I recently purchased a 2020 GLS580 and I have a few questions about a modification that I am considering.

Have any of you installed a lowering module, similar to the one that Renn-tech has that quickly plugs into the OBD-2 interface? I found this one on Amazon:

Lowering Module for Mercedes, OBD-2 plug-and play system, Airmatic https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C7G3J13/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uBDrFb2YKSFW1

- Does it lower each of the factory level settings by a predetermined height?

- Is the manual and automatic height adjustment still fully functional with the device plugged in?

- I am looking to make a subtle modification to lower the car by about 1 inch in each of the factory height settings. I prefer not to use lowering links if I don’t have to.

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

I got a GLS580 with eABC.

I did the OBD module programming on my '18 S560 with a bunch of things: auto start/stop override, AMG logo at start-up, lowering suspension on ABC, Seatbelt chime off.
the guy that I used was on eBay. much cheaper than your Amazon guy. and all the programming work like champs.

I haven't done any of those on my GLS yet. my guy said that he can do lowering and auto-start/stop. nothing else yet on these new MBUX vehicles.
I'm temped to do the flashing for the auto-start/stop. not so sure about the suspension change.

 

Can you PM the contact information for your coder? Thanks!

Can the lowering height on the GLS be coded? It would be great to have the car automatically lower at certain speeds or when the car is parked and doors are locked.

 

Looks pretty good! This particular lowering module doesn't seem to give you the Custom Mode feature, allowing you to adjust the level of each wheel independently. I believe the old OBD module for the X166 used to do this.

Also, the price for $710 seems to have gone up! Anyone here have any experience for the X167 or any of the new MBs with MBUX?

Thanks!

 

Egor63s,
how does the module get controlled once it's installed?
do different settings come into play depending on the drive mode?

 

Does the lowering module affect alignment? By lowering the SUV on the air suspension the camber would change and you could get inside tire wear unless the camber is changes as it is lowered. The factory height settings do not change the height too much at normal driving speeds so it may not be an issue.

 

so, I have eABC on my GLS580.
I ordered and got the air suspension mod.
there are three height settings: Factory, 30mm lower and 60mm lower.

the first issue for me is that those weren't selectable on the fly. when you apply the module, you select the new normal at one of those settings. the vehicle gets fooled that it's at whatever it should be normally, but the actual is that height minus what you selected. you can still select lower like you would with factory. or automatic heigh adjust based on speed still works to make it lower when going highway speed.

just as the camber would adjust neutral with factory, using this module doesn't seem to alter that, since that's more physical suspension settings.

I had a few more issues though:
Applying the module corrupted the height initialization data in the computer and tripped off "Air Suspension Fault" light.
I had to hook up the service computer and go through the initialization process to reset and have the vehicle re-learn the data.

the Curve mode in eABC seemed to get disabled and the vehicle no longer seemed to lean anymore in 30mm and 60mm modes.

in both 30mm and 60mm modes, the default "Comfort" mode no longer proactively smooth out the bumps on the road. resulting in noticeably harsher ride in Comfort mode.
Sure, you can say lowering the vehicle 30mm would make it rider harsher. but that wasn't it. it smart feature in the eABC no longer seemed to kick in for the Comfort mode.
Naturally, if I select "Sport" or "Sport+" the ride is even rougher.

60mm is ridiculously low and FANTASTIC looking. but that made the GLS ride unbearably harsh. no longer the S Class of SUV.
even in 30mm mode, it just didn't lower the height, it actually ruined the ride quality. (and no more CURVE mode)

lastly, in order to switch between Default, 30mm and 60mm modes, you have to run through the installation process via OBD port. it's not switchable on the fly.

I ended up un-doing the lowering module and went back to the normal factory setting.

Perhaps, this the side-effects of having eABC. this module wouldn't create these issues if you have base suspension on your GLS.
for me, this was a no go.

my 2 cents.

 

Thank you very much for your 2 cents. I do not have eABC on my GLS580 but don't want to make the ride more harsh than sport mode. Connecting to the service computer for me can only be done at the dealer and I don't want Mercedes to know about any mods I do. I think I will wait and see is anyone without eABC has better actual results.

 

Glad I can help.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I also have EABC and was considering this mod. With your input, I will avoid it, thanks.

 

especially after paying insane amount for our EABC, it didn't make sense for me to lose the benefits of EABC when using this module.

 

Thanks for the feedback @madkow70

I don't have the EABC on my GLS 580, but I do think I will wait to see if there are improved updates to the next release of the module before pulling the trigger.