SL/R230: ABC sagging front left suspension 2005 SL500
08-10-2017, 12:51 AM
#26
Super Member
1 day update - the car still drops, at a steady pace - half way trough the height, both sides now. So in a week it will be down to the ground again for sure. A valve block disassembly is due. Ordered the O-rings kit, planning to do it next week, before i go out of country for 3 weeks. Thus, was reading different threads - definitely tons of information, sadly most of the pics became unavailable due to filehost websites.
Also i got one more question - do i have to raise the whole car on jack stands or just the front, since that's the one i'm going to rebuild? I'll have to move the other car out of garage and setup a clean area to work on. What's an estimate time for the job? many key points to keep in mind, also to find something to close the hoses for the time of work... I have only time after work to deal with it, and i leave on Sunday. I'd hate to leave it like that for a month....
Thank you for the link, i found it as well when researched. Overall it seems it will take me longer to get everything ready than to do the job
Regards.
Also i got one more question - do i have to raise the whole car on jack stands or just the front, since that's the one i'm going to rebuild? I'll have to move the other car out of garage and setup a clean area to work on. What's an estimate time for the job? many key points to keep in mind, also to find something to close the hoses for the time of work... I have only time after work to deal with it, and i leave on Sunday. I'd hate to leave it like that for a month....
Thank you for the link, i found it as well when researched. Overall it seems it will take me longer to get everything ready than to do the job
Regards.
08-10-2017, 09:19 AM
#28
Senior Member
Hello all, I have been through this so I will share as much as I have.
First, as much as everybody here wishes that sagging will go away by flushing, rodeo, lifting up and down, etc, IT WILL NOT. As somebody mentioned here by flushing you may actually flush parts of the o-ring making it worse.
Can you continue to drive with this leak? Yes, unlike an Airmatic pump the ABC pump runs continuously anyway so there is no fear of breaking something or running dry. If you do drive like that the condition may get worse, like the car dropping in 5 minutes after stop.
The good news is that you can fix this with a few $. I have done it 6 years ago with 2 jack stands and it doesn't drop even over an entire winter.
1 - Lift the front on jack stands, remove the front left wheel and the wheel well front half cover.
2 - You will see the valve block behind and under the left headlight. Take a picture of the piping to it so you will not make mistakes when assembling.
3 - Remove all the piping and connectors from the valve block. Cap the lines the best you can, you don't want a few quarts of fluid on your floor.
4 - Remove the valve block from the car and take it to your bench.
5 - There are 2 shut-off valves and 2 directional valves, one of each for each front corner. In between the valves on each side there is a plastic clip holding them together. Be very careful when removing that clip, it breaks and cannot be purchased as separate part. Try and slide it towards the top of the valves.
6 - Rotating the valves 45 degrees (not 90) will allow to pull them out. They may need some persuasion, they have been in that position for 10 years.
7 - Now that you have them out, the shorter valves are the shut-off the longer ones are the directional. Usually the culprit is shut-off but since you are already there might as well replace all o-rings. You will see that each o-ring (round in cross section) has one or two (forgot) shoulder rings (square cross section) next to it. Those you don't need to replace (I don't have the part numbers anyway). take pictures of the valves so you don't forget the correct order.
8 - O-rings have a standard. On the Shut-off valve you have N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-016 (I forgot how many of each but you're going to buy a dozen of each anyway). On the directional valve you have N1470-2-013, N1470-2-014, N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-018. N1470 is the material which in this case was a common nitrile but it's been there for 6 years without a problem. If you have access to fancy material o-rings then V0884 or V1475 may last 2000 years.
9 - Buy them from McMaster Carr or some other supplier. Shipping will probably cost you more that the o-rings.
10 - Clean the valve block.
11 - Replace the o-rings, put back the valves in the block using assembly oil or the hydraulic oil from the ABC reservoir.
12 - Do all the connectors and pipes, the wheel.
13 - You can drop the car from the jack stands. Most likely the front will go down.
14 - Start the car and cycle lifting it up a dozen times. The first few times check the fluid level and add if necessary. Do not let that pump run dry. Make sure there are no leaks.
15 - Put back the wheel well cover.
There is a nice DIY with good pictures on a german website or blog but I forgot how I got there.
It may take you a couple of hours but is one of the cheapest way to fix an SL-issue that is feared by most.
First, as much as everybody here wishes that sagging will go away by flushing, rodeo, lifting up and down, etc, IT WILL NOT. As somebody mentioned here by flushing you may actually flush parts of the o-ring making it worse.
