Back with more problems unfortunately. Not sure if this would be helpful but here is a link to an older post I had around the same issue: https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...tic-issue.html

Both the right front and right rear are dropping. Just happened mid drive, everything was fine before this. I had replaced my 2 front struts recently with arnotts and a few months prior I had replaced the level control valve. The error came up during the drive but when I parked, turned it off and back on, the yellow "vehicle rising, please wait" did not come up. The car does not level out when i turn it on like it used to when my front would drop. I can hear the compressor working but it stops after a short time.

I have the code C157200: The correction time while filling is too long

I checked for leaks on the lines and there weren't any. I get it if just the rear had dropped as it may be about time that those expire but I don't understand why the right front would drop too since the strut is basically new.

Any info would be helpful, thanks.

 

What Airmatic components have you replaced?

If you haven't replaced the rear springs... might as well do it before proceeding forward. It only a matter of time, and it'll say you aggravation.

Attached is an interesting TSB, not W212 but if the vent valve in the compressor was sticking it could prevent the compressor from building pressure. The error code can mean a few things, but essentially its taking the compressor too long for the respective corner to reach its target height. That can be due to a worn compressor, leak in system, stuck vent valve.

The intake/vent line runs up behind the wheel well liner, you could drop the protective cover for the compressor and disconnect the lien at the filter. When the compressor runs, see if you feel air escaping... it should be sucking it in. As far as the drop on the right side, does it continue to drop?

I'm assuming no Xentry? This would quickly rule out a compressor issue thru guided tests...

 

forgot to attach

 

I have replaced the 2 front air struts and the level control valve. I don't want to replace my rear airbags until I need to due to money being tight at the moment.

The right side is completely dropped and it will not rise back up. I don't have an Xentry system but I do have iCarsoft, tho it isn't too much help.

As for the pdf reference. I do have the filling time one. I used to have the implausible signal one but that went away after replacing my front air struts. The last code on the pdf I never had.

I will try your suggestion for now, thanks.

 

Are you sure the front right is all the way down? You do need to remember the car body is very stiff, i.e. it is not possible for just one spring go down.

If you have a bad spring on rear right it will let that corner drop but it will also cause more load to the rear left and front right spring so these two will also drop some and guess what, the front left may even go up some. Your car's rotation axis will be rear left-front right so when rear right goes down the front left may go up unless the other two go down enough.

Your compressor may not run because there is an error code in the system so clear that out with your iCarsoft scanner. It is good for that.

 

Rear springs are $400 for Arnotts... if you can do it yourself.

It’s going to take money and/or time to fix the issue. Plenty of info on airmatic issues on the forum. If you can’t spend the money, then put in the time to learn and start diagnosing the problem.

Or pay an hour of diagnostic to run all Xentry tests for airmatic... that would rule everything out but a micro-leak of the lines between the valve body and springs/struts or the springs/struts themselves.

 

That's the plan, I have been reading up. My car isn't drivable, is Xentry a service I can have done in my own garage?

 

Front right isn't as slammed as the rear right, but definitely still slammed. I can add pictures below.

I cleared the codes with the iCarsoft but the right side didn't come up.

One thing I wanted to add. When I turn the car on, I don't hear the compressor trying to raise the right side, but when I hit the button to bring up the cars ride height, I can hear the compressor working. The left side will rise to the extra height but not the right wont even come up a bit.


Left side

Right side

 

Your pictures shows what I explained in my previous post. Your rear right is all the way down, rear left is down some as is front right. Front left is up as the car has rotated around rear left-front right axis.

Your problem is with rear right air spring leaking or the tubing from the valve to it is leaking.

You say the compressor works but rear right does not come up. This means the valve to it is not opening or the leak is so bad the spring does not hold any air.

There is also possibility the level sensor on rear right has failed. With iCarsoft you can read level sensors as mm. To test the sensor you could use the jack and raise the rear right corner and see if the level reading changes. If it does not then the sensor is bad.

Another possibility for trouble could be that the sensor went over range so bad the system won’t open it as it does not know what the level is. Jacking the car up some brings the level reading to range so the system could wake it up again?

But, when I had the spring leak issues my car came up every time from all the way down position. With iCarsoft I found codes saying the level went over permissible range but it came up though every time but perhaps there is certain number of occurrences the system allows before it disabled the valve to the spring? I did not allow this condition for too long and it did not go down all the way that often as it did that only if I left it in sports mode. I normally drive in comfort mode.

Easy test: Use the jack and raise the RR corner up so the edge of the fender is slightly above the tire. Then see if Airmatic raises the level up like at other wheels. Make sure you clear codes first.

 

Good suggestion. So it looks like my sensors are ok. I cleared the codes and jacked up my car and the level readings went up accordingly. So I jacked up the rear right to about 10mm and left it for a few minutes while looking around the car. The front right came up slightly. I hit the button to raise vehicle and the rear up got some more air into it but not a lot. Didn't seem front right got any. I lowered the car and removed the jack and the wheel was slammed (let's say about -60mm) then I hear the compressor go on and it raised the rear to about -45mm. It looks like air is going into it the compressor stops after a short time. Same did not happen with the front right, when I removed the jack it stayed completely slammed. The rear did come up slightly when I jacked up the front right of course.

I did notice at some point the pressure readings were around 1.7bar and later came up to 5.4bar. Normally they read around 7 or 10. Not sure if that's useful information. After some research I saw most people who had one side leaning had valve body issues but mine is only a few months old.

Next I'm going to check the valve body, compressor, and the lines to see what I can find.

 

I put in a different compressor and a different solenoid valve. Nothing changed. Any ideas?

 

did you change the bad air spring ?

 

I don't think the air spring is bad because if it was then it would be able to inflate then leak over time. Air wont even enter the air spring enough to bring it to regular height. This is happening to the front right too which has new air struts.

Or I could be wrong and maybe not being able to take air is also a symptom of bad spring. But that doesn't explain why the front is down.

 

You’ve cleared all the airmatic codes, right? When you start the car, do you get any messages? Wait car is rising, malfunction, etc...

I would take it around the block assuming it’s not fully slammed. Which it shouldn’t be, then you get a warning about not driving. When you get back and park, see if it’s improved. Another member chased his tail on a issue, then it suddenly fixed itself after a short drive.

another option, what happens after you start and press the raise function?

 

Yes all fault codes have been cleared. I get the vehicle rising when it first turns on but it doesn't do much. When I press the raise button the left side come up but the right side doesn't. It might come up 5mm at the most. The car wasn't always slammed but the right side is now completely slammed so it's not drivable. Im going to let it sit for a day then come back and turn it on. If raises enough to drive, I'll try and take it around the block to see if that does anything.

 

update:

Driving it around didn't reset it. I figured might as well change the rear springs and see if that does anything. only difference is rear sits about 10mm higher than it used to but still very low. I think at this point I am going to try to find someone that can bring a star or xentry scanner to my garage. I am all out of trouble shooting ideas.