Driving today and saw an alert on the dash: "Stop, car is too low". Stopped and behold my right side dropped. I know it's the air suspension. I have extended warranty with Endurance. I have the Total Exclusionary Coverage. Anyone has dealt with Endurance and know if this is covered. They are closed and will open Monday. Vehicle is a 2013 S550. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

look above the front tyre with a torch and see if the level sensor is still attached.... they like to seize and snap off (the black bits seize on the ball)

 

Thank you, BOTUS. I will look. The chasis is so close to the tire not sure if there's enough space to see.

 

the jack works really well.... (seriously) , yep won't see anything otherwise.... and its NOT a good idea to reach in (as u see nothing holds the car up) - but would help you see why it dropped - about $30 each side at the front and one nasty to reach one at the back

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Did it happen while you were driving or was it low after sitting overnight?

 

It happened while I was driving. You can hear air coming out around the front tire if you start the car and put your ear close to it. It was ok when I got in the car and drove off.

 

UGH. The downside is that ALL of your Airmatic equipment is right there. It's where your system dumps air when it's relieving pressure. If it's not your ride height sensors, it could also be a leaking strut, valve, compressor or any of the lines. You can take out that wheel well liner and trace the source of the noise. If it's coming from the intake hose on the compressor, that's normal. The strut has a dump valve on the side of it also, so that's normal. If it's coming from anywhere else, that's a leak and needs to be repaired. If you had a diagnostic computer, it would just tell you what failed.

 

Thanks for the update. I'm planning to take it to a local shop Monday who specializes in German motors. I have an Endurance Extended Warranty. Don't know if Air Suspension is covered. I'm not mechanically inclined. I have to tow it to a shop.

 

Leaking air sound most definitely tells about a leak in the strut. The car is 10 years old so if the air springs / struts have not been replaced yet, it is time for replacing them all. They fail in about 10 years for rubber just rotting.

There is no air dump valve in the strut. The control valve at the side in the bottom of the strut is for internal dampening control of the shock absorber. Air dump happens at the valve block where all valves for all struts are located.

Diagnostic computer does not tell anything about this problem that you cannot just see looking at the car. It will tell you the car level at leaking strut corner is low and it can tell you the compressor timed out for not being able to raise the car. It can tell if the compressor failed electronically too or if you lost connection to air control valve (open loop) but when air is heard to come out around the strut it is quite obviously a leak that the computer does not tell you.

Even for the level sensors the computer can only tell what level it reads but it does not know if this is because the air strut failed of the arm came loose from the sensor. You just need to see these how it is.

For the OP, jack the car up from the low corner and see if the sensor arm is in place. If not, snap it back in (and plan getting new arm(s)) and restart the car and see if car comes up. It probably does not if you hear air around that wheel as the strut is leaking. Level control sensor arm coming loose can cause one air spring to deflate as the sensor can suddenly tell the control computer it if high so it dumps the air.

I had this happen in front left while driving. The strut got a leak and only fix was to replace it. I bought the whole set of four of them from FCPeuro as they will all go soon after the first one went out. My car also was a 2013 S550 and this happened just about a year ago.

 

Thanks Arrie, for the well detailed information.

 

While I was digging around for the name of what that stupid little valve is called on the side of the strut, I found this company...

https://www.suncoreindustries.com/pr...enz&Model=S550

I can't speak for quality or longevity but their stuff is cheap. They also sell cheap coil spring conversion kits with the bypass module. I'm looking through their parts that aren't for a Mercedes and they sell air ride components for anything else that had an option for air ride. I also see bulk air line, connectors, sensors, valves, etc. This could be a fun place for projects.

 

Time for new front struts. Same thing happened to me a few months ago. Installed Arnott's and been loving them ever since.

 

Thanks Shadly1. I will share it with the shop when I take the car in tomorrow.

 

Maybe you shouldn't. Arnott is definitely better quality and they have a lifetime warranty. The parts cost is going to be the small end of your repair bill. Might as well go with the best quality you can find so you don't have to pay labor again if the parts need replacing. Leave the questionable parts for the tinkerers.

 

I replaced both of my front struts in about two hours. I have never worked on an S Class before, and I'm not that smart. A car is a car is a car. I understand different people's skill levels, time constraints and desires though, I just prefer to do my own work.

 

largely due to it being a strut, mount, bearing and spring all in one and the unit just gets pried out of the knuckle with like a screwdriver. I could do it all day. People were spending 10k on the W220's at the dealer for a 4-corner service with pump and valve block lol.

 

That's how they got the automatic espresso machines and Biscoff cookies in the showroom.

 

Quality will be my top priority. And the Lifetime Warranty sounds like the icing on the cake.

 

While on the topic, on an 07 S550 4M, what's the air dumping process? The longer it's parked on a slight forward facing downward incline, (without starting or moving) the more it will dump? How low will it go?
Thanks

 

@BOTUS

i just posted mine may be similiar

mine is lower on right side but not all the way dpwn car raises and lowers

front pass is higher than rear pass

are there any "bottoming out" sounds or anything

either sensor or leaky shock maybe?

but no errors about car being low

 

the rear sensor attaches to the ARB via a flimsy metal bracket - as the plastic ***** seize on the sockets, more and more day to day driving duties land at the 4 little metal legs of the part that clips to the the ARB - these deflect and one by one snap off

the last of the 4 little legs can end up operating for quite some time - until a big load in the car (or massive bump) snaps it off... until I suspect, by the time you only have 2 of the 4 legs holding it together. After which the ride height starts to get interesting

but it ought to be somewhat level both sides... I think the curved ball here, is where one or both of the fronts are part seized too... then an episode like parking a single wheel up a kerb, can land you in to random city.... and the fix is 3 new sensor brackets, before any calibration intervention messes things right up

when the calibration is sound and the sensors all work - you have a chance to find other fun

some early ones in the USA had an intervention to replace one of the rear air lines as it got scored at build and can leak - leading to a saggy bottom one side at the back... check konigtigers manu TIPS what goes wrong documents thread... should keep you busy for 2 years and scare the hell out of any owner (bag of nails from build if you ask me)....



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