xclens

I know.. I am starting yet another new topic on how to lower a R230.. There's already hundreds of posts about this!

But there's really not many recent ones? And as far as I could find, no true topics where people show WHERE they officially purchased their links / modules, and how to install them? And there are none that I could find with before/after pics? Don't get me wrong, I've visited the Renntech website, but where were the instructions regarding the installation?

I've also found nothing credible regarding lowering a R230 with SDS? Where/how do you do that?

Could we perhaps make a new thread (perhaps even a sticky?) and let people show/tell how they lowered their R230's, show before & after pictures, and also talk about the do's and dont's? It seems that I'm not the only one interested in this feature.

I will be receiving my 'new' 2011 SL550 in a few weeks, and I would like to find out the options for making it look more level. Thanks in advance for the support from this great forum!

FxFormat

Buy the lowering links on ebay, any type will do. In fact, you can even strap an ice cream stick in place of the stock links and the car will lower. You're basically just tricking the sensor by extending the front, shortening the rear and the car will sit lower. To install it, is super easy, just pop the old one out, pop the new one in.

bad vid but you get the idea, links are held in by some rubber piece, just pull them out


Links you can use this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Be...Faolgu&vxp=mtr

xclens

Thank you for your advice! What about the fact that the Mercedes supposedly lowers itself at higher speeds, will that become an issue if you 'trick' the sensors? Not that I would ever regularly drive faster than, say, 140 km/h (85 mp/h), buuuut sometimes... when you're all alone... on the highway... and your foot feels abnormally heavy...

FxFormat

No issues. By lowering itself at high speeds mean the car will set itself on the neutral (lowest setting) of the 3. So if you have it in high, and you go above 75, it'll go into neutral mode.

kbob999

You want to be a little careful when snapping these on and off. The plastic arm to the sensor can break and mess up your day.
I had to rivet the arm back together on my C32 when I whacked it with a sway bar. Of course, you don't have a sway bar, but they are still fragile. And new ones cost bucks.

Hary Gahtoe

xclens

Would it at all be possible to ask you to create a DIY PDF with how this is accomplished via SDS? Preferably with screen shots? I do not have SDS myself, but I ask this so it will be easier to take to my local shop. Plus I imagine there are thousands like me around the world anxious to know how it works. Much appreciate if you are able to do so!

kbob999

Try this: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230...l#post16791554

From the Star Diagnosis main menu choose
.Read the instructions on the next screen and then proceed by pressing "F2". Now you use your PC function keys to raise/lower the suspension at each wheel to your liking with this constraint: the four level sensor voltages must all read 2-3 volts DC. When finished press "F2". Now you will be asked to enter control arm angles you supposedly measured with a "Romess" gauge. Here enter "-8.0" for the left and right front and "-2.0" for the left and right rear. Press "F2", then press "F3" on the confirmation screen which follows. You should be finished.

FxFormat

SDS is expensive, and a visit to the dealership to have them program this can't be cheap. I paid $100 for my links, and popped them in the front in less than 5 minutes. The rear just jack up the car higher and crawl underneath and pop them out.

xclens

Is the seller where you purchased your links still online? If so, would you mind telling me who you went with? It's a jungle out there not knowing who can be trusted. $100 is probably worth the gamble to try them out.

I don't personally have SDS access, but I do know of a well-known local Mercedes guru who has told me that he has the same access as a regular Mercedes mechanic. But he's 70+ and I don't think he does too much tweaking like this, so hence the question about how to actually do it. Thanks to the poster above for the instructions!

57staff

I went with aptires lowering links on ebay

APTires SL 55 Lowering Links

kbob999

SDS is expensive, unless you already own one, then you save yourself $100 for lowering.
In my opinion you should not own this car, or ANY Benz, unless you own the SDS. It has saved me at least 3 times its' cost in pinpointing issues, fixing them, and keeping away from the shop. I have only gone to the shop once with my 3 MB's, and it was my stupidity, not the cars' problem that caused it.
Plus, you can sell your SDS for what you paid when you no longer own a Benz. Win-win.

