Airmatic - Visit Workshop
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Eastern PA
2004 S500, 1999 C230K, 1985 928S
Airmatic - Visit Workshop
Hey experts! My 2004 S500 is yelling at me shortly after startup... Here's the deal. It does NOT sink overnight, the two sport settings work fine, the car rides fine, the "Airmatic - Visit Workshop" message shows the same up arrow that appears when you raise the car. The car however does not raise when I push the up button???
In other words, everything is normal except that there is the "Airmatic Visit Workshop" message and when the button on the dash that normally raises the car is pressed, the little red light comes on and the error message (if not already on the dash) then the ride height does not change. It's almost like only the highest ride position is broken?
I've noticed that the car also does not seem to be popping off and leveling when I park it like it used to, but it does not look out of sorts in the morning either???
I've read some other Airmatic situations that did not seem to be exactly the same as mine... could this be a relay issue??? Thanks in advance for your ideas and help!
In other words, everything is normal except that there is the "Airmatic Visit Workshop" message and when the button on the dash that normally raises the car is pressed, the little red light comes on and the error message (if not already on the dash) then the ride height does not change. It's almost like only the highest ride position is broken?
I've noticed that the car also does not seem to be popping off and leveling when I park it like it used to, but it does not look out of sorts in the morning either???
I've read some other Airmatic situations that did not seem to be exactly the same as mine... could this be a relay issue??? Thanks in advance for your ideas and help!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Eastern PA
2004 S500, 1999 C230K, 1985 928S
So, I realized that at some point in time everyone with a 220 eventually asks the same Airmatic questions! At least that's what I concuded when no one responded. It's cool, really.
So I actually did a search on Airmatic here and started reading away. I just went to the dealer and grabbed a relay for fun, I def was not drooling on the C63. Three people at the dealer said "it's the pump" and one person said "did you check the big orange fuse?" (and winked at me???)
Anyhoo, I brought the relay back home, located the "O" position on the fuse panel and installed the new relay. NOTHING! Well, I looked for big orange fuses and peered into them, they all looked fine. Then I started to re-arrange the relays just b/c at this point I'm pissed. Then I started pulling the perfectly normal looking orange fuses b/c I refuse to believe that it's the pump!
Way down inside one of the fuses was a tiny little black mark... I pulled the clear lid off the fuse and there it was... a hairline split and a spot of black residue. I run back to the trunk and there sits a brand new 40A fuse... I plop that baby in and up she goes!
Did a bad relay cause the fuse to blow? SPEAKING OF BAD RELAYS, WHERE DID I SWAP THAT TO EARLIER WHEN I WAS PISSED OFF??? THE ONE IN MY HAND IS OF THE NEWER VARIETY!!! GUESS I'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE... CRAP!!! HAHA
What are the chances that the dealer would have run up a several hundred dollar air pump replacement thru all of this?? Nah, they wouldn't do that! High end luxury cars are selling like hotcakes and they def don't need the service money to pay all the overhead!
Peace out guys.
So I actually did a search on Airmatic here and started reading away. I just went to the dealer and grabbed a relay for fun, I def was not drooling on the C63. Three people at the dealer said "it's the pump" and one person said "did you check the big orange fuse?" (and winked at me???)
Anyhoo, I brought the relay back home, located the "O" position on the fuse panel and installed the new relay. NOTHING! Well, I looked for big orange fuses and peered into them, they all looked fine. Then I started to re-arrange the relays just b/c at this point I'm pissed. Then I started pulling the perfectly normal looking orange fuses b/c I refuse to believe that it's the pump!
Way down inside one of the fuses was a tiny little black mark... I pulled the clear lid off the fuse and there it was... a hairline split and a spot of black residue. I run back to the trunk and there sits a brand new 40A fuse... I plop that baby in and up she goes!
Did a bad relay cause the fuse to blow? SPEAKING OF BAD RELAYS, WHERE DID I SWAP THAT TO EARLIER WHEN I WAS PISSED OFF??? THE ONE IN MY HAND IS OF THE NEWER VARIETY!!! GUESS I'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE... CRAP!!! HAHA
What are the chances that the dealer would have run up a several hundred dollar air pump replacement thru all of this?? Nah, they wouldn't do that! High end luxury cars are selling like hotcakes and they def don't need the service money to pay all the overhead!
Peace out guys.
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
02 S500
So, I realized that at some point in time everyone with a 220 eventually asks the same Airmatic questions! At least that's what I concuded when no one responded. It's cool, really.
So I actually did a search on Airmatic here and started reading away. I just went to the dealer and grabbed a relay for fun, I def was not drooling on the C63. Three people at the dealer said "it's the pump" and one person said "did you check the big orange fuse?" (and winked at me???)
