alwyztrufam

hello my benz frenz...

I have a 00' S430 - has about 75000 on it.. have 2 questions..

1.) I bout the car about a year and half ago.. and occasionally since i've owned it the AIRMATIC VISIT WORKSHOP alert comes on - and as soon as it does.. the RIDE GETS REALLY BUMPY -- but when i park, and get back in and start her up again - nothing... and its back to smmmmoooooth sailing.. but its been happening more frequently lately.. WHAT Should i DO? heard something about getting my Relay replaced? ? ? can someone help before i have to dish out $$$$$$$$$

2.) I'm about 300 miles away from the next service.. The last service i had was the Major service ( Service A i think... ) - how much does the B service run, and what do they do.. is it something i can get done elsewhere?

any response will be much appreciated..

fusion2007

welcome to the luxury of owning a s class. services are expensive and the 2000 model( i have an s500 yr2000) ur at the point were ur airomatic suspension is going to give out. mine went out at 65,000miles. i would take it in as soon as possible because when the ride gets bumpy ur car is wayy too low to the ground and the tires will end up hitting the area above it and the area around the sides and it could be alot more expensive to fix then rather then to fix it now.. so i say GO NOW!!!!

justbecause

Yeah I agree, sounds like its on its last legs.
One morning you will walk out to see it looking like a crippled camel with the rubber to the metal,wont have to bother about that cool "low" look so many on here crave then.
B4 u get that far I would call around and talk to a few ppl before you take it in, one point that not many people bring up is the dif. that can pop up for the same work just by shopping dealers,and once you have taken it to one place, just call around and compare
Good Luck.

alwyztrufam

the ride remains at the same height.. at its normal position.. its just bumpy.. i get out.. and inspect all 4 tires.. and they are at normal heighth.. i can lower it and raise it.. thats whats boggling me -

02S430

i feel ur pain my airmatic light is on too, car raises normal wen turned on and lifts on request but the ride got really bumpy with in the last too days, taking it to the dealer this week, good thing i got any extended warranty

kenstudios

First your airmatic sensor gives, then the relay and when that relay gives, it tends to take the whole system with it. At this point you need to take it in and have them change the sensor and the relay bofore it gets to be expensive. Thats a warning sign before it gives. People tend to ignore the warning signs until it's too late. The bumpy ride ride is because the sensor mulfunctions and no longer controls the ride quality. Take it in.

02S430

Well its day two now and the stealership says they dont know where to begin with the six airmatic codes that are causing the airmatic indicator to come on, but they tell me once they get the right rear air shock back in stock that theyll start there by replacing that and see what codes remain they say no later then monday ill have it back so that will be a week but im not crossing my fingers

kenstudios

Have any warranty left?

02S430

i got 69277 on the car well that was when i droped it off, i had the cataylic converter on the left side replaced under the 80k warrenty on them and she said they test drove it and its fine now no rattling so idk what the milleage is now but i have and extented warranty from AAA, so there taking care of it. also had the weather striping recall done and the alternater/voltedge regulater recall done just waiting for the airshock to come in so they can start narrowing it down, i miss my car. if its not done by friday ill be forced to take a C-classs loaner C280 owell....

kenstudios

Atleast you have the extended warranty that pays. Thos repairs can cost a good penny. Once they get to the car they'll fix it. Without any appointment it's hard to get your car back the same day.

sprink49

I was reading this thread and was wondering if there is any prevenative maintenance for this?

jmiaebrown

Yeah, Is there any preventative maintenance? And what is the difference between service A and B?

kenstudios

Prevententive maintenance, as soon as you see the first warning light come on, chances are it's just the relay or the acceleration sensor. You can get that swaped out. If you don't the relay will go out and take the pump with it and the whole nine yards. The first warning sign you can still drive and the airmatic still functions but when the system gives the warning light will be in RED and you cannot drive the car then. For the last six years I've had mine go out 3 times and trust me, you don't want that warning to be in RED.

