Replacing Airmatic pump suspension and air filter w/pics
#1
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W221 S550 4matic
Replacing Airmatic pump suspension and air filter w/pics
Aloha, I'm new to the forum. Long time lurker, first time poster.
This summer I bought a 2007 S550 4matic with 225,000km in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was a private sale from an owner who took VERY good care of the vehicle. It came with the maintenance records, and was dealer serviced until the warranty expired. I'm the third owner, its originally a British Columbia car that came off of a two year lease.
So, the Airmatic pump seemed a little loud lately, so I ordered the parts (plus a new air filter) for about $100 Canadian from the dealer. I ordered new washers, nuts, springs, rubber bushings, and spring carriers. Looking back I probably only needed to order new springs and rubber bushings.
First things first was to remove the right wheel, and the splash guard.
You can remove all of the components on one strut at a time, while keeping the other two attached. I propped up the pump with the filter box.
A flexible driver is almost essential for this type of work. The washer that is at the top of the assembly easily fits through the pumps suspension mount. When replacing the rubber bushings, a spray with windex will lube the bushing enough to be worked through the mount attached to the pump. This is the most annoying thing to do is fit these bushings back in. Once they're in, a good twist back and fourth ensures its secure.
The next thing to replace is the pumps filter, and from browsing on this forum and the other side, its a bone of contention when to replace. Im already in here anyways, so I might as well just replace it.
Detaching the upstream and downstream intake hoses is easy, and the filter is held in by a rubber mount that slides onto the cars frame which allows you to fully remove the filter and mount for easy replacement and cleaning.
All in all, the job took about an hour or so including jacking the car up and down.
The results of busting open the old filter. Theres some kind of loose dust, and the membrane condition is rather poor.
Not too bad of a job to do!
This summer I bought a 2007 S550 4matic with 225,000km in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was a private sale from an owner who took VERY good care of the vehicle. It came with the maintenance records, and was dealer serviced until the warranty expired. I'm the third owner, its originally a British Columbia car that came off of a two year lease.
So, the Airmatic pump seemed a little loud lately, so I ordered the parts (plus a new air filter) for about $100 Canadian from the dealer. I ordered new washers, nuts, springs, rubber bushings, and spring carriers. Looking back I probably only needed to order new springs and rubber bushings.
First things first was to remove the right wheel, and the splash guard.
You can remove all of the components on one strut at a time, while keeping the other two attached. I propped up the pump with the filter box.
A flexible driver is almost essential for this type of work. The washer that is at the top of the assembly easily fits through the pumps suspension mount. When replacing the rubber bushings, a spray with windex will lube the bushing enough to be worked through the mount attached to the pump. This is the most annoying thing to do is fit these bushings back in. Once they're in, a good twist back and fourth ensures its secure.
The next thing to replace is the pumps filter, and from browsing on this forum and the other side, its a bone of contention when to replace. Im already in here anyways, so I might as well just replace it.
Detaching the upstream and downstream intake hoses is easy, and the filter is held in by a rubber mount that slides onto the cars frame which allows you to fully remove the filter and mount for easy replacement and cleaning.
All in all, the job took about an hour or so including jacking the car up and down.
The results of busting open the old filter. Theres some kind of loose dust, and the membrane condition is rather poor.
Not too bad of a job to do!
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Aloha, I'm new to the forum. Long time lurker, first time poster.
This summer I bought a 2007 S550 4matic with 225,000km in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was a private sale from an owner who took VERY good care of the vehicle. It came with the maintenance records, and was dealer serviced until the warranty expired. I'm the third owner, its originally a British Columbia car that came off of a two year lease.
So, the Airmatic pump seemed a little loud lately, so I ordered the parts (plus a new air filter) for about $100 Canadian from the dealer. I ordered new washers, nuts, springs, rubber bushings, and spring carriers. Looking back I probably only needed to order new springs and rubber bushings.
First things first was to remove the right wheel, and the splash guard.
You can remove all of the components on one strut at a time, while keeping the other two attached. I propped up the pump with the filter box.
A flexible driver is almost essential for this type of work. The washer that is at the top of the assembly easily fits through the pumps suspension mount. When replacing the rubber bushings, a spray with windex will lube the bushing enough to be worked through the mount attached to the pump. This is the most annoying thing to do is fit these bushings back in. Once they're in, a good twist back and fourth ensures its secure.
The next thing to replace is the pumps filter, and from browsing on this forum and the other side, its a bone of contention when to replace. Im already in here anyways, so I might as well just replace it.
Detaching the upstream and downstream intake hoses is easy, and the filter is held in by a rubber mount that slides onto the cars frame which allows you to fully remove the filter and mount for easy replacement and cleaning.
All in all, the job took about an hour or so including jacking the car up and down.
The results of busting open the old filter. Theres some kind of loose dust, and the membrane condition is rather poor.
Not too bad of a job to do!
This summer I bought a 2007 S550 4matic with 225,000km in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was a private sale from an owner who took VERY good care of the vehicle. It came with the maintenance records, and was dealer serviced until the warranty expired. I'm the third owner, its originally a British Columbia car that came off of a two year lease.
So, the Airmatic pump seemed a little loud lately, so I ordered the parts (plus a new air filter) for about $100 Canadian from the dealer. I ordered new washers, nuts, springs, rubber bushings, and spring carriers. Looking back I probably only needed to order new springs and rubber bushings.
First things first was to remove the right wheel, and the splash guard.
You can remove all of the components on one strut at a time, while keeping the other two attached. I propped up the pump with the filter box.
A flexible driver is almost essential for this type of work. The washer that is at the top of the assembly easily fits through the pumps suspension mount. When replacing the rubber bushings, a spray with windex will lube the bushing enough to be worked through the mount attached to the pump. This is the most annoying thing to do is fit these bushings back in. Once they're in, a good twist back and fourth ensures its secure.
The next thing to replace is the pumps filter, and from browsing on this forum and the other side, its a bone of contention when to replace. Im already in here anyways, so I might as well just replace it.
Detaching the upstream and downstream intake hoses is easy, and the filter is held in by a rubber mount that slides onto the cars frame which allows you to fully remove the filter and mount for easy replacement and cleaning.
All in all, the job took about an hour or so including jacking the car up and down.
The results of busting open the old filter. Theres some kind of loose dust, and the membrane condition is rather poor.
Not too bad of a job to do!
#3
Senior Member
Nice photos! I like the second to the last one showing the new pump and new filter in relation to everything else. Thank you!
#5
Junior Member
Conky, I can't think of a better way to introduce yourself to the forum welcome!!!!
Would agree being able to do as much as the maintenance yourself on these beautiful cars makes it that much more affordable and enjoyable???
Would agree being able to do as much as the maintenance yourself on these beautiful cars makes it that much more affordable and enjoyable???
#7
Hey I could use some advice
I have a 2000 Mercedes Benz S430 it looks almost identical to what you have just a slight bit different and I just replaced my compressor for the suspension and when I had taken my skid plates off all of the air filter tubing for the air compressor fell out the actual harness that the air filter for the compressor goes into is completely detached not on the compressor side but the other side and I can't figure out where it goes the place that it originally came from was a hole inside of the frame and when I reached inside the hole I couldn't feel anything but empty frame. What exactly does the air filter plug into from the compressor I know it goes from the compressor through tubing that connects to the air filter and that air filter plugs into another plastic harness and I have the tubing to replace that but I can't figure out where it goes..