Problem with Air Body Control suspension
#51
MBWorld Fanatic!
I got a horrible ride with my 2018 E63 AMG, I kept trying to justify that it was super duper performance car and this was the price I pay for driving such a super performing car, but the ride was just completely unacceptable, my 2019 E450 Wagon with the harder sidewall 19 inch Run Flats rides much better than my AMG ever did. Same goes for my Cabrio too. I would never buy a car again with the Air Springs. Maybe there is some kind of issue with software or something that only affects certain cars.
#52
Member
Thread Starter
I had my winter tyres fitted today and they are run flats. I bought them as a wheel tyre package as the wheels match my summer set.
I am actually pleasantly surprised in that they have not altered the charateristics of the ride to any great degree but oddly on very smooth surfaces they are less smooth than the summer tyres just a minor feeling of lots of tiny imperfections i suspect a similar sensation to the OP.
summer tyres are pirelli cinturato and winters are dunlop wintersport 4 17inch rims ABC suspension 4 matic estate (wagon).
I am actually pleasantly surprised in that they have not altered the charateristics of the ride to any great degree but oddly on very smooth surfaces they are less smooth than the summer tyres just a minor feeling of lots of tiny imperfections i suspect a similar sensation to the OP.
summer tyres are pirelli cinturato and winters are dunlop wintersport 4 17inch rims ABC suspension 4 matic estate (wagon).
#53
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Thread Starter
Today the technician of the importer MB-Benelux has assessed my car in connection with my complaint and he has come to the conclusion that something is indeed wrong. The workshop supervisor all of a sudden has the same opinion and now there will be further consultation with the factory in Germany. I am glad that my complaint now is being recognized. I'm curious how it goes further and of course I will keep the forum up to date.
#54
Today the technician of the importer MB-Benelux has assessed my car in connection with my complaint and he has come to the conclusion that something is indeed wrong. The workshop supervisor all of a sudden has the same opinion and now there will be further consultation with the factory in Germany. I am glad that my complaint now is being recognized. I'm curious how it goes further and of course I will keep the forum up to date.
#55
Member
Thread Starter
Today the technician of the importer MB-Benelux has assessed my car in connection with my complaint and he has come to the conclusion that something is indeed wrong. The workshop supervisor all of a sudden has the same opinion and now there will be further consultation with the factory in Germany. I am glad that my complaint now is being recognized. I'm curious how it goes further and of course I will keep the forum up to date.
#56
Senior Member
hi
sorry had not seen your request. I am still happy with the run flats and am actually not paying much attention to them. The car is smoother than my airmatic c estate, it does throw up some nasty road noise on certain surfaces despite having the acoustic pack but can be incredibly smooth and quiet on other surfaces. Overall in the round i surprisingly find the run flats a shade quieter but in essence i think it boils down to different surfaces affect the summer and winter tyres differently.
was glad of the winters saturday we had 8 hrs of freezing rain the car coped very well when i finally ventured out only loosing grip once on an incline into a car park. We could not get out of the car so drove out and she managed it without fuss.
sorry had not seen your request. I am still happy with the run flats and am actually not paying much attention to them. The car is smoother than my airmatic c estate, it does throw up some nasty road noise on certain surfaces despite having the acoustic pack but can be incredibly smooth and quiet on other surfaces. Overall in the round i surprisingly find the run flats a shade quieter but in essence i think it boils down to different surfaces affect the summer and winter tyres differently.
was glad of the winters saturday we had 8 hrs of freezing rain the car coped very well when i finally ventured out only loosing grip once on an incline into a car park. We could not get out of the car so drove out and she managed it without fuss.
#57
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Thread Starter
#58
So the next phase starts. My car is going back to the dealer again this week. I will now get new, different brand tires from the importer (although the car is brand new and there is nothing technically wrong with my current tires) and apparently they are going to check some other things (don't know what exactly yet) and the air suspension gets calibrated (?) again. I will keep you informed!
#59
Senior Member
As time has passed the fact i am running run flats is less and less in my mind maybe the day i swap them back i may feel a difference for a few kms so the 2 types on my car and wheels are pretty close.
one other comment the car very rarely crashes over sharp edge potholes (though we have few here) as suggested in many reviews you hear a noise but not bad or uncomfortable.
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Haag (12-21-2018)
#60
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Thread Starter
So the next phase starts. My car is going back to the dealer again this week. I will now get new, different brand tires from the importer (although the car is brand new and there is nothing technically wrong with my current tires) and apparently they are going to check some other things (don't know what exactly yet) and the air suspension gets calibrated (?) again. I will keep you informed!
#61
I have new tires now (Michelin) and it makes no difference at all. The workshop manager thinks its better now, but that's the same man that felt nothing to begin with. Now I have a service appointment where the sensors will be checked. But after that they don't know what else they can do. Unfortunately the word "product-characteristic" has already fallen....
I dropped mine off over the weekend and they have replaced the front brakes and disc as they recognized it does add to the vibration.... unfortunately 20 mins later they called and said i need a new front bumper and headlight as one of the drivers bashed it into a GL truck...!!!
#62
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2018 S560 and 2019 E450 Wagon.
I have new tires now (Michelin) and it makes no difference at all. The workshop manager thinks its better now, but that's the same man that felt nothing to begin with. Now I have a service appointment where the sensors will be checked. But after that they don't know what else they can do. Unfortunately the word "product-characteristic" has already fallen....
