Hello everyone,

I get a message in my dash that just says "malfunction" with a picture of the car (see attached photo). I know this is a warning for the airmatic. The issue I have is that if I drive short trips around town or just sit parked, this light never comes on. When i go on the freeway or longer drives that don't even involve the freeway or excessive speeds, the light will come on. When the light comes on and I park the car to check the front, you can hear air leaking from down below and behind the drivers headlight area. It is not coming from the top of the strut on the top area of the engine or where the airmatic lines come into that top portion, but right around where that accumulator tank is behind the bumper near the drivers side head light. I have checked the accumulator for cracks, as I have read they crack, and due to the front end damage the car previously had, but nothing there. I also checked the little fitting that comes off the bottom, and nothing there either. Today the light came on and stayed on and when I pulled into my driveway there is no air leaking. Its not like it always leaks air or always has that warning light come on. I do not think there is a necessary leak in the system all the time, as i do not always hear a leak, but maybe a valve or something stupid that is failing, or stuck or something. I clearly can hear the air leaking when I am standing outside the car, but only after the "malfunction" with the car light warning comes on. If I just start the car and let the car raise up and level, it does so normally, and the compressor eventually shuts off, and does not leak any air. It's very strange.

QUESTION:

What would be behind the drivers headlight area, or by the air accumulator tank that would possibly leak air, but not all the time, but randomly when the "malfunction" light comes on, and then stop as well?

Thanks again.

 

the air intake filter
the pump
the storage accumulator
the distribution valve block
lots of pathetic brittle pipes and loose connections

 

UPDATE:
I was able to get the car on some ramps and while it was turned off i was able to get underneath it today and it is an air leak, but it is above the accumulator tank and i cant seem to get my hand on anything where i can feel air coming out. I can't see it from underneath and when i look from above the air leak noise is even further away. It also does not leak all the time. It's like it leaks after the accumulator tanks gets full and then im sure it triggers the compressor and then the system notices there is an issue with it not holding pressure or something.

when trying to rule things out:

it does not seem to be the storage accumulator or from the compressor pump area

Do you know the location of what the air intake filter looks like?

i assume this is completely different than anything to do with the engine air intake.

Also, what about location of distribution valve block?

upon inspection there does not seem to be anything damaged back that far with the little pipes. there is a small white tube that comes off the bottom of the accumulator and goes through the impact bar area to the compressor im assuming.

Do you have any kind of diagram that i could maybe follow for the pressurized air system to maybe follow the little pipes and hoses?

thanks again.

 

search

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ml#post9095086

 

I searched through all the PDF's and it does not seem there is really anything right behind that area that would potentially leak air. I am still pretty confused about it. It was very windy today and i hope ill be able to pull the car into the garage next time i can hear the air leaking. Thanks again.

 

glasses - everything is there !

 

so I guess you drive on the wrong side of the road......

 

LOL. no. I obviously can see all the different parts. Thank you for increasing the size. I guess to be more specific, i do not see anything in the area i hear the air leak. It is literally like right above the headlight but lower than the top of the headlight. I just do not see any components there. In the picture i attached it almost seems as if it could be component N51 or N3/10. Do those leak air?

 

N3/10 is the ECU on top of the engine - (that’s why 3D works)
N51... I didn't bother to look at what they are trying to point to

but in that picture they are both sort of close to where each air spring is - each corner has the air bag / spring unit on the top of each strut - they can leak and can self seal as the weight drops the car covering the hole - but that’s not normal on a 221

 

n51 is in the passenger footwell - its just the control module - no air only wires

 

that is what is so confusing about it. It is a loud enough leak you can hear it outside the car a little even before getting your head under the hood or going under the car. But it is not leaking so much where you can be like oh i feel an air leak here. The weather is not too good right now, but i plan on bringing into the garage today and shutting the door and getting a better listen. Thanks again.

 

if you raise it up - don't think airbags have anywhere to hide...