1993_300SE

Hi all, I parked my S550 4Matic for 4 days at the airport and I came back to find it hunched down over the front wheels. When I unlocked it, I heard some sort of pump running, then when I started the car, it displayed the message in the subject. It stayed on for about a minute or 2. Is this normal?

QuadBenz

Yes it's normal as long as the car is riding normally and functioning properly.

It's most likely just the car "settling"

But did it actually say "Please Wait a Moment"?

300SE1993

Yes, that was why it really caught my attention. It's different than when you push the button to raise the vehicle. I have it going in to address a few things, I will add that to the list. It just seems odd that it would "settle" that much in 4 days. I mean, it looked like one of those "lowriders"

ajm0623

normal. i travel a lot internationally and the car sits for long periods and when i come home it's always lowered. after i start it up, it raises and all is well. can't comment on the message; i never noticed it!

NJS430

I leave my car sitting in the garage for 5 or 6 days at time while on business quite regularly. Never had that message. Never found it sitting low. You may have a slow leak in the air suspension. I'd have the dealer look at it.

Diesel Benz

If it makes the owner relieved, the manual explains this:

300SE1993

I did see that, but it just doesn't seem like a "normal" message. And it's interesting that there are mixed replies to this. I know the new ones sit on dealerships lots for days on end without being started and I have never seen one of them squatted down like that. Oh well, it's at the dealer, we will see what they say. Thanks for all the replies.

300SE1993

haha I just realized I am using 2 accounts on here. I wondered why the emails started going to a different address

Diesel Benz

I have not had my car parked for more than about one and a half weeks at most where it has not changed height noticeably. Some of the valves may be leaking a bit more than typically on your car, you mention 4 days, that sounds a bit too short time? The leak on a valve could come and go, a leak on a tube or connector could be more permanent and could even get worse over time.

If it often drops almost completely down in a week, I'd have the suspension serviced even if it likely still isn't critical.

1993_300SE

just in case anybody is interested, I will post what the dealer finds

Bogdan

Got the same message with my car, especially during cold season, after it has been parked for several days sometimes I found it lowered. I just wait everytime as in the manual for the message to disappear (I believe, since it's being lowered if you turn the front wheels you can accidentally touch the inner side of the fenders) and after that things get back to normal. I've seen here people suggesting that the valves are leaking, personally I think it's a different reason because it's not a regular reaction, I've seen it lowered after a day or two, sometimes only after a week, but most of the times the car keeps it's regular height.
Anyway, I got curious by this fact, I've noticed it for quite sometime but always forgotten to ask dealer. Hope to get a answer from them tomorrow.

1993_300SE

Let me know what they say

Bogdan

I've just talked with someone over there, and they say it's something normal, they have some W221 in their parking lot and most of them are lowered. I'll be glad to hear what you found from your dealer.

Quadcammer

I have to disagree with them.

My airmatic 220 s500 (yeah, one of the "crappy" ones) can sit for a week and not drop more than 1/4". If its dropping that much, you have a problem.

1993_300SE

I just talked to the dealer this morning - they observed my car sink over the weekend. He said that is called "park mode" and it happens to keep the weight off the airbags or whatever. He said that the car should pump up in about 30 seconds and the warning should disappear at that point. They will put some sort of gauge on it to see if it is bleeding down too much, but they said the pump itself is fine. Strange.

Diesel Benz

What, why would only your car have a "park mode"? Can you ask them to refer to some workshop documents that explain this feature, I've never heard of it and would call it .

The pump is not keeping it up when parked, the car would not even use the air pressure reservoir when parked. If the car sinks, there is a leak. If it only sinks slightly, there is no problem. If it sinks a lot, there is a fault. Of course difficult to say when a leak is significant enough to be called a fault.

One should consider height changes from temperature changes, I believe 1mm per Celsius can be considered normal. Like if the car is parked at +5 degrees in the afternoon and it gets -15 degrees at night, 20 mm height change would be normal without any leaks. I understand that in your case temperature changes are not a factor at all.

1993_300SE

I hadn't considered temperature as a potential factor. I just looked up the temperature history for the day I parked it and the day I picked it up, and they are within 10 degrees of each other or less (30F when parked vs. 25 when picked up approx).

This dealership seems to be pretty good from what I have heard from other people. They won "best of the best" award, so I would think they have a pretty good handle on things. I do not believe that they have completely finished the diagnostic testing on the suspension. I will post the "final results" when I hear back from them later in the week.

Bogdan

I think it's not only his car we are talking here, mine also, and I've seen many more lowered in this so called "park mode" (it lowers for about 50 mm) I just can't believe it's a mass failure within W221 class.

Tnx for the update 1993_300SE, please informs us what is the final answer from them.

1993_300SE

I called 800-FOR-MERC and talked to a technical advisor, and he confirmed this "park mode" is normal. I also cross checked on a couple other topics the dealer told me about that I didn't believe (such as the rear climate control issue) but everything they both said checked out. Consipiracy?

Diesel Benz

What model year was this again? One can never be sure if the implementation had been changed or something. But I'm not willing to accept comments like this unless they can point to a workshop document.

Did you ask "how does the suspension behave once the car is parked" or was your question "is there a park mode where the car lowers itself once parked", I'm afraid the answer could have been different.

The quote mentioned 50 mm, I guess you don't mean that much. If the car got down more than 10 mm, all would have recognised the behaviour but so far at least owners of older W221 cars do not seem to have identified this.

What would be different for the air bags at the struts if the car was sitting lower? The air pressure is basically constant, the volume changes.

I'll try to have a look at the related data just in case they have changed something but it would be nice if other owners reported their experience (in addition to those who already reported).

Edited: I had a look at workshop documents and found a change from MY 09 onwards but for neither option nothing was mentioned about a "park mode" where the car would automatically lower itself when parked. Could it be just that workshops talk about the car behaviour when the car is taken into use where it automatically levels if needed for what ever reason.

1993_300SE

2007 S550 5Matic, VIN in the 90000 range. You bring up a good point about the way the question is asked. I specifically asked about the "park mode" but not "How does the vehicle behave when parked". I am going to call back and ask that question and see if they have any documentation.

My car lowered to the point where the front wheels were up under the fenders, unless my memory is imagining it worse than it was, but it was definitely very obvious when I approached the car. I could immediately tell from a distance that the car had significantly lowered.

Quadcammer

I don't buy for a second what the dealer is spewing here.

50mm is 2 inches. That is HUGE!

Your vehicle should never have the wheels tucked into the fenders.

While the car may lower a few mm while sitting, it should never be that low.

Does it do it in the rear as well?

Id be absolutely amazed if this was normal.

1993_300SE

I see you found the other thread, but for those of you finding this one first, please refer here: https://mbworld.org/forums/new-s-cla...y-warning.html

BIGBALZE55AMG

"park mode" actually chewed up one of my 22 inch pzero nero tires. my car does have an aftermarket lowering module, but when i let it sit more than a few days, i MUST be sure it rises high enough where the tires wont rub. This cant be normal.

denice25

Yeah i thinks its normal.. Nothing to worry about....