redaotrosh

Hello all,

I have W220 S320 petrol Germany origin car, I am facing several issues in the Airmatic system as below.

1. Every time when I switch on the car, the air compressor triggered on for 3 min and it will always triggered in 15 min cycle with loud and noisy sound during driving.
2. Car level switch, it will not trigger the air compressor at all only it shows a message at the screen and it will deactivated after 5 min when moving more than 65mph (deactivation is normal).
3. car level up very slowly and it will not be on the normal level until driving for 20 minutes in highway.
4. Front left level always not as the same as the right and always get down in long parking but during driving it is the same.
5. Car level and especially the front left side is get down easily in cold temperatures than in summer times (+30 degrees C) while driving in bumpy, hills and inclined surfaces.
6. in hot weather I rarely face the low level issue but I may face it in hills inclined or bumpy surfaces only.
After troubleshooting the issue, I didnt hear any Hisssssessss from any strust only the one that we hear it when lock/unlock the car, I check the air comperessor it is old and the hose is bad.
Please help me to idenitfy the main issue since I dont want to change the compressor before fixing all issues. may the block valve make this or the resevoir or what? please help me

Plutoe

Find someone with DAS who an properly diagnose the faults before you start throwing parts at the car that you won't need. With the diagnosis then you can fix he faults!

redaotrosh

you are right and this will do it next Saturday but I dont wanna to go without any ideas about what is happening to it so what will be the root cause and from when we can start to troubleshoot?

Plutoe

The shops scan tool will list all of the faults(root cause) in the system that need repairing!

redaotrosh

One time we checked the pressure on all strsut and all have same pressure but we notice some communication failure but this time we will check it deeply, what about slow raising is it mean the compressor is faulty or the relay/fuse?

Plutoe

Think about what you said---what is the function of the fuse and relay-----on\off and circuit voltage protection, therefore if the compressor is running do you think the relay and fuse are faulty---if you think so you are fooling around with stuff you should not----see a professional.-------possibly the compressor can't make pressure or there is a leak in the system.

tusabes

Low pressure is usually fixed by a $20 piston seal and dessicant and filter change on the pump

redaotrosh

I guess that too, so when comperessor engaged so that mean fuse and relay is ok but it may that the fuse/relay is not good so it will lead to poor performance.

redaotrosh

can you explain what is the procedure to do that?

redaotrosh

Hi, I went to wotkshop and we check the front system we didn find any leak on the top of the struts but we found the air line to resevoir is not connect we fixed and after scanning the car we get this error c1322 related to solenoid at Y52/1 as the attachment and the we did level calibrated but the car didnt level due to weakness in compressor.
the meachanic told me to replace the compressor and the right shock.
my question did the right shock is the cause of low level in left strut?

wallyp

" we didn find any leak on the top of the struts "

The most common failure in the struts is a leak in the rolling diaphragm inside the strut. It is very difficult to see or hear this type of leak.

"the meachanic told me to replace the compressor and the right shock."

The compressor is a single-cylinder pump, with one Teflon piston ring. Sometimes you can get the compressor working well enough by replacing that piston ring. Kits are available on-line.
The noisy operation might be failed or missing spring/rubber compressor mounts. Understanding the mounting system is a bit tricky. I have no idea whether or not a new compressor includes new mounts.

No idea why the mechanic suggested replacing the right strut when it sounds as if the left strut is the one that leaks.

redaotrosh

I told the same for the mechanic and I send him video how to change cylinder head and piston ring, so he replied that next Tuesday we will disassemble it and check if can be fixed, about right strut he need to replace the dampt shock not whole strut but I refuse cause as u said, the left side leaked or maybe no leaks and due to compressor failure which not filled the strut and level them

wallyp

"he need to replace the dampt shock not whole strut"
There is no separate damper - the strut is one complete unit, with no replaceable parts.