Can you continue to drive with this leak? Yes, unlike an Airmatic pump the ABC pump runs continuously anyway so there is no fear of breaking something or running dry. If you do drive like that the condition may get worse, like the car dropping in 5 minutes after stop.
The good news is that you can fix this with a few $. I have done it 6 years ago with 2 jack stands and it doesn't drop even over an entire winter.
1 - Lift the front on jack stands, remove the front left wheel and the wheel well front half cover.
2 - You will see the valve block behind and under the left headlight. Take a picture of the piping to it so you will not make mistakes when assembling.
3 - Remove all the piping and connectors from the valve block. Cap the lines the best you can, you don't want a few quarts of fluid on your floor.
4 - Remove the valve block from the car and take it to your bench.
5 - There are 2 shut-off valves and 2 directional valves, one of each for each front corner. In between the valves on each side there is a plastic clip holding them together. Be very careful when removing that clip, it breaks and cannot be purchased as separate part. Try and slide it towards the top of the valves.
6 - Rotating the valves 45 degrees (not 90) will allow to pull them out. They may need some persuasion, they have been in that position for 10 years.
7 - Now that you have them out, the shorter valves are the shut-off the longer ones are the directional. Usually the culprit is shut-off but since you are already there might as well replace all o-rings. You will see that each o-ring (round in cross section) has one or two (forgot) shoulder rings (square cross section) next to it. Those you don't need to replace (I don't have the part numbers anyway). take pictures of the valves so you don't forget the correct order.
8 - O-rings have a standard. On the Shut-off valve you have N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-016 (I forgot how many of each but you're going to buy a dozen of each anyway). On the directional valve you have N1470-2-013, N1470-2-014, N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-018. N1470 is the material which in this case was a common nitrile but it's been there for 6 years without a problem. If you have access to fancy material o-rings then V0884 or V1475 may last 2000 years.
9 - Buy them from McMaster Carr or some other supplier. Shipping will probably cost you more that the o-rings.
10 - Clean the valve block.
11 - Replace the o-rings, put back the valves in the block using assembly oil or the hydraulic oil from the ABC reservoir.
12 - Do all the connectors and pipes, the wheel.
13 - You can drop the car from the jack stands. Most likely the front will go down.
14 - Start the car and cycle lifting it up a dozen times. The first few times check the fluid level and add if necessary. Do not let that pump run dry. Make sure there are no leaks.
15 - Put back the wheel well cover.
There is a nice DIY with good pictures on a german website or blog but I forgot how I got there.
It may take you a couple of hours but is one of the cheapest way to fix an SL-issue that is feared by most.
08-10-2017, 10:20 PM
#29
Super Member
All the rest of instructions i found already on multiple threads. Now i just need to wait for the O-rings to arrive and set a day to do it. Thank you, gafitanu!
Regards
08-11-2017, 08:31 AM
#30
Senior Member
I entered the 220 320 11 58 part number posted by Lee above in the EPC and it is a repair kit for the pressure valve, not the valve block. Also images of that part number show an o-ring and a metal cup which is not what you need.
08-11-2017, 08:35 AM
#31
Super Member
No worries, I did not use the part number provided above, I searched myself and found it. There's a ebay seller that has a kit for the ABC valve block, with pictures and everything. Also I found another forum member that used the exactly same kit to repair his, even 2 members. But, of course, I will be 100% sure when I'll take it apart. So far no sure I'll be able to pull it before my vacation, so we're looking at a 1 month update from now for results.
08-13-2017, 01:53 PM
#32
Hello all, I have been through this so I will share as much as I have.
First, as much as everybody here wishes that sagging will go away by flushing, rodeo, lifting up and down, etc, IT WILL NOT. As somebody mentioned here by flushing you may actually flush parts of the o-ring making it worse.
Can you continue to drive with this leak? Yes, unlike an Airmatic pump the ABC pump runs continuously anyway so there is no fear of breaking something or running dry. If you do drive like that the condition may get worse, like the car dropping in 5 minutes after stop.
The good news is that you can fix this with a few $. I have done it 6 years ago with 2 jack stands and it doesn't drop even over an entire winter.
1 - Lift the front on jack stands, remove the front left wheel and the wheel well front half cover.
2 - You will see the valve block behind and under the left headlight. Take a picture of the piping to it so you will not make mistakes when assembling.
3 - Remove all the piping and connectors from the valve block. Cap the lines the best you can, you don't want a few quarts of fluid on your floor.
4 - Remove the valve block from the car and take it to your bench.
5 - There are 2 shut-off valves and 2 directional valves, one of each for each front corner. In between the valves on each side there is a plastic clip holding them together. Be very careful when removing that clip, it breaks and cannot be purchased as separate part. Try and slide it towards the top of the valves.
