Airmatic problem??
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8
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2000 Mercedes-Benz S-500
Airmatic problem??
I bought a 2000 s-500 last night in another state and when I got it the "Airmatic visit workshop" I was driving home and the airhose came off the passenger front shock, and then the vehicle too low stop light came on. I couldn't not pull off the highway and had to drive 10 miles to the next gas station. And I taped the hose on to get it home, the hose didn't come out again and the light didn't come back on. But the car was creaking/groaning while driving, it sounded like a whale. And when I got the car home I shut it off and when I came back out the passenger front and rear shocks were deflated and the passenger side was way lower than the drivers side, do I need to replace the shocks or what?? I'm very new to this car, the front passenger shock was recently replaced though, so I though it might be a bushing? Any suggestions or help? I can provide more answers to further diagnose this.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,474
Likes: 439
From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
First - you almost certainly bought a car with an existing Airmatic problem, as shown by the warning.
The airline coming off is probably not related to the existing problem.
You very likely caused additional damage by pressing on ten miles.
At this point, you have three main paths you can take.
Find an honest MB dealer, and put your wallet into his hands. It will be a painful experience, but the car will be fixed - perhaps at a cost of half of what you paid for the car.
Find an honest and competent independent shop who have a STAR system and the knowledge to use it. It will be painful, but perhaps only two-thirds as much as the dealer.
Spend the time to thoroughly research the Airmatic system so that you understand how it works and how you can fix it. Cost will be perhaps a quarter of the dealer price. If you plan to keep the car, putting about $500 into buying a STAR system might be worth considering. Fix the problems yourself.
Look at the top of the entry page for the Forum, find where it says, "start here", and start there. A couple of hours of reading about Airmatic problems and fixes will be a good start for your journey.
No one here is likely to be able to give you a paragraph of magic instructions for a one-day fix of your problems. We can, however, probably answer specific questions that are clearly asked. Terseness is not a virtue...
The airline coming off is probably not related to the existing problem.
You very likely caused additional damage by pressing on ten miles.
At this point, you have three main paths you can take.
Find an honest MB dealer, and put your wallet into his hands. It will be a painful experience, but the car will be fixed - perhaps at a cost of half of what you paid for the car.
Find an honest and competent independent shop who have a STAR system and the knowledge to use it. It will be painful, but perhaps only two-thirds as much as the dealer.
Spend the time to thoroughly research the Airmatic system so that you understand how it works and how you can fix it. Cost will be perhaps a quarter of the dealer price. If you plan to keep the car, putting about $500 into buying a STAR system might be worth considering. Fix the problems yourself.
Look at the top of the entry page for the Forum, find where it says, "start here", and start there. A couple of hours of reading about Airmatic problems and fixes will be a good start for your journey.
No one here is likely to be able to give you a paragraph of magic instructions for a one-day fix of your problems. We can, however, probably answer specific questions that are clearly asked. Terseness is not a virtue...
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
2000 Mercedes-Benz S-500
I figured out the problem is from the hose, it keeps coming out of the brass fitting no matter how hard I press it in. And the light is on because of the ride level sensor not being plugged in. I think I may just need to buy a new fitting
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 432
Likes: 96
From: Just north of Detroit,Michigan
2012 E350 4Matic P2
You are on the right track. Don't just start throwing money at it quite yet. Since you have discovered the level sensor not plugged in, you sound like a good DIYer!
As suggested by Wally, read all you can about the whole car on this forum as well as BenzWorld. You will have a good ownership experience with patience. (Hope that you got a good deal on your new purchase!)
Keep us posted,
Bob
As suggested by Wally, read all you can about the whole car on this forum as well as BenzWorld. You will have a good ownership experience with patience. (Hope that you got a good deal on your new purchase!)
Keep us posted,
Bob
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
2000 Mercedes-Benz S-500
You are on the right track. Don't just start throwing money at it quite yet. Since you have discovered the level sensor not plugged in, you sound like a good DIYer!
As suggested by Wally, read all you can about the whole car on this forum as well as BenzWorld. You will have a good ownership experience with patience. (Hope that you got a good deal on your new purchase!)
Keep us posted,
Bob
As suggested by Wally, read all you can about the whole car on this forum as well as BenzWorld. You will have a good ownership experience with patience. (Hope that you got a good deal on your new purchase!)
Keep us posted,
Bob
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