jazzphile

Hi,

Reading the other thread about Airmatic problems, I have a question I hope you can answer. I have an S430 with 25k miles that is in good working order, I think. No messages, malfunctions, relay problems or pumps running that I can detect.

Specifically, is it normal for the car to "release" a bit of air pressure upon shutdown? It's sort of like a pressure release of air that last a few seconds each time I shut down the car.

I had an '05 E320' previously that I recall did the same thing.

I have not had any other signs or indications of a problem. Just looking for confirmation that this is normal.

Thank you,

Jazzphile

02S430

yea its normal my car had the airmatic fixed and always lowers in the front area

Lender1

It is and I will caution you, if you park over a parking bumper the car could settle onto it after you shutdown. When you start it to leave, wait a few seconds for the suspension to "blow back up". That way you won't scrape the underside of the bumper cover. Always, if in doubt, hit the button to raise the suspension an additional inch then shut it off after you pull away.

sprink49

Yes..some release is normal. What mine is releasing is about 3 x the normal amount in a very obviously loud release. I got the warning because I have a pump or relay problem that will be covered under warranty. I'll let the board know what happens.

jazzphile

I love this board. Great information all...and thank you for responding. I feel more at ease now...and know what to watch/listen for with the pump issues, relay issues, leaky seals in the front, etc.

When I bought this S430, I didn't know about the Airmatic problems. I've a 2002 with only 19k miles when I bought it late last year....and it's CPO after a 4 year lease return.

Perfect car in perfect shape for well under half of what it went for new. But I only have about 10 months of warranty left and 25k miles on the car.

After reading all of the issues/problems with this model (post purchase), I'm a bit paranoid about Airmatic, instrument cluster, etc. problems that many have had.

That said, in the 5k miles I've driven since October, it's been PERFECT.



Regards,

Jazzphile

bamberger_1

Hi Jazzphile,
don't get paranoid over the problems you read in the forum. Mostly people write here if they have trouble, not so much if they have no trouble. Compared to the number of cars on the road, the troubled once are minor, I guess.

BTW, mine also releases after shut down, not always in the same pattern, but no problems at all, after 6 years and 69 kmils.

aslan

Greetings from Ireland.Need some help here guys.The airmatic completely collapsed.Got two front shocks replaced.Pump seems to be working O.K.Raises car just enough to drive,but keeps kicking in and out very often.Won't raise car to highest at all.No sound of air leak.Driving me bonkers and emptied the bank.Any help would be great pleeeeease.

aslan

Anyone?.....No.....Oh well,anybody wanna buy 1999 S320 with nackered airmatic?

sprink49

Sounds like the pump is on it's way out. There is a circuit board that controls the pump and that may be the cause of it going in and out. Get a MBUK dealer to read the codes or a strong independent with the equipment to read the codes. Good luck...we know this is serious and...good luck!!

Skylaw

First thing I'd look at (and the least expensive) is the Airmatic relay. They usually fail "on" causing the pump to burn out - but a relay can also operate intermittently or fail "off" as well.

Sprink49's suggestion also sounds reasonable. It does need early attention - don't delay.

aslan

Many thanks for the tips guys,will get straight on it

Destination Unk

I just got a 2002 S430 with 12k miles on it, CPO of course. For teh first two weeks every time the car was turned off you could hear the front end release air and lower, and upon start raise. Now for some reason there is no noise and the front end seems to stay in place. Is this normal or should I worry. By the way there is no waring messages and the car runs fine.

Thanks

kenstudios

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to th board. The sound is very much normal unless it's just too loud then you have something to worry about. As long as the ride height looks ok, you should be ok.

vette529

I bought a 2000 s430 back in sept. So far no real significant issues love the car. Just wondering why the airmatic in the benz has such a high failure rate. I had a 97 ford expedition with air suspension and my dad still has his 93 town car which is also equiped with air ride, and my uncles cadillac also has air ride, none of these cars have experianced suspension problems, so why does it seem like the airmatic is a real problem?

aslan

Destination unk....my 1999 s320 had exactly the same thing happen.I would get it checked out just to be safe.Ended up replacing two front shocks,compressor and relay .Still a beautiful car.

Skylaw

I can give you some of the "whys" on the surface, but cannot explain the underlying causes for specific component failure. However, some observers on this forum note accurately that folks complain when things go bad, but say nothing when they go well (why would one initiate a post that says, "Gee guys, everything is going great with my car today"?) So, while the forum is very valuable for exchanging ideas and troubleshooting, it may not be representative of the percentage of owners experiencing a given problem.

Other cars with air suspension systems have had their share of problems. My wife's 1996 Town Car had to have its rear air suspension replaced after about 4 years, and I saw plenty of Town Cars of that vintage that had the same problem. It was about a $3K job.

One relatively inexpensive part in the S-Class prone to failure is the Airmatic relay. If it fails "on" it can burn out the pump, which is expensive. If you are driving when the failure occurs, things can get much more expensive. If it fails "off", you won't lose the pump, but if you drive the car without pressure it can damage the struts and more. Some folks change this relay at intervals - yearly - though I would think MB would have redesigned the part by now, and newer relays should be less prone to failure (and maybe I'm dreaming).

The other thing prone to failure in earlier models (mine was a '00) is the front seals (and indeed the metal strut mounts themselves). An indication of the mounts failing is circular cracks in the black paint around the pressure tube and valve. These indicate the beginnings of cracks in the metal, which will eventually result in a leak. Next time you're at the shop, ask your mechanic to point the area out to you. Mine did, before I had the failure - and I watched it. Only months later, the signs began to show. A replacement kit was $500, installed. The replacement mounts were of a different design, but I don't know when the design changed.

Also (if what I read is correct), where these cracks exist in the mounts, and a leak has begun, placing the car on a lift where the struts become fully extended can result in loss of pressure and collapse of the struts when the weight of the car is lowered back onto them. The short-term solution is to lower the car only partially back onto the struts, then start the car and allow the Airmatic system to repressurize the struts before placing the full weight on them.

Because you may not be aware of this type of leak, frankly, it's a procedure I'll use whenever I change tires or have the wheels balanced.

sprink49

I think you are "spot on" with the relay issue. If one thinks about the number of cycles that this particular relay is subjected to, it becomes the weakest link in the chain.

I am thinking that the quality of these relays might vary greatly among supplier/manufacturers. This is something that I will ask my EE friends about and share what I learn.