Anyhoo, I brought the relay back home, located the "O" position on the fuse panel and installed the new relay. NOTHING! Well, I looked for big orange fuses and peered into them, they all looked fine. Then I started to re-arrange the relays just b/c at this point I'm pissed. Then I started pulling the perfectly normal looking orange fuses b/c I refuse to believe that it's the pump!
Way down inside one of the fuses was a tiny little black mark... I pulled the clear lid off the fuse and there it was... a hairline split and a spot of black residue. I run back to the trunk and there sits a brand new 40A fuse... I plop that baby in and up she goes!
Did a bad relay cause the fuse to blow? SPEAKING OF BAD RELAYS, WHERE DID I SWAP THAT TO EARLIER WHEN I WAS PISSED OFF??? THE ONE IN MY HAND IS OF THE NEWER VARIETY!!! GUESS I'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE... CRAP!!! HAHA
What are the chances that the dealer would have run up a several hundred dollar air pump replacement thru all of this?? Nah, they wouldn't do that! High end luxury cars are selling like hotcakes and they def don't need the service money to pay all the overhead!
Peace out guys.
So I actually did a search on Airmatic here and started reading away. I just went to the dealer and grabbed a relay for fun, I def was not drooling on the C63. Three people at the dealer said "it's the pump" and one person said "did you check the big orange fuse?" (and winked at me???)
Anyhoo, I brought the relay back home, located the "O" position on the fuse panel and installed the new relay. NOTHING! Well, I looked for big orange fuses and peered into them, they all looked fine. Then I started to re-arrange the relays just b/c at this point I'm pissed. Then I started pulling the perfectly normal looking orange fuses b/c I refuse to believe that it's the pump!
Way down inside one of the fuses was a tiny little black mark... I pulled the clear lid off the fuse and there it was... a hairline split and a spot of black residue. I run back to the trunk and there sits a brand new 40A fuse... I plop that baby in and up she goes!
Did a bad relay cause the fuse to blow? SPEAKING OF BAD RELAYS, WHERE DID I SWAP THAT TO EARLIER WHEN I WAS PISSED OFF??? THE ONE IN MY HAND IS OF THE NEWER VARIETY!!! GUESS I'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE... CRAP!!! HAHA
What are the chances that the dealer would have run up a several hundred dollar air pump replacement thru all of this?? Nah, they wouldn't do that! High end luxury cars are selling like hotcakes and they def don't need the service money to pay all the overhead!
Peace out guys.
$600-$700 business that day.lol
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Eastern PA
2004 S500, 1999 C230K, 1985 928S
Platinum,
I don't remember b/c i was in rip-****-or-bust mode, all pissed off... but, inline with the Airmatic relay "O" (at least on the 2004 S500 rear drive w/o ABC) are three big orange fuses, one of those three must feed power to the Airmatic Relay. I actually don't even have a manual or diagram, in fact the first relay i pulled shut the whole car off! *note to self... don't go pulling electrical stuff out when the car is running! haha
Good Luck! I hope you get off the hook easy like I did.
(watch my pump crap out anyway in a week) haha
I don't remember b/c i was in rip-****-or-bust mode, all pissed off... but, inline with the Airmatic relay "O" (at least on the 2004 S500 rear drive w/o ABC) are three big orange fuses, one of those three must feed power to the Airmatic Relay. I actually don't even have a manual or diagram, in fact the first relay i pulled shut the whole car off! *note to self... don't go pulling electrical stuff out when the car is running! haha
Good Luck! I hope you get off the hook easy like I did.
(watch my pump crap out anyway in a week) haha
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Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
W220
Hey there definitely is a diagram/picture or explanation of exact location of airmatic relay on W220 on one of the forums, take a look around. As far as one side being lower than the other is possibly a sign on a busted strut or a leak in the system. Make sure you do the soap water test on strut tops. I found the epoxy fix to be amazingly helpful, though some say its not very reliable. I've had my front end drop before I sealed the tops, but now the system performs beautifully... the dealer ran diagnostics and confirmed that airmatic functions as designed. Good luck.
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 227
Likes: 2
From: Burbank, CA
2022 S500
Hey there definitely is a diagram/picture or explanation of exact location of airmatic relay on W220 on one of the forums, take a look around. As far as one side being lower than the other is possibly a sign on a busted strut or a leak in the system. Make sure you do the soap water test on strut tops. I found the epoxy fix to be amazingly helpful, though some say its not very reliable. I've had my front end drop before I sealed the tops, but now the system performs beautifully... the dealer ran diagnostics and confirmed that airmatic functions as designed. Good luck.
car was at the dealer 2 days before this happened and they did perform a diag and no problems about this came up....i also did the soap water test and no leak...