6 - Rotating the valves 45 degrees (not 90) will allow to pull them out. They may need some persuasion, they have been in that position for 10 years.
7 - Now that you have them out, the shorter valves are the shut-off the longer ones are the directional. Usually the culprit is shut-off but since you are already there might as well replace all o-rings. You will see that each o-ring (round in cross section) has one or two (forgot) shoulder rings (square cross section) next to it. Those you don't need to replace (I don't have the part numbers anyway). take pictures of the valves so you don't forget the correct order.
8 - O-rings have a standard. On the Shut-off valve you have N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-016 (I forgot how many of each but you're going to buy a dozen of each anyway). On the directional valve you have N1470-2-013, N1470-2-014, N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-018. N1470 is the material which in this case was a common nitrile but it's been there for 6 years without a problem. If you have access to fancy material o-rings then V0884 or V1475 may last 2000 years.
9 - Buy them from McMaster Carr or some other supplier. Shipping will probably cost you more that the o-rings.
10 - Clean the valve block.
11 - Replace the o-rings, put back the valves in the block using assembly oil or the hydraulic oil from the ABC reservoir.
12 - Do all the connectors and pipes, the wheel.
13 - You can drop the car from the jack stands. Most likely the front will go down.
14 - Start the car and cycle lifting it up a dozen times. The first few times check the fluid level and add if necessary. Do not let that pump run dry. Make sure there are no leaks.
15 - Put back the wheel well cover.
There is a nice DIY with good pictures on a german website or blog but I forgot how I got there.
It may take you a couple of hours but is one of the cheapest way to fix an SL-issue that is feared by most.
First, as much as everybody here wishes that sagging will go away by flushing, rodeo, lifting up and down, etc, IT WILL NOT. As somebody mentioned here by flushing you may actually flush parts of the o-ring making it worse.
Can you continue to drive with this leak? Yes, unlike an Airmatic pump the ABC pump runs continuously anyway so there is no fear of breaking something or running dry. If you do drive like that the condition may get worse, like the car dropping in 5 minutes after stop.
The good news is that you can fix this with a few $. I have done it 6 years ago with 2 jack stands and it doesn't drop even over an entire winter.
1 - Lift the front on jack stands, remove the front left wheel and the wheel well front half cover.
2 - You will see the valve block behind and under the left headlight. Take a picture of the piping to it so you will not make mistakes when assembling.
3 - Remove all the piping and connectors from the valve block. Cap the lines the best you can, you don't want a few quarts of fluid on your floor.
4 - Remove the valve block from the car and take it to your bench.
5 - There are 2 shut-off valves and 2 directional valves, one of each for each front corner. In between the valves on each side there is a plastic clip holding them together. Be very careful when removing that clip, it breaks and cannot be purchased as separate part. Try and slide it towards the top of the valves.
6 - Rotating the valves 45 degrees (not 90) will allow to pull them out. They may need some persuasion, they have been in that position for 10 years.
7 - Now that you have them out, the shorter valves are the shut-off the longer ones are the directional. Usually the culprit is shut-off but since you are already there might as well replace all o-rings. You will see that each o-ring (round in cross section) has one or two (forgot) shoulder rings (square cross section) next to it. Those you don't need to replace (I don't have the part numbers anyway). take pictures of the valves so you don't forget the correct order.
8 - O-rings have a standard. On the Shut-off valve you have N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-016 (I forgot how many of each but you're going to buy a dozen of each anyway). On the directional valve you have N1470-2-013, N1470-2-014, N1470-2-015 and N1470-2-018. N1470 is the material which in this case was a common nitrile but it's been there for 6 years without a problem. If you have access to fancy material o-rings then V0884 or V1475 may last 2000 years.
9 - Buy them from McMaster Carr or some other supplier. Shipping will probably cost you more that the o-rings.
10 - Clean the valve block.
11 - Replace the o-rings, put back the valves in the block using assembly oil or the hydraulic oil from the ABC reservoir.
12 - Do all the connectors and pipes, the wheel.
13 - You can drop the car from the jack stands. Most likely the front will go down.
14 - Start the car and cycle lifting it up a dozen times. The first few times check the fluid level and add if necessary. Do not let that pump run dry. Make sure there are no leaks.
15 - Put back the wheel well cover.
There is a nice DIY with good pictures on a german website or blog but I forgot how I got there.
It may take you a couple of hours but is one of the cheapest way to fix an SL-issue that is feared by most.
I posted a DIY on here in the past with a bunch of pictures. They are also on www.DIYBenzRepair.com
