youngstown23

Hi All - new to the forum but have been lurking.

2010 GL450 with 93K - bought at 75K with no issues.

I pulled into the garage an hour ago and heard a hissing only to see that the front passenger side has drooped. Took me a bit to realize what just happened but let the maintenance begin.

I guess the question is - can the bag simply be replaced or does the entire strut assembly need to be done? I took the truck around the block and looks like the compressor is working overtime to keep the car level but as soon as I put it in park the leaky noise returned. I put my hand around the bag and can tell of the leak.

Hasn't thrown any codes or maintenance messages - a possibility the line got loose?

Any insight is much appreciated.

Thanks,

BlownV8

You might as well replace both front assemblies. The other one will go out soon enough. Try not to drive because it will fry your compressor.

DennisG01

Yes, stop driving the car. Use some soapy water on the bag and the fitting to be sure where the leak is. Yes, bags can be replaced by themselves, but most (including me) just go for the Arnott assembly with the lifetime warranty. SEARCH... this topic has come up many, many times. Lot's of info in those threads for you.

youngstown23

Thanks guys - yes will be going ahead and replacing both front bags.

However, this feeling of defeat will take some time.

BlownV8

You've got some much more expensive repairs just over the horizon. Was the valve body ever changed?

youngstown23

Doubtful - the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the truck are too long and drawn out to explain but I am limited in the maintenance history.

This is not an everyday vehicle for us and the one thing that I do know is that it wasn't used in any sort of off-roading or aggressive driving. Today just had to be the day that after a wash I get home and hsssssssssss.

I do have full faith in this system though; blind maybe but damn it I drive a GL and I will have my vengeance.

DennisG01

Good attitude! The rubber air bags are just that... rubber. Like any other rubber air bag system, rubber is a maintenance item and they eventually go bad. It's a darn nice riding vehicle, though!

youngstown23

Agreed wholeheartedly.

I'm trying to stay positive but with life's obstacles this was just simply bad timing.

Also quick Q on the compressor: has anyone really tested how long you can go driving without it burning out? Is there a way to "shut it off"? I only ask as I'll have to drive it to the shop for repairs.

Thanks,

DennisG01

You can pull the relay/fuse for it. Not sure how good it would be for the rest of the suspension components to be driving on a flat bag - but I honestly don't know one way or the other... just that I wouldn't want to chance it without knowing DEFINITIVELY if it would/woundn't hurt anything. But, do you have AAA? They'll tow from your house. I don't think it takes very long till the compressor goes into cool-down mode.

mefferso

If you can verify that the bad itself is leaking and not ready to buy the whole strut set, you can buy just a new front air spring for $50-$100 off ebay and amazon. Just don't have expectations of 100% perfect fit or good reliability. However, it'll probably work fine for awhile and get you out of bind for now until you can buy a good set from Arnott.

abtabor6

You should replace both struts. There are several aftermarket companies. Arnott is one of them.

you can get the whole struts or just the bag on the strut.

it is possible to DIY but tools and little experience is needed.

GLguy

When my driver side failed, I just went with a new unit from MB for $600. Did not go with Arnott because I wanted to have matched bags all around, plus install is easier if you just swap the whole assembly. I did not replace the other side since it's fine and it's the same manufacture.

eric_in_sd

The factory installed bags seem to fail within a short time of each other, so individual replacement is generally not recommended.

eric_in_sd

You know, I bet Fix-A-Flat would work pretty well for limping to the shop. The leaks are usually at the lower fold, so the goop would settle to the leak point. You'd have to use some fitting on the air hose connection, though.

DennisG01

Matched as in "aesthetically" matching? FYI, functionally, they are exactly the same and there is no benefit from spending more money on the MB brand, which is generally considered of lesser quality than the Arnott (along with more expensive and a lesser warranty).

I generally agree with the notion that when one fails, the other isn't far behind. But, on the flip side, there's really no reason one can't just do one at a time. It's not like you're saving any labor by doing two at the same time. And, who knows, the one you didn't replace could last quite a while longer.

eric_in_sd

It's a tough call. Personally, I find that it takes me a fair amount of mental setup time. Get psyched up for goin' wrenchin', ya know? Plus, doing one familiarizes you with the steps, so it's fresh in your mind to go do the second one. Or if you're taking it to a shop, there's a huge overhead there.

But I had one Arnott fail after not that many miles; replaced it and the other has held up just fine since.