Rudeney

+1, no really, +1,000!!! With other MBZs like the W203, W209, W164, you can get by with YouTube videos and a $120 iCarsoft scanner, but with the R230, or any MBZ with ABC and SBC, SDS is a requirement. It's really not that expensive if you are computer savvy. You can buy the Chinese cloned multiplexer for around $250, and assuming you already have a laptop that can run it, you can actually find the software for free. If you'd rather have someone else do all the configuration \work for you, then spend about $700 and you'll get a complete turnkey system with the laptop (usually a refurb Dell D630).

xclens

I'd be willing to invest $700 in such a system. I'm quite computer savvy, and my dad is quite a mechanic, so together I'm sure we would be able to figure it out.

The only problem is that I'd be afraid of pressing the wrong button, something that can't be undone, and totally ruining something in the car?

Edit: Plus, even though I've been running Mac OSX for the past few years, the 10-15 years before that I spent with Windows XP, so I know it well.

Rudeney

dhgate.com has a lot of these. It's sort of a Chinese ebay. Search "mercedes C3" or "mercedes C4"

ozc204

Doing mine this weekend using the Ebay ones FXFormat posted up on.

xclens

Please let us know how it turns out! Or even better if you can take some pictures during the installation and make a little DIY guide. A lot of people would appreciate that!

xclens

Thanks Rodney!

What about C5, wouldn't that be even better, or?

I found this on AliExpress:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2018...850043188.html

Do you think that would be a good buy?

bobterry99

In my opinion that kit is grossly overpriced. Moreover, according to recent discussions on *******.com the quality of the multiplexers coming from China is greatly diminished compared to a few years ago. I wouldn't avoid Chinese gear, but unless I were confident of the quality I would purchase cheap with the expectation of possibly having to order a replacement in short time.

Rudeney

We had this discussion once before. I don't have any hard facts or personal experience, but my educated guess is that if you want a non-Chinese built multiplexer, then go spent $20K and buy a genuine, licensed SDS setup from BZ. Otherwise, the consumer-grade "clones" out there are all coming from China. I know there was a guy who once claimed his were not made in China, but I suspect what he was doing was buying from the "better" Chinese suppliers and thoroughly testing the units.

The first multiplexer I had was the smaller unit. It was delivered with a loose screw flopping aroudn inside. I removed i, and the unit worked for several years until the "backside" circuit failed, so it would not work with pre-MY2005 facelift cars. I replaced it with one of the "better" units with the "red" capacitors. It has worked quite well ever since. But now, as i understand it, the crappy Chinese suppliers have started using the red capacitors so that is not longer a sign of a better quality. I think it's just hit or miss.

ozc204

Its really a no brainer but I would say DO NOT BUY links that are not the type with the reverse thread on one end so you can have the luxury of adjusting once the links are in place.
The links I purchased have a one way thread both ends and there is not the required fine tuning you would get from a rod with reverse thread either end.
I have 10- 15mm differences as I cannot fine tune. With a one way thread its a full turn or nothing.

The rest is easy.
peter

PS
makes a big difference to the look of the car ...just that one inch ..or 1 1/4

xclens

Thanks for your reply, Peter. I sent a message to the eBay seller mentioned above, and he said that you DO have to pop one head off to adjust the height, and you can only adjust it in full turns. But he said that each full turn is approx. 1/16 of an inch. Is that not close enough? Or is the difficulty in "popping one head off"?

ozc204

FxFormat

When i got my links, It came pre set to lower 1" all around, i turned each links another 2 turns to get another 1/4" of lowering and looks great now.

Das Geld 2

Is this a "box tune" input? I can input these without measuring with the "ROMESS" tool? So is this a 1/2 inch or inch drop. I have star at my house.