Jan T

Returned from vacation for a couple weeks with the 2005 SL65 sitting, and noticed the drivers side rear dropped about 1/2 inch more than usual, real close to the fender. Passenger side rear was normal height. So, started it up, drove it around and worked it up and down a few times and the height seemed to return to normal. Will check on it again tomorrow, but has anyone had something like that happen with their car sitting for a while, or why that happened? Trouble brewing?

m-svt-amg

Valve block probably needs rebuilding. Check for signs of leaking on the struts too. If the struts are good it shouldnt cost more than a few hundred.

Struts are 600+ a piece rebuilt. Around 1800 new.

My dad ignored it for 5 years and im stuck with a 10k repair bill.

Jan T

It seems ok now after I drove it. Were is the valve block and is there something to look at visually on it?

m-svt-amg

That means your pumps and hoses are good. The valve block will leak over time without the system actively monitoring the ride height (like sitting in a garage)

If youre lucky, you caught it early before it leak too much and causes pump failure.

I was unfortunately late as third owner of the car and had 3 failed struts. My valve body had the rarer issue of a bad solenoid.

The seals are a cheap fix. Search around, a member here is well known for rebuilding them. I had to buy one because i couldnt source the solenoids alone, though id already replaced the seals.

There are 2 valve blocks i believe, front and rear. You might want to change the 5 accumulators while youre at it. They tend to wear out and many consider them consumable maintenance items.

kbob999

Mercedes considers some settling to be acceptable. Jnash does valve blocks rebuilds. If it settles behind your limit of acceptance, send him a message.

The accumulator located in the rear of the left front fender is a frequent failure point. It smooths the pulses from the pump, but shows no symptoms when it fails. Failure here stresses the rest of the system. 10 years regardless of miles is a good time to replace all accumulators.

Jan T

Yeah I was just thinking of leaving it alone ad not getting concerned about it, as now that I drive it every few days it seems to be ok. It was just after sitting a couple weeks, and just on they one rear wheel. Maybe the time to really look into it is if it does it again?

m-svt-amg

I urge you to reconsider that stance, as that is exactly what my dad said 5 years ago. I fully believe that attitude toward ABC maintenance is the single greatest cause of reliability issues in the R230. Our car never had a catastrophic failure, but when the abc message came on, it was already too late.

Id recommend at the very least to:

1) flush abc fluid
2) replace 5 accumulators
3) test solenoid voltage (since this was my issue and you have the same symptom i experienced, it shouldnt cost much just to test)
3b) if voltage is good, sagging/leaning after sitting for a long time is likely due to the seals. Only costs 30 bucks for a full set. Or you could talk to Jnash for more info.
4) check for fluid residue on the valve blocks, all hose connections, and 4 struts

If no fluid residue is visible you are in good shape... no major repairs should be necessary. However, id still look into the other items to ensure the big ticket components like the pump and struts arent overly stressed.

Bad accumulators wear out struts.

Bad hose connections blow out the pump.

Hope this helps!

Jan T

Thanks, I think I will start looking into it. Is the valve block something I can visually see? Not sure where it is located. I will get under with a camera to see if I can take some shots of the struts. Just trying to look at what I can see without getting it into the shop for next steps. I have a 4 post lift, but a bit of a task moving cars around at the moment.

m-svt-amg

Nice i wish i had my own lift!

Ive heard if issues surrounding lifts with the abc suspension unloaded... not sure how much people still know about that? It was a while back...

Best of luck to you!

carguyshu

the front valve block is located in the drivers side wheel well. It is the easier one to remove/replace. There is an accumulator on each valve block also, that as others have mentioned you should replace. More than likely it is either a piece of debris in the valve block causing it not to seal well or one of the o rings in it starting to go bad. Either way, it is a fairly inexpensive DIY repair. As others have said you should replace your accumulators as a maintenance item as older worn out ones will put strain on other components of the system. Also, the fluid in the ABC system only has a 3 year shelf life when sitting in a sealed container, so its life is obviously much shorter than that inside of the car and needs replaced regularly even though mercedes claims it is a sealed for life system.

Best pricing for parts i have found is huskerparts.com.

Jan T

Thanks guys, but most things I try DIY end up really being a PIB, pain in butt, never as easy as it seems. It's kind of tough not really knowing what you are doing, with photos for visuals etc. I may just take it into Fletcher and have them do what's needed and also do the fluid. I have $10K wheels on it and I just hate taking it anywhere to be worked on, especially others taking wheels on and off. But it is what it is to get it done. As far as the 4 post lift I mentioned, it is just a drive on lift, so the wheels/tires are not suspended.

carguyshu

there are write ups on the forum detailing with pictures how to remove both the front and back valve block...

sound 8

I had the same, it was a faulty sensor on the sus leg. around 400 quid.
S8

GrepAwk

Jan T...I envy you have a lift to work on cars at home.

However, your drive-on style lift will not allow you to work on ABC systems because you must take the weight off all the wheels so that there is no pressure in the lines. You will need to use 4 jack stands or adapt your 4-poster to lift the wheels off the ground while still giving you access to the underside.

The front valve block is located in front of the left wheel.

Jack it up, remove left front wheel, remove plastic engine belly pan.
Remove plastic wheel well liner.
Now you will be able to see the valve block for the front wheels.

The block has an inlet from the pump/accumulator, and then 2 valves controlling front left shock, and 2 valves controlling front right shock and (I think) the return line to the pump reservoir. For the pair of valves that control one shock, one is for active driving when there is lots of dynamic flow. The other is for bleeding off and/or holding the shock steady when the car is turned off.

Jan T

Maybe I got over concerned, as it only drops about 1/4" in a week as I measured it this week just to see without driving. By your statement above maybe all our cars drop a little bit while sitting, but it is so small we just don't notice. I have 21" wheels in the rear and lowering system as well, so the tires are already closer to the fender than a car without lowering kit and big diameter wheels. In other words, I would think much easier to notice a small drop on mine. It only became visually noticeable to me after the car sat for 2 weeks.