N_Jay

Have you pulled it hard against either end of travel?
I would guess that would be the risk.

dvdport

I have not pulled it hard against either end of the travel. The upper steering triangle and the lower portion was held very tight and I have to use the 3/4 in. Ball Joint Separator from Harbor Freight. When it did separate, it snapped off and a metal ring sprang out as well. I believe it is the lower bushing covered with rubber. The upper steering triangle also sprang upward in the process, which is why I am worried that the level control sensor assembly maybe damaged. But how can I verify if it is already damaged or not?
here is the link for the 3/4 in. Ball Joint Separator that I have used:
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-qua...tor-99849.html

N_Jay

That is going to take someone with more knowledge than I have.

dvdport

I am in the middle of replacing the old airbag with the new Arnott airbag. After removing the old one, I saw there are two O rings. One is made of rubber that serves to seal and another one is made of plastic which I think it serves as a stopper below the rubber O ring.
My question is should I remove the plastic stopper as well or should I leave it there for the Arnott new airbag? How you guys did it?
Also, the new airbag shipped to me with the lower portion stucked inside in the lower portion, I suppose it is made it this way and I should not mess with it by pulling it out. I have installed it as it is, and as a result it will not be fully seated all the way down to the bottom. See image. should I pull it out to make it seat correctly or it should be ok and it will be pumped into the correct position after it is installed?
I started the engine and ran it more than 10 minutes without mounting the wheel and found no pumping in the new airbag. The driver side air bag is hard with air.
What should I do to start the air pumping? will put on the wheel and lower the car cause the car to start pumping air to the new airbag? How about disconnect and reconnect the battery?
I need your urgent feedback to take correct action from here. Thanks!

2010GL550

I believe I left both the o-ring and the plastic stopper on mine. I thought the instructions referenced what to do.


The attached video shows the final steps and I certainly did do this myself. reinstall the wheel/tire and lower the jack until the normal ride height is achieve (do NOT lower the jack all the way). I think our 2010 GL550 is around 33" from the garage floor to the edge of the wheel arch. Start the vehicle (make certain you reinstalled the air compressor relay/fuse) and wait for the pump to fully inflate the new air spring.


Once you feel like the air bag is pressurized, SLOWLY lower the jack. The vehicle should remain at the desired "normal" heights.

2010GL550

Well, in step four of the video they install the new air spring and do NOT reuse the plastic collar and/or o-ring.

dvdport

Thank you all for your feedback. Here is a quick update:
1) I have removed the plastic O ring as Arnott feedback on Amazon that there is no need for either one because Arnott airbag has the O rings built-in.
2) I lowered the car to normal height, started the car for more than two minutes, and activate the rising function. After several minutes, the dreadful "malfunction" message re-appeared on the dashboard. I checked and pressed the new airbag, it is soft without any air in it. However, the lower portion did reach the resting place where it supposed to, and when I lifted the car up, it goes up roughly 1" about the mark.
Am I unlucky to have a new defective Arnott airbag or it is because of the tucked fold that may cause leak?
The drive side airbag remains hard and strong which means the air compressor is in good condition and I did hear the compressor working during the rising function in process.
Should I disconnect and re-connect the battery and try again just in case when the original airbag failed the car's computer remembers this incident and cut off air supply to the faulty air line? is this car this smart? It is a 2010 GL350 Bluetec.
Anyone can tell me the procedure on disconnecting the battery?
I did read in the forum someone mentioned the car's software update, but this car has the driver side airbag replaced a year ago by the dealer and I believe the software should be updated by then for the repair to work if any. This is a used car I purchased after the driver side fix.
Please help! Thanks!

BlownV8

Most likely a bad air compressor.

N_Jay

Valve block (if separate from compressor) or level sensor.

dvdport

N_Jay, I think you are correct about valve block as I checked last night. I released the air in the driver side that works ok and make it saggy as the passenger side. It was pumping up hard. It is relieved to know the compressor is in good condition.
I believe the air line for the passenger side has issue, either a line blockage, disconnection or the solenoid malfunction that caused no pumping-up on the passenger side.
Do you know 2010 GL350 bluetec well? How the valve block be checked for the passenger side air line? Sorry I do not have factory service manual to reference.

BlownV8

What was the malfunction message you received?

dvdport

Final update on my case:
1) there are two defects in the airmatic system. The passenger side front airbag is shot and and the air control valve block is defective. To be exact, the only air line that supply air pressure to the driver side is blocked and does not provide air at all, all other air lines are ok. So it is a weird problem.
2) the air control valve block is located on top of the bracket. Two screws hold the the air control valve block to the bracket from down below. You need to remove the air compressor first to access the two screws. I have removed the bracket together with the air control valve block.
3) you need to jack up the car both in the front and rear to replace the air control valve block because all air pressure will be gone.
4) after replacing the the air control valve block and re-installed the air compressor, you have to lower the car enough, otherwise, the air compressor will not start.
5) you need to lower the rear in order for the pump to put pressure to the rear airbags . I learned it hard way, I did not lower the rear, after rising the car, I touched and pressed both front airbags to be hard, I lower the front first which to be perfectly ok, then I lower the rear, and the rear fell to the jack all the way to the floor, which is very scary. I Used second jack to jack up to normal height and to rise the car again and this time it works perfectly.
Thanks to you all for your feedback that helped me in getting the car up and running again. Hope my experience can benefit others who have similar issue.
Good luck!

N_Jay

Any time you jack up a car with active air suspension you MUST lower it slowly.

Even just doing a wheel change can allow the system to vent, and when dropped can damage the bag and shock.

tmurphy25

Hi, the dealer just let me know that the 2011 GL550 needs all 4 replaced and is quoting 4800 for the job.
is this a reasonable amount?

kombifan

N_Jay

All four just happened to fail at the same time?

Find a good indy shop.

kombifan

lawguy

kombifan

If it's not leaking, don't fix what isn't broke.

That being said the air bags and struts are a mileage dependent and age thing. Mine all wore out within a 1-1.5 years of each other.

Around 7 - 8 years or 70-80k

Rvaldez1216

Having the Same issue I have changed the passenger side Airbag 3 DIFFERENT TIMES and has always popped after I parked it