Airmatic hitting bumpstop
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,315
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
As the fun continues i have a question for you guys that have installed new oem airsprings. If you hold the spring and bottom, is it normaly possible to move the middle of the spring by moving top/bottom with your hands or is the spring stiff out of the box? Mine looked pretty much like a dead fish out of the box.
Mercedes tried to straighten out the airsprings without success, claiming install error. While the installer claiming bad parts.
Mercedes tried to straighten out the airsprings without success, claiming install error. While the installer claiming bad parts.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 496
Likes: 42
From: Sweden
W211 e500 (Sold), w204 c180, w203 c180, w201 190e, W219 CLS 55
Well, since it's at the dealer now and they tried to get them straight with no success
i hope they know what they are doing.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 496
Likes: 42
From: Sweden
W211 e500 (Sold), w204 c180, w203 c180, w201 190e, W219 CLS 55
Thank you. I think (hope) it will work out allright.
Regarding my previous question about if you were able to turn/move the spring with your hands i was think when the spring is straight out of the box, no air in it or mounted in car. Just in your hand, how stiff is the spring? I'm thinking if it even could be defective springs and how likely it is to have 3 faulty. To me it feels more like install error.
Regarding my previous question about if you were able to turn/move the spring with your hands i was think when the spring is straight out of the box, no air in it or mounted in car. Just in your hand, how stiff is the spring? I'm thinking if it even could be defective springs and how likely it is to have 3 faulty. To me it feels more like install error.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,315
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Thank you. I think (hope) it will work out allright.
Regarding my previous question about if you were able to turn/move the spring with your hands i was think when the spring is straight out of the box, no air in it or mounted in car. Just in your hand, how stiff is the spring? I'm thinking if it even could be defective springs and how likely it is to have 3 faulty. To me it feels more like install error.
Regarding my previous question about if you were able to turn/move the spring with your hands i was think when the spring is straight out of the box, no air in it or mounted in car. Just in your hand, how stiff is the spring? I'm thinking if it even could be defective springs and how likely it is to have 3 faulty. To me it feels more like install error.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 496
Likes: 42
From: Sweden
W211 e500 (Sold), w204 c180, w203 c180, w201 190e, W219 CLS 55
The paying part will most likely be no problem. At this stage i would almost prefer to pay myself and just get it done right. Now, it just more wait...
But maybe, just maybe, one day i will be able to drive this car and it will be glorious
But maybe, just maybe, one day i will be able to drive this car and it will be glorious
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 329
Likes: 28
From: Virginia, USA
2005 c230
on a related note:
Arnott NEW bags will render the comfort/sport/sport2 button useless. Will also render the cars stock ability to automatically adapt to road conditions, useless.
Arnott REMAN bags retain these features
Arnott NEW bags will render the comfort/sport/sport2 button useless. Will also render the cars stock ability to automatically adapt to road conditions, useless.
Arnott REMAN bags retain these features
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 329
Likes: 28
From: Virginia, USA
2005 c230
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 453
Likes: 50
From: East Coast, USA
Mercedes CLS 55 AMG
The rear air springs inflate together, not individually as in the front. Possibly the car did not have full weight on the wheels when the parts were torqued down? I followed the WIS instructions to the letter and still had the right rear 1/4" (6mm) higher than the left side. I haven't bothered to measure it since.
You can always drive it onto a lift with the tracks for the tires (rather than lifting at the jack points), loosen the air spring bolts, bounce the car a few times (or raise/lower), then re-torque the bolts.
You can always drive it onto a lift with the tracks for the tires (rather than lifting at the jack points), loosen the air spring bolts, bounce the car a few times (or raise/lower), then re-torque the bolts.
On a side note about the CLS vs the E: The way the air springs are installed in the rear, it's almost impossible to get them out without taking out the lower suspension bolted in with the triple square. It's a difference of design. Even deflating the air springs with DAS/STAR, the residual pressure of 2.8-3.0/bar is enough that you simply can't remove the damn thing. You also need a flare not socket to disconnect the airmatic line (only Snap-on or Mercedes makes this)
The only way I could change the air springs from the OEM (which were 13 years old now and the driver's rear has been leaking ever since I went through this insane pothole at a Home Depot) was to actually drill a hole into the OEM spring to deflate it enough to remove it without removing that triple square. I didn't want to disturb the undercarriage.
Once the springs are reinflated and installed, such as the OP, I think you're SOL on getting them to turn in place. They're jammed, under pressure, into the body of the car at 3/bar. No way are they going to move. There's no bolts in the trunk like in the E class.
But they should look perfectly straight, and perfectly parallel installed.
Last edited by equitiesguy; Oct 22, 2019 at 05:51 AM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 496
Likes: 42
From: Sweden
W211 e500 (Sold), w204 c180, w203 c180, w201 190e, W219 CLS 55
My money is still on wrong install since they did not follow WIS instructions then when the car came to the groud damage to the springs occurred. The right side looks like a banana, the left spring sits not like a banana but in an angle. If you have any other ideas now it's the time to shime in.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 453
Likes: 50
From: East Coast, USA
Mercedes CLS 55 AMG
My money is still on wrong install since they did not follow WIS instructions then when the car came to the groud damage to the springs occurred. The right side looks like a banana, the left spring sits not like a banana but in an angle. If you have any other ideas now it's the time to shime in.
Only two scenarios: 1] They installed it twisted and that's what it looks like under pressure, or 2] They damaged the bags by lowering them without pressure. I'm opining option one.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 496
Likes: 42
From: Sweden
W211 e500 (Sold), w204 c180, w203 c180, w201 190e, W219 CLS 55
Good. Hopefully two new springs and an install by mercedes should cure this problem for some time to come. Next time my airmatic fail and I'm paying i will be armed with star and doing my own work.
