Battery drain and suspension up
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 4
s430
Battery drain and suspension up
So I left my s430 parked overnight with the suspension stiffening set to stiff.
When I went to it in the morning, the battery was flat, barely enough to run the cluster and blink the lights. It wouldn't unlock or start
The car was also raised very high, like much farther then it even goes using the lift button (its lowered)
Is this normal?
When I went to it in the morning, the battery was flat, barely enough to run the cluster and blink the lights. It wouldn't unlock or start
The car was also raised very high, like much farther then it even goes using the lift button (its lowered)
Is this normal?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,473
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From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
Suspension stiffness adjustment simply changes orifices inside the hydraulic shock part of the strut, and has no effect at all on the pneumatic operation of the strut.
Part of your problem might be a sticking (failing) Airmatic relay - this is a fairly common failure on these cars. I would suggest that you replace the relay with a Hella relay - never with a cheap/aftermarket/Chinese version.
It will be much better for the car if you can completely charge the battery using a charger, not by running the car.
The lifting might be related to a sticking relay, or might be leaking O-rings in the Airmatic valve block near the compressor in the right front fender well. Try replacing the relay and charging the battery, then drive the car for a few weeks and see what happens. Having the car lift a bit while parked isn't a major problem.
Part of your problem might be a sticking (failing) Airmatic relay - this is a fairly common failure on these cars. I would suggest that you replace the relay with a Hella relay - never with a cheap/aftermarket/Chinese version.
It will be much better for the car if you can completely charge the battery using a charger, not by running the car.
The lifting might be related to a sticking relay, or might be leaking O-rings in the Airmatic valve block near the compressor in the right front fender well. Try replacing the relay and charging the battery, then drive the car for a few weeks and see what happens. Having the car lift a bit while parked isn't a major problem.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 4
s430
I'll swap out the Relay as soon as possible. I'm sure it wasn't running the compressor when I left it for the night though.
The battery was also very weak, just playing in DAS with the ignition on would run it low in 30 minutes. I think it pushed it over because it was completely dead the next day.
It also automatically unlocked all the doors at some point the night that it went completely flat as well, so I don't know what is even going on.
I replaced the battery, and doing so reset the car, so I cant diagnose any further because it is perfectly fine now.
The only difference was the suspension setting, which doesn't make sense.
All I can think of is that maybe the compressor comes on sometimes when the car sits overnight?
I can see the relay sticking if there is a low voltage, around 10V, it would increase the amperage quite a bit.
The relay is a Hella, and was replaced in 2013 probably.
The battery was also very weak, just playing in DAS with the ignition on would run it low in 30 minutes. I think it pushed it over because it was completely dead the next day.
It also automatically unlocked all the doors at some point the night that it went completely flat as well, so I don't know what is even going on.
I replaced the battery, and doing so reset the car, so I cant diagnose any further because it is perfectly fine now.
The only difference was the suspension setting, which doesn't make sense.
All I can think of is that maybe the compressor comes on sometimes when the car sits overnight?
I can see the relay sticking if there is a low voltage, around 10V, it would increase the amperage quite a bit.
The relay is a Hella, and was replaced in 2013 probably.
