My 2014 E350 just had $3000 worth of work done to the rear suspension (by MB) due to the car settling down overnight. Even after the repair, it goes down after a couple of days sitting. The dealer says this is normal. Is it?

 

Not really, I left the car for a week and came back and it hadn't dropped at all. I think its hard to get a fully sealed system.. so there's probably a tiny leak in the valve block.
All it means is that the compressor will work a bit harder and die a bit sooner.

 

Same here, I've left my car parked for about a week and it's maintained the height. I have the standard wagon suspension - only air springs in the rear. The height has maintained since I replaced the air springs with Arnott. And prior to any issues at all the car would maintain height for a couple of weeks. Sorry for your troubles!

2011 E350 wagon

 

I got my rear suspension replaced today, but still drops after 20-30 mins, where could the leak be?
Any DIY to fix this?

Cheers

 

First step is determine where leak is!
most common airbag, could be leveling solenoid valve by compressor, or lines.
2) is it both sides lowered or one. Can be sensors. Any other electrical issues?
3) do you hear “pssssst” sound? If slower leak points more at leveling valve front driver car.
4) best to diagnose with proper star or audel software
5) you can do soap water spray bottle test. 1/2 dish soap 1/2 water. Spray all lines and inserts into airbag, around leveling valve next to compressor front. Any lines trace them.
6) it can also be the canteen attached to airbag it gets corroded.
You will read just about everything.
end of day step one find leak. Don’t let it keep running or will ruin compressor.
The airbag I got was bad just figured it out. Wasted a month and a lot of time.
A arnott has some descent videos how to change bag. And this guy “sam” I found most useful. Write everything down and can clue in the possibility.

but it can even be control module or relay under hood!

Send exact symptoms for a better diagnosis. And have a pro not some craigslist bs mechanic that acts like he knows what to do. Looking back I should have just spent 1000 and dropped at shop. Replacing airbags isn’t easy. Have to fill up bag before dropping all way off jack. Always disconnect battery first. I recommend jacking under differential or effected side if only one side.

I also read if put car to on position the click right before starting vehicle engine isn’t running so can hear better... manually click on rise button see if loads, if doesn’t major leak (I had to put the cover of airbag tight because all torn up to find my leak). And don’t spray electrical connections when doing soapy water test!

hope this helps get you started buddy

 

Absolutely it is NOT normal. I used to make 3-week work trips where my car sat at airport for the whole time and di not drop at all other than sometimes when I came back weather was a lot cooler so car went down slightly but evenly at every corner. If car goes down there is a leak, period.

I have had issue of the rear of the car going down if I leave suspension in Sports mode. Just finished replacing the rear air springs with Arnott springs and after a test drive left the car suspension in Sports mode over night. Will see in the morning how it sits...

 

I read something that colder weather can cause a specific kind of leak.
Im waiting on my bag now... now my rear right is lowering a little🥴 these airmatics are junk! I can’t fix this car quick enough to sell it. I’m over airmatics for life! I would suggest replacing with coils, plastic anything fails

 

How long did you drive your car before you got to problems with Airmatic?

 

So, not so good result. I look at the car in the morning and now the front is flat down. Also driver side rear is quite low but not all the way down. Right rear looks fine.

Did some troubleshooting with soap spray. No leaks at either new rear air spring connection, no leak at any connection at the valve block either, which is brand new that I replaced before ordering the Arnott springs.

For the heck of it I asked dealer for a quote for the air springs - best price he could quote me was $648 for one!!! With installation at them would probably be $1500 for one. Go figure. Got two Arnott springs thru Amazon for $383 and installation is quite easy. Took me 2 1/2 hours and the first spring took 3/4 of the time to learn it. Could do the same job in an hour and a half now. Should have done some more search for this as there are some awesome instructions in this forum...

Anyway, after checking for leaks I parked the car in the RAISED position and after like this for about 8 hours I notice the left front dropping and I think this is what takes also front right down with it. It also makes left real lower that probably is logical.

So, after 167000 miles it looks I need to replace the front air struts. They are quite expensive parts at about $1200 each, $2400 total, but it is only 1.4 cents/mile so I can live with it. I will install the new front air struts myself. With air depleted from spring should be quite easy compared to strut with coil spring.

 

So, today I replaced both front air struts. With this I have replaced the valve block, both rear air springs and both front air struts. Checked air connections with soapy water spray and did not observe any leaks.

After test drive left the car in sports mode for the night. Will see in the morning if it still is up.

 

Big job.
Great job!

 

Wait, wait wait....YES, YES, YES!!!...The car stayed up in the Sports mode over night!!!

And the job is far easier than you would think, front almost easier than rear.

Valve Block from dealer (Did not really need this) $380.
Rear air springs (Arnott) thru Amazon $380
Front Air Struts from FCP Euro $2110

Total $2870

Installation about 5 hours total.

