SL/R129: 600SL and ADS/hydraulic suspension
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Joined: Dec 2005
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600sl hydro/ADS suspension
The 1995 sl600 in question hasn't had a road trip in over a year. It has been stored in a climate controlled setting and ran/moved about 10 miles in the last year.
The front is now down to where the airdam is about three inches off the ground. Rear is still up so it looks like a funny car or a near sighted ant eater.
I haven't done anything but ran it checked for leaks and confirmed that the screen is clean. The fluid is fresh and reservor is still where it's been since fluid change three years ago.
Can someone step me though a trouble shooting plan and a way to bleed the system? Thank you for your help in this matter.
The front is now down to where the airdam is about three inches off the ground. Rear is still up so it looks like a funny car or a near sighted ant eater.
I haven't done anything but ran it checked for leaks and confirmed that the screen is clean. The fluid is fresh and reservor is still where it's been since fluid change three years ago.
Can someone step me though a trouble shooting plan and a way to bleed the system? Thank you for your help in this matter.
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4
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2005 ML500 / 2008 CL500
Sounds like you are where I was with my ADS equipped 500SL a month or so back.
Check the front accumulators haven't failed, does the front bounce at all? Or is it rock hard when you try to compress the front suspension at each side?
Check the pump is running, fluid should be returning back to the reservoir when the engine is running, if not remove the high pressure line from the ADS manifold and let the pump prime and bleed out air.
Find the priming screw on the back of the ADS manifold, on the early ones it is a hex bar at the rearward facing edge of the manifold, and on the later ones I believe it is a hex internal, which will require an allen key. Loosen this off a couple of turns with the engine running and with any luck it will start to prime the whole system for you and the front will begin to rise.
Cycle the height control switch a couple of times and let the car rise and fall, and then tighten up the priming screw back to its normal position.
Oh, and keep an eye on the fluid levels in the reservoir at all times, so it doesn't suck air into the system, ZH-M fluid only!
Good Luck,
Richard
Check the front accumulators haven't failed, does the front bounce at all? Or is it rock hard when you try to compress the front suspension at each side?
Check the pump is running, fluid should be returning back to the reservoir when the engine is running, if not remove the high pressure line from the ADS manifold and let the pump prime and bleed out air.
Find the priming screw on the back of the ADS manifold, on the early ones it is a hex bar at the rearward facing edge of the manifold, and on the later ones I believe it is a hex internal, which will require an allen key. Loosen this off a couple of turns with the engine running and with any luck it will start to prime the whole system for you and the front will begin to rise.
Cycle the height control switch a couple of times and let the car rise and fall, and then tighten up the priming screw back to its normal position.
Oh, and keep an eye on the fluid levels in the reservoir at all times, so it doesn't suck air into the system, ZH-M fluid only!
Good Luck,
Richard
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2
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1995 SL600
I have been researching a similar problem with my 95 600... A month or so ago the battery went dead. I replaced the battery seemingly uneventfully; however, I noticed that the front of the car had dropped to the point where the air dam is only 4 inches off the ground. Unfortunately I was not paying attention and cannot say for certain that that was a direct result of changing the battery. Anyway, since that time I have not been able to get the front back up. There is fluid in the resevoir, no light illuminated on the ADS switch, no apparent leaks (no fluid on garage floor or wet spots that I can detect). I have tried cycling the ADS switch, held power window buttons in up position for 15 sec with key in position 2 (suggestion I found somewhere on the web).. Both sides of the front are down. Car only has 21000 original miles and in top notch condition otherwise.. Can you help ????
Last edited by Kgarb; Jul 26, 2008 at 01:16 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 391
Likes: 6
From: So California
2000 SL500
I have been researching a similar problem with my 95 600... A month or so ago the battery went dead. I replaced the battery seemingly uneventfully; however, I noticed that the front of the car had dropped to the point where the air dam is only 4 inches off the ground. Unfortunately I was not paying attention and cannot say for certain that that was a direct result of changing the battery. Anyway, since that time I have not been able to get the front back up. There is fluid in the resevoir, no light illuminated on the ADS switch, no apparent leaks (no fluid on garage floor or wet spots that I can detect). I have tried cycling the ADS switch
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Joined: Dec 2005
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I wrote this in Dec. 2005 WOW, Today I finally fixed it. Words of Wisdom-Don't give up and it will take longer than you think. All the right direction is here but it took several hours to get all the air out of the system. The actuator that goes to the postioning valve was on wrong and maladjusted. I had spent several attemps with two hour sessions, but it took one full day to make it work correctly.