#63
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Thread Starter
.... unfortunately 20 mins later they called and said i need a new front bumper and headlight as one of the drivers bashed it into a GL truck...!!!
Yes that's possible, and they have been checking my suspension for malfunctions. But there is one issue that can have a big influence on how air suspension behaves and that is the software. MB constantly produces updates and I know from a German forum that there were people that had an update for their air suspension in 2017 that massively softened their suspension. Unfortunately the dealer can only install the latest version of the software....
#64
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I have new tires now (Michelin) and it makes no difference at all. The workshop manager thinks its better now, but that's the same man that felt nothing to begin with. Now I have a service appointment where the sensors will be checked. But after that they don't know what else they can do. Unfortunately the word "product-characteristic" has already fallen....
#65
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Mercedes Benz e450 Wagon / Porsche 911 Cabriolet
Candidly, I've never really understood the air suspension. Just one more potential problem for very marginal gains. My car without it drives beautifully.
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
#66
MBWorld Fanatic!
Candidly, I've never really understood the air suspension. Just one more potential problem for very marginal gains. My car without it drives beautifully.
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
#68
MBWorld Fanatic!
Candidly, I've never really understood the air suspension. Just one more potential problem for very marginal gains. My car without it drives beautifully.
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
If you can't get it resolved, maybe they'll take it back as a lemon if you trade to another car...and don't get that option next time!
I would never, ever buy the 213 without air suspension. It's night and day.
Steel springs and the like will never come close to an air ride.
#69
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Thread Starter
The consultation between importer and factory has led to the following.
The MB factory has no knowledge of other similar complaints. If all components have been checked for proper operation and the latest software is installed, nothing else can be done. The rest then is "product-characteristic".
Furthermore the factory was able to explain why I noticed a difference in air suspension between the vehicles I testdrove (E350d) and my own car (E200). The suspension itself is the same in these cars but the control unit and the software is different. The way the air suspension behaves is adjusted differently due to the weight difference of the engine blocks. The weight difference in this case is more than 200 kg.
In other words, the test drives in the E350d were useless with regard to experiencing the behavior of the air suspension as I was in the proces of buying an E200. Depending on the weight of the engine block the ride differs significantly. And apparently the air suspension is less smooth and not working at its best with the relatively light engine block of my E200, despite the specific adjustment in software. My complaint can be traced back to these differences.
The lessons here are that one should testdrive with exactly the right configuration and furthermore Air Body Control seems to work best with heavier engine blocks. The salesmen at the dealer, the workshop manager and even the technician of the importer did not know this....
#71
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#72
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Thread Starter
It is very difficult to find cars with air suspension in my country. It was a miracle that I could testdrive a E350d when I was buying the E200. I found out myself that an other dealer had a used car in stock with ABC.
I think that every W213 with the M274 engine drives like my E200 considering what the factory has told the importer. And unfortunately that drive is different (less comfortable) than the drive in an E350d.
I think that every W213 with the M274 engine drives like my E200 considering what the factory has told the importer. And unfortunately that drive is different (less comfortable) than the drive in an E350d.
#73
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E 300 AMG-Line diesel-Hybrid - 2021
@Haag Goedemiddag,
sorry, I only noticed this thread now:
I too have a E200CDI and ABC & when I read your comments it made me realise that I have similar behaviour.
I've had the car for 1.5 years now and since beginning have not been impressed with ABC.
this whole "super smooth ride" thing definitely does not apply and I find there's little to no difference from my previous w212 without abc.
even changing from comfort to sport seems the same.
I feel all bumps to some degree, even on the motorway.
when driving on paved roads the car sort of starts to bounce (it FEELS like the tires come loose from the road),
and it even seems to slide slightly to the outside in curves.
I sort of accepted all of this behaviour but now not sure if it's normal?
The one thing I don't have is the vibration in the steering wheel.
sorry, I only noticed this thread now:
I too have a E200CDI and ABC & when I read your comments it made me realise that I have similar behaviour.
I've had the car for 1.5 years now and since beginning have not been impressed with ABC.
this whole "super smooth ride" thing definitely does not apply and I find there's little to no difference from my previous w212 without abc.
even changing from comfort to sport seems the same.
I feel all bumps to some degree, even on the motorway.
when driving on paved roads the car sort of starts to bounce (it FEELS like the tires come loose from the road),
and it even seems to slide slightly to the outside in curves.
I sort of accepted all of this behaviour but now not sure if it's normal?
The one thing I don't have is the vibration in the steering wheel.
Last edited by Egonvdv; 02-01-2019 at 08:11 AM.
#74
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Mercedes Benz e450 Wagon / Porsche 911 Cabriolet
this whole "super smooth ride" thing definitely does not apply and I find there's little to no difference from my previous w212 without abc.
I feel all bumps to some degree, even on the motorway.
when driving on paved roads the car sort of starts to bounce (it FEELS like the tires come loose from the road)
I feel all bumps to some degree, even on the motorway.
when driving on paved roads the car sort of starts to bounce (it FEELS like the tires come loose from the road)
After that experience, I vowed never to go back to ABC, particularly since it's not even worth the cost. I challenge ALL BELIEVERS to go and drive the same model of their car without ABC and truly notice the difference. Wait, you will notice the difference...the non-ABC cars are more planted while still being pliant. Of course, there is the modest benefit of raising the car 2 inches for snow drifts. But that's a heck of a dubious benefit.