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After replacing my compressor once and then encountering a problem with the front suspension that I am repairing now I got curious. I disassembled the old compressor and found water in it. Not just moisture, puddled water. So I took apart the newer compressor and found the same. All the dessicant beads are saturated. Interior parts lightly rusted. O-rings crusted. Who was the brilliant engineer that decided that the air intake hose and filter was best suited to be located in the wheel well? Idiot. So...I'm working on a modification. I think filtered air from the intake after the filters would be a better source. Any thoughts? Btw... a new valve block is inbound. Its corrupted with rust, I'm sure. I'd lay money that 90% of all suspension issues involving compressor and block valves cand be solved with good, filtered, dry air.
As I recall, the air pump intake hose and filter are simply clipped in place and protected from the elements by the wheel well cowl. I believe the filter intake hose is curved downward and is about 6 - 8 inches in length.. so water getting in is unlikely (if everything is properly connected). Any moisture would be due to ambient air moisture, not water from the wheel well.
A simple mod, if you must, would be to just relocate the hose and filter to where you want it and clip it in place. But it would seem that even tapping in to the intake filters would not free you from ambient air moisture - the air intake filters are designed to filter particles and dust, not moisture.
perhaps the driest air would be from the cabin? at least the HVAC system will have dried it a bit - depends how far you want to take it - I don't know how big the pipe is
maybe up high through the firewall - did they punch any spare holes that just have grommets in them?
After replacing my compressor once and then encountering a problem with the front suspension that I am repairing now I got curious. I disassembled the old compressor and found water in it. Not just moisture, puddled water. So I took apart the newer compressor and found the same. All the dessicant beads are saturated. Interior parts lightly rusted. O-rings crusted. Who was the brilliant engineer that decided that the air intake hose and filter was best suited to be located in the wheel well? Idiot. So...I'm working on a modification. I think filtered air from the intake after the filters would be a better source. Any thoughts? Btw... a new valve block is inbound. Its corrupted with rust, I'm sure. I'd lay money that 90% of all suspension issues involving compressor and block valves cand be solved with good, filtered, dry air.
leave the engine air intake alone - if you did what you’re saying you could suck false, unfiltered air from the compressor into the engine = $$$$
the solution mb came up with has worked for most of us, so I am curious to see how yours failed (or was incorrectly modded by owner prior to you). Has the compressor moved this water around the rest of the system, such as air bags and central reservoir?
As I recall, the air pump intake hose and filter are simply clipped in place and protected from the elements by the wheel well cowl. I believe the filter intake hose is curved downward and is about 6 - 8 inches in length.. so water getting in is unlikely (if everything is properly connected). Any moisture would be due to ambient air moisture, not water from the wheel well.
A simple mod, if you must, would be to just relocate the hose and filter to where you want it and clip it in place. But it would seem that even tapping in to the intake filters would not free you from ambient air moisture - the air intake filters are designed to filter particles and dust, not moisture.
I relocated it to the engine compartment where the distribution lines are next to the fuse box. I'm thinking about adding another dessicant type filter online also.
I uninstalled the valve block and blew it out with compressed air. Reinstalled, reassembled everything, I have suspension in the front again. The valve block was saturated. New one wont be here until may 6. Moisture seems to be the big issue. After I manufacture a dessicant box for it to draw air from I'll post pics.
sorry - that was a misleading statement on my part. There’s no MB “solution” other than ensuring that the intake tube and filter are in the factory installed location.
i don’t have access to WIS but this is what the suction hose assembly should look like:
[img]blob:https://mbworld.org/b845a8dd-c8bb-48d4-b3d8-b4676400fbeb[/img]
Assuming it’s not condensation related, have you looked potential locations the water is getting sucked in?
Some things to think about:
-missing wheel well liner bolts and push pins can allow the wheel to throw rainwater up and through, then this will collect one a low spot and be sucked up into the vacuum hose
-same thing for a misaligned or misinstalled wheel well liner.
-clogged or unclean fender drain channels
hopefully you’ll find a plausible root cause and avoid this happening again. If your valve block is wet I would also think your central reservoir (under the tailgate) has water in it so make sure you blow out all lines and tanks. hoping you don’t find water in the bags since water is incompressible.
Thanks Max. Yes, the intake tube was in the correct location. The well liner was installed correctly with no missing pins or nuts/bolts. However...at the top outer edge of the arch where the liner is more pliable/rubber it doesnt quite seal well against the quarter panel. There is a small 1/16th gap about 8" long that water/moisture can get into. There is and has been no damage to either the liner or the fender. My guess is it's normal shrinkage due to age (never had that problem myself..lol). I suppose I could add a bit of rubber along the arch of the fender to fill the gap, but relocating the hose assy to the engine compartment was easier. I have a 2lb package of silicone dessicant beads on the way that will be used as a pre-drier for intake air. The beads are color changing to indicate wetness and reusable. I'll probably use a combination of one or two clear soda bottles to hold the beads.
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