If you are there when he removes the compressor, both of you need to really look at the mounts as you take them apart, so you can put them back together properly.

redaotrosh

after reconnect the resevoir line yesterday I parked the car for 20 hour and I went to check the level now I found that all levels was ok and the left side was as the same as yesterday little bit less than the others but didnt get down so is that meab no leak but need fix compressor and calibration only?

tusabes

you can just replace the air bag on the strut , it's not a simple procedure but it is possible . Also there is a strut top repair kit , so there are indeed some replaceable parts in a strut .

tusabes

just get a new airmatic pump piston Seal kit new dessicant and air filter . You can rebuild your pump good as new for $20

see here
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220-s-class/2411265-air-pump-rebuild-new-desiccant.html

redaotrosh

Let's see, we will fix the compressor and test everything aa it the least cost so any leak will be observed during 1 week drive I will keep you updated guys thanks a lot all.

redaotrosh

Hi, today when I was going to work the car get too low and the tires hit the car I tried to raise it but it did a little but get down after driving 200 m, I stop it and pulled to mechanic, he replace the compressor and told me that the left strut blown and it may ruins the compressor if kept so he will replace it tomorrow , it will cost totally 500$

redaotrosh

i got the car today, he replaced the compressor and right strut(as shown in scanner) but I told him that the left one was leaking so he refuse as he test it and informed me that the right is defective, I got a test drive for 15 Km but the message car low come again and left strut get a little bit down but the compressor lift up rapidly. Why always this strut get down during drive in hills but in standstill or highways nothing happen? Please help me, the mechanic will not refund the right as it is working fine and the old one is bad, if I need to fix, he will replace the left. Is my case that the both are leaking?

tusabes

It's a good idea to get both done
The pricing is good so just have him do the other one

redaotrosh

Thanks God, After 3 marathon days the car was raised again and compressor worked as it is, so we change left strut with compressor and testing for 100 km everything is good but I still had airmatic please visit workshop message but the mechanic told me that will gone after driving more kms till Saturday if the message couldn't go he will replace again the strut without fees. Thanks God.
But if there is no leak so does this message will affect If I kept it.

thanks u all for supporting

redaotrosh

Hi again,

After testing the car for 2 weeks, air compressor engaged after overnight parking for 15 sec, and it will not engaged again till I press raise buttom, message come up on screen for 10 seconds only.
No low level again, front struts height were above wheel about 5 to 10(I can insert my hand totally) cm and rear level about 3 to 4 cm(insert 2 to 4 fingers).

I notice one thing that, left front strut is higher than right one by 1 finger, and left rear strut is higher than the left one by 1finger and 1/4 all the time even if I raise the car or not.
Note: right front strut still give warning message at dashboard as I told before and the mechanic will replace it next Saturday under warranty.
May it need calibration or any level sensor failure or related to damping issue in right front strut?

S430AMG

When I got my car I made myself 1 promise, at first and ANY sign of Airmatic issues, assuming it's not something simple like Relay/Fuse or one of the hoses, I'm going Springs/shocks.

My step father just went thru this with his S550, shock went bad and rather than paying $600 for a shock he got entire suspension for $1000 and ditched the entire Airmatic system or the possibility of any future problems. Sure it's not the same, but I think it's a wise financial move.

I will do the same.

redaotrosh

From 1 hour I parked the car, I get measurement tools and I recorded the below.
FL 38.9CM
FR 37.7CM
RL 37.8CM
RR 34CM
tomorrow morning I will measure again to check if any loss there.
but I am confused why thiscdifferrence between left and right, please advice.

redaotrosh

Note: Measurement from underneath the edge of a wheel arch to the centre of the M-B Star Logo in the wheel hub cap
I measure the height today(after 11 hour parking) as below
FL 37.8cm
FR 37.5cm
RL 36.5cm
RR 33.7cm
left side leak 11mm to 13mm and right side 2mm to 3mm per 10 hours while mercedes benchmark <2mm/hour and in extreme cold 3mm/hour so everything was under recommendation with car 258k km.
any reply please why I still have difference between left side with the right side????
please how can I fix the leveling between right and left?