 

Dag! Why are the front so much more expensive? Cost of strut versus spring?

 

These air sticks are junk! I don’t like my car anymore after dealing with it. We shouldn’t have to do this ourselves because Mercedes made an inferior product. Never again own airmatic, can’t wait to sell the car👍

 

Sorry you feel like that. This suspension is super in my opinion and that car rising becomes handy often. I know for someone who don’t have skills or way to do it it will probably add $3000-$4000 to have it done at the dealer.

I bought my my car with all options I ever need so I can fix this car as I am keeping it. The spring job was way lower cost option to getting a new or different car with options I want.

My car went about 160000 miles on the original springs. I don’t think that is so bad.

 

They are more expensive because Bilstein instituted MAP pricing and is enforcing it.

--Kyle B

 

Well removing the old air springs was a nightmare. That took about half the day. If they just popped out I would have been done in under 2 hours. I tried jacking the car up by the air spring, every type of pry tool I own, heat, and finally copious amounts of penetrating oil. I was able to drill out the bottom of the spring that was giving me the most grief so I could get a crowbar in there and jump on it. Eventually it broke free. I'm not a fan of all rusting fasteners on the underside of the car.

 

Wow, you must have had a very bad experience. I'm not sure if you are talking about front or rear but I assume rear springs?

In my case on my 10 years old car the first rerar spring took about an hour to do as it my very first one. I had to hammer the spring up out of the bottom "hole" it is mounted in. The factory spring had a metal cap at the end of it with very tight fit and it had to be hammered rather hard to get it out. It took me some time to figure this out but after that it was easy. The other rear spring went in half of time as I knew what needs to be done.

The first thing in this job is to disconnect the air to the spring so it deflates so there is no forces against the spring you need to work against.

Front air struts were easier to change than the rear springs with 3 bolts at bottom and 3 very easy bolts at top. Bottom bolts required a star socket to work on but after that it was easy.

 

Sorry so late on my response but the front strut is a strut. It includes the strut as part of the front suspension. There is no upper control arm, only the lower one because the strut takes care of the upper arm. This is MacPherson suspension with an air bag as a spring instead of normal coil spring.

This also includes the shock absorber, like MacPherson does, but what make this expensive is the adjustable control between SPORTS and COMFORT. The adjustment has a valve which is the cylindrical part at the bottom end of the strut. This is the part that makes the price high, I believe.

The rear shocks for an E550 without AirMatic cost only like $50 a piece. With the AirMatic with the control between the two driving modes they are about $650 a piece.

In rear air spring is just a spring separate from the shock so it can be made very low cost.

 

Sometimes removal of the rear springs can as painful as this:


Passenger side

Drivers side





None of the springs came out easily for me. I removed the lower control arm from the passenger side and knocked out the spring with a hammer. But the driver side was way more difficult to deal with as the rear bolt that holds the control arm seized and I couldn't remove it. I tried to burn the spring, used penetration oil, hammer, chisel, Dremel, saw, jacks and everything I could think of. The spring is made of very strong plastic and rubber. A flat screwdriver, knife, saw and hammer and almost 9 hours of work helped me to win. I probably could try to unscrew the middle portion of the spring (see the ring with a thread) and didn't have to break it piece by piece. The last picture shows what parts the spring is made of.

 

Yep, that just about mirrors my experience!

 

Hi All,

Have a minor problem. Right rear air bag was leaking badly and I finally replaced both of them a couple of days ago with Arnott A2724. I followed the YouTube instruction and was able to do it almost by myself. Getting them out was easy but getting them in was more challenging. I had someone push the hub down while I inserted the bags. Anyway, my LR airbag doesn't seem to be getting air (RR was bad) at all. When car is lowered this side is completely in the wheel well and was working fin before installing new bag. I also have the malfunction indicator on too. Air hose and plug are both inserted completely. All other bags are inflated and holding air.

What should I look for to trouble shoot this?

 

Don't know why you don't get air in the spring if air tube connection is correctly in place. Have you checked the level sensor?

But, you say you replaced both air springs with Arnott A2724. Right and Left are not the same part. There is kind of tear drop shape opening at the bottom of the hole on the control arm that sets the position of the spring meaning if you seat the bottom of the spring to this opening your air connection on one side of the car is on wrong side of the spring. If not, then one of the springs is not seated correctly in place.

 

According to Arnott, 2724 is for both sides. When I installed the spring, the connectors are facing out towards the plug and air line. I'm pretty sure it's seated correct as all related bolts went through and because simply the way the bottom of the spring is shaped won't allow it to go below the control arm except for maybe a few millimeters. The spring actually rests on the control arm.

 

My bad,

In my 2010 E550 the rear springs are not the same. They are Arnott parts 2790 and 2791.

In the bottom of the springs there is a shape that fits the tear drop shape opening in the lower control arm that is shown in mockba's pictures. If I would use the same spring in both sides the air connection would be on the wrong side on one of them.