2014 ML350 Trunk & AirMatic Issue
12-21-2015 | 08:06 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: New York, NY
2014 ML350, 2015 E400
2014 ML350 Trunk & AirMatic Issue
Currently the owner of a 2014 ML350 and have been having a few issues.
#1) I have been having issues with the trunk where when i try to open it (it's automatic) it will open partially then proceed to close again. This can happen several times until it fully opens and i only find it odd because this can happen a few times a day and then be fine for a week
#2) The airmatic system works like a charm but my only concern is the sound it makes when the vehicle starts. Turning the vehicle on, after a few seconds the car will make a grinding noise. While i can't be 100% certain that the airmatic system is causing the issue, i'm only only assuming because i couldn't imagine what else it could be.
While it certainly isn't an issue to bring the car in, i just wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions. For a 2014 with 11,000 miles, I would hate to have to shell out money for a vehicle that is pretty much new.
#1) I have been having issues with the trunk where when i try to open it (it's automatic) it will open partially then proceed to close again. This can happen several times until it fully opens and i only find it odd because this can happen a few times a day and then be fine for a week
#2) The airmatic system works like a charm but my only concern is the sound it makes when the vehicle starts. Turning the vehicle on, after a few seconds the car will make a grinding noise. While i can't be 100% certain that the airmatic system is causing the issue, i'm only only assuming because i couldn't imagine what else it could be.
While it certainly isn't an issue to bring the car in, i just wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions. For a 2014 with 11,000 miles, I would hate to have to shell out money for a vehicle that is pretty much new.
12-23-2015 | 04:02 AM
#2
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 616
Likes: 34
From: East part of Texas
2017 CLS550
I have a 2012 ML350 without airmatic so I can't help you with that one. But the hatch problem is something I had develop shortly after purchase. When I first got the car I set the auto stop to a height that would allow me to pass under it but low enough not to hit the garage door braces when the hatch was raised. After a few weeks I noticed the same thing you have - intermittent closing without reaching full stop/open position. A week or so after noticing this the thing stopped working altogether. I took it to the dealer and got it fixed under warranty.
The mechanic who fixed it came out to talk to me. He asked if I had opened or closed the hatch manually after setting the specific stop position I wanted. I told him I sometimes used the buttons but mostly open and close it by hand. He said that was the cause of the problem. The memory of the stop position gets screwed up if you manually force open or close down on the hatch. He said once the stop position is set it is better to open and close the hatch with buttons on either the driver's door or the key. It is also better to close the hatch with the key button or the red button on the hatch itself.
He explained that several people have had this same problem and it is all because the memory (contained in the right shock of the hatch door) gets messed up from manually forcing the door to open and close rather than letting the stop program run its course. They don't bother repairing it and simply order a new right shock, install it and you are good to go after programming the stop point again. The problem is no dealer usually has these in stock and it takes a couple weeks to get one in.
I have never had a bit of trouble since but I also have never opened or closed the hatch manually again either. When the back end is loaded by other people (who usually force the door down by hand), I stand next to them and tell them I will close the door after they finish loading the merchandise. That is really the only inconvenience I've had with opening and closing the hatch by buttons. Tell your dealer to get you a new unit for the right side hatch shock and your problem will be solved.
The mechanic who fixed it came out to talk to me. He asked if I had opened or closed the hatch manually after setting the specific stop position I wanted. I told him I sometimes used the buttons but mostly open and close it by hand. He said that was the cause of the problem. The memory of the stop position gets screwed up if you manually force open or close down on the hatch. He said once the stop position is set it is better to open and close the hatch with buttons on either the driver's door or the key. It is also better to close the hatch with the key button or the red button on the hatch itself.
He explained that several people have had this same problem and it is all because the memory (contained in the right shock of the hatch door) gets messed up from manually forcing the door to open and close rather than letting the stop program run its course. They don't bother repairing it and simply order a new right shock, install it and you are good to go after programming the stop point again. The problem is no dealer usually has these in stock and it takes a couple weeks to get one in.
I have never had a bit of trouble since but I also have never opened or closed the hatch manually again either. When the back end is loaded by other people (who usually force the door down by hand), I stand next to them and tell them I will close the door after they finish loading the merchandise. That is really the only inconvenience I've had with opening and closing the hatch by buttons. Tell your dealer to get you a new unit for the right side hatch shock and your problem will be solved.
