, the E sedan has driver selectable shock damping, whereas in the US, we have no such option. IIRC, in the US, the comfort and sport mode button control only the engine and transmission characteristics, and not the suspension settings. So, the possibility exists that in the US the suspension is electronically controlled, albeit through some "big brother" algorithm that we have no control over.

As an aside, if the above is true, man those Germans must think we here in the US are total retards. They took out stoplight engine deactivation on us because they thought we were too dumb to adapt to it right?

dbtk

Not sure about a separate switch on the U.S. E-classes, but I recently secured a C coupe. The C coupes have Agility Control standard which involves the shock dampening influenced by the way one drives. The one I leased has ADVANCED Agility Control which is an option and includes a separate "Sport" button on the dash which tightens the steering (called "Parameter Steering" on the Monroney label) as well as controling the shocks. However, I am unsure if this is activated electronically or mechanically.

captj3

Are you sure you are not confusing a E sedan that has airmatic in it. That suspension has a comfort/sport button to adjust the suspension.

CEB

I can answer the warranty related question.

No dealership ever has "voided the warranty" for any single mod. The warranty can only be "voided" by the manufacturer and would have to involve a significant amount of mods as to affect virtually every system in the car.

Mitsubishi went to some track meets and voided the warranty on cars that participated in races. BMW voided the warranty on one 3 series where the owner had botched electrical, suspension and engine mods. BMW showed that every failure to date could be traced back to one of the mods.

That said, a dealer can (and should) refuse warranty service on a failure caused by a mod. For suspensions this could include wheel bearings, some drivetrain components and rattles and squeaks.

Much of this depends on your relationship with the service department. If your relationship is good and the dealership is reasonable (most MB dealerships are) then you shouldn't have an issue.

Some dealers do make notes in the system about mods so future problems may be refused warranty service even if the mod has since been removed.

brauhaus313

I considered that, and haven't found an answer, but you may be right.

I do see people here who have installed coilovers and have not heard of any complaints regarding sensors or dash lights going off, so that's a good sign.

thekurgan

Control is in the valving, similar to Koni's FSD shocks, they are not controlled electrically like Lexus or Chevrolet's design.

ImInPA

The Agility Control is MB's name for their dual channel shocks. Under normal driving conditions the damping is through one channel, and on larger bumps an alternate path is used within the shock increasing or decreasing as needed. It is a mechanical system and does not require electronics. In 2011 models it was offered with two different tunes: 1) Sport; 2) Luxury.

brauhaus313

Thanks guys, awesome.

evansw220

The W212's did come with "Agility Control" suspension, my 2010 sport came with it standard so did the Lux. versions.

WEBSRFR

SO how does this agility control compare to Airmatic DC? Is it adjustable? is it dynamic?

evansw220

The shock absorbers basically changes the dampening based on road conditions. It's all mechanical there are no electronics involved.

ImInPA

WEBSRFR, it is not adjustable. It is tuned for either Sport or Luxury and that is what it is. On the E Wagon, there is a combination of Agility Control on the front and AirMatic on the rear for load leveling. SACH's also makes a similar system.