COUPCONNOISSEUR

just wanted to share this with you guys, and get some input on the subject. over the summer i decided to replace all 4 stabilizer links on my w216, they went on without a hitch, however i noticed my rear stabilizer bar was shifted a little(not as much as the one in this video) but im now reluctant to drive the car as much. is this guy accurate with how difficult this replacement is? what an absolute nightmarish job..how many of you also have this going on?

chris

COUPCONNOISSEUR

anyone?

COUPCONNOISSEUR

bump

COUPCONNOISSEUR

So i recently got an estimate on this job, parts and labor - $1200. having seen this video i think that sounds like a fair price? also, i vaguely remember hearing this part has been revised/updated so this wont happen again, does anyone know if thats true?

joseluu

I really can´t imagine how that may have happened, other than poor manufacture of those bushings.

COUPCONNOISSEUR

apparently, this is not that uncommon.

joseluu

True. Unfortunately, poor manufacture is not that uncommon.

BOTUS

I think I know what's caused it (if its got airmatic rather than optional ABC)…

the rear airmatic level sensor for NO sensible reason is stupidly placed on the left and the handbrake mechanism is in the way. Its made of cheese and they sieze up and snap off, crashing the suspension on the ground. Its almost impossible to fit the new $20 level sensor link ... an easy win is to undo both antiroll bar drop links and move it out of the way for more clearance... in doing so I expect its moved the bushes. Its an old car made to a nasty budget and these things bring in more work for dealerships and or cause to scrap it and buy a new one

COUPCONNOISSEUR

I believe mine was caused by taking a curve too hard. Possibly hitting a pothole while doing so

BOTUS

OK, I see the video is looking from the gearbox end out to the left rear... (at 3 mins 50) I see the jubilee clip attempting to hold the level sensor link to the antiroll bar.... this has been changed. I bet they disturbed the anit-roll bar doing this job...

there are no sideways loads applied to the anti-roll bar during cornering.... only a twisting action

COUPCONNOISSEUR

so how do you think this happened?

BOTUS

during build of the car that suspension level sensor is fitted pre fitment of the rear suspension assembly to the car. On the bench its just possible to fit the little clip holding one ball joint to the antiroll bar.

after a few years the level sensor seizes up and snaps off (just like they designed it too, and then due to appallingly written, dangerous software which fails dangerous) the car thinks its too high and collapses the car on the floor whilst driving... if you and your family are still alive, that's enough to get you back to a main dealer where they extract $500 dollars to fit a $3 headlamp level sensor (which Mercedes use on a critical suspension system !!!)

however its not an easy job and so as we can see on your car, they broke the impossible to fit bracket so its held on with a worm drive hose clamp.... even so the simplest way is to undo the drop links and rotate the anti-roll bar 45 degrees anti-clock from left side to get the level sensor attached. In moving the anti-roll bar (to do the level sensor) it looks like the cheap nasty bushes on the anti roll bar slipped 1/2 inch sideways as they did it. They never notoiced and put it back together wrongly.... one could argue to avoid noise the bushes needed changing...or they'd never have slipped in a direction they are not intended to move in anyway

Minh

I will serious investigating for this symptom when my car on the lift, I think your finding on this issue is worth for further investigate.

BOTUS

the merc specialist who did mine didn't want the job, took them 4 hours to do a 10 minute job - they have done before and still broke the clip twice (have main dealership with big parts supply round the corner) mine too is held on with a jubilee clip.... it would help if the car had the sensor on the opposite site of the car, you could see it, maintain it or replace it but they designed it this way for a reason !!!

and should be recalled to say, no data from level sensor, lock air throw alarm but they just don't care about anything... other than new cars sales to idiots who are swayed by a brand 25 years past its sell by date. The tacky interior on the current crop would be a disgrace on the star ship enterprise ...

COUPCONNOISSEUR

I’m sorry but I don’t understand..what does that clip have to do with the shifted stabilizer bar

COUPCONNOISSEUR

What do you mean they disturbed the anti roll bar? The purpose of this job is to completely replace the anti roll bar, so of course it’s been disturbed.

BOTUS

at 3:55 seconds of the original video.... you see the anti-roll bar with a worm drive hose clamp on it.... (in UK the main brand name making these since forever is Jubilee - so everyone calls them a Jubilee clamp... just like a vacuum cleaner is called a hoover). This clamp (on your car, just as it is on mine) is in conjunction with the broken silly fixing Mercedes use to connect one end of the suspension level sensor too.

I think I get your confusion why would it connect here... its just a convenient bit of the car that just so happens to move enough to take the reading from as the suspension goes up and down. Its the shape of the bar and the fact an anti-roll bar doesn't stop suspension movement up and down... its attempts to tie the two together to reduce sideways "roll" and when it inevitably does due to physiscs make it happen in a controlled manner.

So the level sensor is bolted to the chassis of the car, it has a small lever with a ball joint, this moves up down in an small arc, driven from the link rod moving. This movement comes from the anti-roll bar going up and down with the suspension via a second ball joint that's clamped on it (see 3.55 mins in to your video).

Its a nightmare to fit you can't see or even reach from beneath the car.... and rather than a sensible robust bracket that bolts to the small flat on the anti-roll bar, its a pathetic flimsy snap together bit of tin foil.

You need lots of room for a special tool to clip closed (that can't fit due NO to clearance at all) you effectively need the anit-roll bar to "compress" so it fits together. The ONLY way to physically reach this area is to move the anti-roll bar position when replacing the sensor (they all snap off regularly), you do this by undoing the link rods, disturbing the bonded bushes, the repeated twisting up and down attempting to fit the new level sensor moved it sideways..... after 4 hours of hell (for a 20 minute chargeable job), the last thing they had an interest in doing was working out if it slipped 1/2 inch sideways in a direction no one normal would have anticipated....

BOTUS

I just re read an element of one of your posts

yes they ruined the anti-roll bar in an earlier job! when trying to replace the suspension level sensor link rod..... without removing the whole rear suspension OR removing the anti-roll bar at all points, you disturb/damage its bushes (as they did on yours)

COUPCONNOISSEUR

after re-reading this, it reminded me of something i had to ask..about 13-14 years ago, i was in my friends CLS500(which was relatively new at the time) and he was driving like a real jerk. he was going from dead stop and just mashing the gas pedal to the floor over and over..id say after about the 6-7th time, the car sounded like it exploded and completely collapsed..we were just kids so we thought it was a blown engine or transmission...im curious, is this what you were talking about?

BOTUS

if you could see the movement of the engine, gearbox and bits of the drive train under total abuse, you'd could get why something broke.... maybe it somehow managed to pop the link rod off, its something you can do very easily. As I said on a BMW this size / type of link rod is only supposed to be for the headlamp self leveling systems.... not a critical suspension part.... and the bushes holding the diff in place fail under gentle use so anything's possible