StevethePilot

So I'm talking to my SA, the guy you've heard me talk about before, and he suggests I look under the bumper and I could get to the sensor and push it back in to place (he's always trying to make sure I get the most for my money). I pull in to the house, stop outside the garage and go inside to use the bathroom and get some medicine before trying to look under the bumper. The car's off, but just outside the garage on the other side of the house (some 40+ feet away, through walls and so forth).

Suddenly, I hear a big *BANG*. I walk out of the bedroom and everyone says, "Geez, did you hear that? What was that? Was that in the back yard?" I go out to the garage and see image #1 below. Around to the right of the car, I saw image #2. I look underneath and see image #3. After searching around and finally using the really freaky jack to raise the car, I found image #4 just above the wheel. That ain't right. Image 5 is what was left on the ground after I backed out. My head could've been under there when it blew and I could've gotten something in my eye or worse had my head pinned under the suspension.

I flatbedded the truck to the dealership. We'll see what's next. First the left strut leaks and needs to be replaced. Now the right bag blows. Which really blows!

Ugh.

STP

Newbie_2_MB

How fast was Barb driving??

Seriously, I'm glad you're OK. Get them to fix the sensor gratis.

StevethePilot

Barb made really good time getting back from Chino, probably because of light traffic. But to quote her, "I'm drivin' it like I stole it!"

God love the woman, she's born for the Autobahn.

STP

blittle

Man....that is ugly looking and scary! I regularly take mine on a road where the suspension gets really tested....even move the ORP setting to height number 2. The thought of "blowout" like that is Good grief.....what if that happened at 80mph!!!

StevethePilot

Yeah, I contemplated that and what if I was doing some minor off-roading, say Sycamore Creek, by myself (dumb idea to start with, but hey, this is a hypothetical) and just as the raised suspension (such as it is without the ORP) helps me over a rock, BAM! Suddenly I'm going nowhere because the drivetrain's draggin on something I was clearing a moment before. How much fun (read $$!) would it be to try to get towed out from an off-highway trail. D'oh!

STP

Danno4x4

Steve,

I have never heard of that happening to an air suspension bag... Thats totally messed up!

The only thing I could think of that would cause that is a malfunction in the pressure sensor that would cause the pump to overpressurize the bag... But that is unlikely... Those bags are made to take a heck of a lot of pressure before failing.

Maybe there was a flaw in the bag itself during manufacture...

BeanCounter

STP,

That's F'd up. I am glad you were nowhere near your GL when this happened. You are reinforcing my belief that I either need to get rid of my GL before the warranty expires or get an extended warranty......

You still coming to Vegas next month???????????

Jeff

StevethePilot

I've told them I want a reason why it failed.

Since I've replaced two of the struts, both in front, Barb's asking me how many more times this can happen. Of course I can't answer her honestly, but I did say, "Well ... twice, 'cause there's two more struts."

It has to have been a manufacturing defect, to my mind, because of the way that highly reinforced bag tore. But that doesn't make it any better, now does it?

StevethePilot

That is the plan, Stan. There's two things which could stop it; one, my friends from the UK might have their trip canceled because of the swine flu outbreak (which the EU's health minister is already telling people, not to travel to Mexico or the US) and another major problem on the GL. Well, actually, I do have other vehicles, but the road to Vegas is so nice in the GL ... ahh.

I'm still at the verge of what I would've paid for a full warranty, but I'm under 60K miles. As I've said before, bode well it does not.

STP

Brocktoon

You should call the NHTSA and MB USA with that. That is messed up! With the speed these trucks can cruise at, that would be a disaster if it happened on the highway. What if you were towing a trailer? or passing... that scares me more than a trail rescue!

StevethePilot

Oh certainly, I agree, just offering yet another scenario. The beast is home, by the way, and I'm thinking of getting a vanity plate that says "APLLO13" - as in, "Houston, we have a problem!"

The mechanic showed me the strut. He explained that it couldn't have been an overpressure because of redundancy in the relief valves both at the pump and in the strut. Also, it's nearly impossible to overpressure the bags (you can see how thick they are, reinforced and such, the same as are used on semi and RV suspensions). My impression from the damage is some manufacturing defect. There's sort of a start point, an area that's a little more frayed than the rest, but the tear's nearly all the way around the bag. He said he'd seen bags blow before but very, very rarely and even moreso since 2005's models. (I think Airmatic came out in 2000?)

I don't know that losing the airbag would've affected actual controlability, as there was no difference I could feel in the short distance I moved it to get it to the tow truck. But certainly perceived controllability, as well as the sudden shock of having the corner drop, would cause a problem. And still, this is a potential problem that NHTSA and MBUSA should both know about and weigh in on.

I think the most effective way to go about it would be to write NHTSA, cc:MBUSA, and include a cover letter to MBUSA about the situation. What do you guys think?

STP

Danno4x4

Steve,

Did you have to pay to have it fixed? Was the failure on the side where they replaced the strut previously?

There is one other possibility that could cause the failure... The bag may have been somehow damaged when it was installed the first (or second) time... Something could have taken a chunk out of the bag making it a ticking time bomb...

BlownV8

Yes, you should file a complait with the NHTSA. If you save one injury, it will be worth while.
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/Consumer.cfm

StevethePilot

I paid for part of the repair, but not all. It was the opposite side from the leak. At 57,000+ miles, I don't know if that type if installation damage would wait that long to show its ugly head. It's just weird. And yes, I am going to contact NHTSA, thank you for the link, BlownV8!

STP

oknish

Oye, Vey.....sorry to hear and see this, Steve. I am guessing Barb should be banned from GL now

Jokes aside though, glad that everyone is safe. Any word back fro MBUSA?

JimBarnhart

What's next, someone will cut the brake lines like in the old movies? Steve, do you have any enemies??

This is very scary.

StevethePilot

Uh, a joke, I hope? My only enemy so far has been the GL itself, and it's only mildly assuaged my overall adoration for the truck. True, MB has been making huge strides back to the over-engineered quality days, but they're not there yet and it's something I've accepted as probable, that something else might well go wrong with the truck. This is without major modification, and none to either the engine/drive train or the suspension/wheels/tires. So it actually encourages me to do some mods. Coming up!

STP

slim nicky

Wow, unbelievable! Glad to hear you are ok, Steve. All things considered you are extremely lucky. This could not have happened in a better place - your driveway and no one close by. Really makes you wonder though about the reliability.... Here's another theory (albeit out there) - is there any way an animal could have been chewing away at it? My buddy had a rodent living in his CLS for a while... by the time he discovered it, it had chewed through the firewall between engine and passenger compartment and he needed a new one. Eventhough his car is garage kept, apparently it is not unsual for them (little rats) to crawl in there during winter months after you park car for some heat.... Probably not a plausible theory given the location of the struts is not a particularly hospitable one, but worth ruling out...

QuadBenz

That's awful! My previous GL (was one of the Premier Editions) completely sank to the floor. The running boards were about 2 inches from touching the floor.. Nothing blew up though.
That's crazy! To be honest, I didn't read the last half of the thread so I'm not sure if anything else was mentioned, but good luck getting your car fixed!

blittle

Well......sounds like an ordeal for sure I just got back from taking mine to the cabin in Vermont and pounded the crap out of the suspension on our 3 mile dirt/frost heave/mud, rut road and all held together anyway. I've put over 36K on the truck in the past two years.....all going from here to there and this trip was the first one that I actually thought about something nasty potentially happening.........I would think if there was an inherent weakness in the design, I probably would have encountered the issue by now Hope you get through this and have 0 problems from here on in....you deserve a break!!!