Service A - oil change. Service B - glorified oil change. Check your manual for the glorified stuff they claim to do. All simple stuff that add $$$$$$$

jmiaebrown

Would it be a good idea to go ahead and change these every so often? Does anyone know how to change the sensors? I don't have a manual so what extra stuff does the service B claim? Is the extra stuff DYI option?

kenstudios

Flexible Service System - A-Service

- Change your vehicle's engine oil and filter
- Replace the dust filter in all SLK, CLK, C-Class and E-Class models
- Ensure the warning and indicator lamps, horn, windshield/headlamp
wiper and washer systems, and seat belts are functioning correctly
- Inspect tires and check tire pressure (including spare)
- Inspect brake pad thickness and disc condition
- Check and correct all fluid levels
- Reset your vehicle's FSS counter
*Model year 1998 through 2006 vehicles are equipped with the Flexible Service System (FSS)

Flexible Service System - B-Service

- Change your vehicle's engine oil and filter
- Replace the dust filter in all SLK, CLK, C-Class and E-Class models,
and in S-Class and SL-Class models without the active charcoal filter
- Replace windshield wiper inserts
- Inspect and rotate tires
- Lubricate and inspect throttle linkage
- Ensure the parking brake, steering play, headlamps and exterior lamps,
warning and indicator lamps, horn, windshield/headlamp wiper and washer
systems, seat belts, and backrest lock (S-Class only) are functioning correctly
- Inspect tires and check tire pressure (including spare)
- Inspect brake pad thickness and disc condition
- Inspect front axle ball joints and Poly-V-belt
- Check and correct all fluid levels
- Reset your vehicle's FSS counter
*Model year 1998 through 2006 vehicles are equipped with the Flexible Service System (FSS)

02S430

well the car is ready for pick up and after all the warranty company didnt cover 1 thing which turned out to be costly ($1,535) . The right rear airshock had 3 out of the 6 codes that caused the airmatic indicator to come on, but hey like everyone on here always says, you drive an S-class you know what your in for when something goes wrong and your out of warranty. Ill just be happy to get the car back after a full week of not having it, and to feel the smooth ride again after the horrible bumpy one when the airmatic was at the breaking point.
________________________________________
02 S430 69k
UPGRADED:
Head lights, Tail lights, Mirrors, and 03 Rims

MILIN1609

It seems like in both services,all they do is change oil and filter. Everything else is just inspect the things. We can change the wiper blade, change the tire and rotate, check and fill all the fluids ourself. Why to waste $700 at the dealership. And once you go there, they will add couple of hundred dollers worth of extra repairs.( who knows, if that's necesory).If we do the oil change DIY, is there any way to reset the FSS. I have the car diagnostic kit " AUTOTAP". Will it help? Thanks for the input in advance.

sprink49

I am wondering if some one has come up with an after market replacement/upgrade for the Airmatic system. Seems like there is a strong market for something like that.

Zahid Toosy

I own S320 model 2000 80000KM.

Since last 2 weeks I started noticing ABS and ESP warning. These would reset when I restarted the car. However 5 days back the left front side of the car sank to a very low position (front right side was almost OK). I discussed with my mechanic and he advised me to replace the shock absorber as according to him this was very common with this model. I purchased a new piece. When he removed the wheel to take out the old absorber he discovered that a lever connecting the upper part of the suspension to an electronic sensor was broken from the mounting. He got it welded and refitted the wheel. Now both the front sides were very low and there was a red warning to stop the car. However after a few minutes the front side started rising and stopped at the normal height. We tried lowering and raising. Both functions were OK. I returned the part. Since 2 days it is working perfectly.

I have written the details so that some one may find it handy.

MBMax

I know that problems on air suspension cars of many brands seem problematic,shame tho as MB has been using the air system for many years.

I know that there are many companies doing a conventional spring and shock set up for Range Rovers, havent sen one for an MB tho,God only lkows what it would entail.

NavyMB

My 2000 S500 (71K miles) starting acting funny last night. It started making a slight scraping sound in the right rear wheel well when I would go over bumps. There were two teenagers in the back but nothing heavy in the trunk. When I got out of the car it did look like it was sitting lower (although I could be imagining it). There were no warning lights on and I checked the dashboard computer for any malfunctions--again nothing.

When I went to drive it this morning, everything looked normal from the outside and it seemed like it was driving fine. Later in the morning that scraping sound came back.

Does this sound like the airmatic is going out? It seems strange that the warning light hasn't come on.