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Issue at hand:
Rear end of my car sags after 2 -3 days of non driving, this E63 is not my daily driver, if i drive it daily, there is no problem, and when i turn it on, the compressor kicks in and its up to normal height in no time, and no issues for the rest of the drive.
I called two local MB dealerships, for the same issue + and Indy shop, and i got interesting feedback.
1st MB dealership, $1900 in parts + labor @ $160/hr.
2nd MB dealership, Need to run diagnostic first before we give you any quote. (diagnostic fee $170 and if the work is done at the shop, the fee will be adjusted in the bill)
Indy Shop: $5000 in parts + labor
Do you guys this variety in answers we well?
Bonus: I also inquired about the front 2 wheels , they need replacement. 1st MB dealership: "they dont make these tires any more, i have checked in Germany as well, no one has them, you can check at a junk yard or source it used from some other E63" ........i am at loss of words at this point.
The price from the Indy seems to be for the entire automatic system. I would buy arnott bags (both sides) and let mb or an Indy install them. Arnott is viewed as the best OEM replacement.
Impossible to say, my e500 had the same issue during my entire ownership which was 4 years. The problem never got worse.
My cls55 blew a front strut without warning and then burn the compressor due to the safety relay did not trigger.
As said. Arnott makes very good replacement parts which most forum members here use. They are also cheaper than OEM. I would buy that. With Arnott you need to replace both sides since Arnott do not use the extra air tank.
In Sweden OEM airbags cost around 1000 USD.
Most likely you have a leaky bag. Could also be a leaky line or valve block. If you can lift your car, spray water on the airmatic components to check for leaks.
If you do leave the work to someone else, make sure they have experience with airmatic so they don't replace parts which are good or make bad install.
Personally, I don't think that you have a issue. My 07 E63 has done this for years, if the car sits for several days the suspension will deflate somewhat, if it's in Sport or Sport +.
Comfort seems to hold. I've talked with my master tech, and he has confirmed that this isn't an issue. Now if your car is sitting on the ground, then yes you definitely have a issue.
I've owned this car for 12 years, and that alarmed me at first, but rest assured it's normal. I actually like when the rear wheels are tucked up into the fenders, that low rider look.
But I don't think you have anything to be alarmed about. Please post some photos, as there is a difference between dropping a little and slammed.
in cold weather at times my car will be lower than when i left it last. you may have a leaky control valve of some sort. generally speaking, the pressure shouldn't leak out if the airmatic computers feels it is within range. once you unlock your drivers door and open it your 1 gallon reserve should begin supplying air to any corner registering lower than it should. once you start your engine the compressor will begin filling up any remaining air that will be required.
To my understanding the car goes down on one side? If the entire rear goes down equal it's normal. Your car should be levelled at all times from side to side.
The car will lower itself when locked and going to sleep and over time lower some more but it will stay levelled.
Hi, the car stays level on both rear ends, but the clearance between the tires and the fender drops. to a point where after 2-3 days of non driving,. the fender will be over the tires, not touching it bit it would be covering the upper section of the tire. i will post pics to give a better idea.
This is how the rear suspension is sitting after not driving the car for 1 week! Both rear side sag equally.
This is how it looks if I drive it every day , no sagging at all.
My car does the same thing giving the same time period. I had numerous conversation with my master tech, and he said my suspension is fine. He said the cars releasing air, so the suspension isn’t constantly under pressure, requiring the air pump to keep it pressurized thereby running the battery down. I don’t know if that’s true, but my car has done this for years, and I still have the same 12 yrs old air struts and air springs. 😃
My car does the same thing giving the same time period. I had numerous conversation with my master tech, and he said my suspension is fine. He said the cars releasing air, so the suspension isn’t constantly under pressure, requiring the air pump to keep it pressurized thereby running the battery down. I don’t know if that’s true, but my car has done this for years, and I still have the same 12 yrs old air struts and air springs. 😃
Your "master tech" is either talking crap, or you didn't understand. The pump doesn't run unless the engine is running. Why would the air bags release air, just sitting there?
My E55 rear leaks down after a week, or so when parked in a standard mode,(comfort, or sport). Leaks down quicker in cold weather. If I park in "raised" mode, I hardly get any leak down. I believe the fold of the bladders are worn, and seal better in raised mode, in my case.
mine doesn't...even after sitting a month. leaky valve of some sort. since the computers are not on during this process there isn't any reason it would throw a code. it simply levels out once it's powered back up.
the other day I had 4 passengers when I parked for lunch. when I returned to my car upon unlock the airmatic system released a bunch of pressure as the car was higher than it should be. if 4 passengers got back in it would repeat the leveling process and air up.
many Mercedes technicians are of the, if it ain't broke don't fix it. to keep this 500hp 12+ year old vehicle on the road without issue you'll have to do a lot of preventative maintenance.
Then explain to me, why the car raises itself when.i grab the door handle, the engine isn’t running then. And some owners have experienced the air pump running after the engine has been shut off, causing their battery to drain the next morning. I don’t claim to be an expert on this, but have owned the car long enough to pick up some things.
Then explain to me, why the car raises itself when.i grab the door handle, the engine isn’t running then. And some owners have experienced the air pump running after the engine has been shut off, causing their battery to drain the next morning. I don’t claim to be an expert on this, but have owned the car long enough to pick up some things.
The car "wakes-up", when you grab the door handle, or trunk, etc.. The ride height is measured, and adjusted, using air from the system reservoir. I was wrong in as much as the pump will run, with engine off as long as the battery voltage is above 12.5V.
I have not see that, probably because after sitting 10 days or so, the reservoir has enough pressure to adequately raise the car, and/or the battery voltage is below 12.5V. So obviously you won't have a dead battery from leaking air system. Probably a stuck compressor relay, which does happen. The information below, is right from the factory training documents. Newer models, might have different strategies, but they would never let the battery run low!
Wake-up Function
- if level is >30mm lower than normal (0mm +/-10) it will raise to
normal level (if reservoir pressure >11 bar)
- if level is >65mm lower than normal, it will be raised even with
a reservoir pressure of <11 bar by the compressor (prerequisite
battery voltage >12.5v) to -63mm (critical level)
- if level is >10mm higher than normal, it will be lowered
to normal
Your "master tech" is either talking crap, or you didn't understand. The pump doesn't run unless the engine is running. Why would the air bags release air, just sitting there?
My E55 rear leaks down after a week, or so when parked in a standard mode,(comfort, or sport). Leaks down quicker in cold weather. If I park in "raised" mode, I hardly get any leak down. I believe the fold of the bladders are worn, and seal better in raised mode, in my case.
in my case, multiple times i have seen, once the suspension is all the way down after the car has sat in the garage for a week, .......all i have to do is open the door, and i can hear the pump and the car going up to what ever the drive mode is selected last time i shutoff the car. and the time time i close the door , sat in , turn the ignition on, its leveled.
The pictures above are NOT normal. My car can sit 2 weeks and the rear does not drop more than 1 cm (and it has the original rear bags, 13 years old). My front was dropping in a similar fashion until the strut finally blew. If you are car is dropping down over time, that means the air struts (at least one of them) is worn.
Unfortunately, sagging that much is NOT normal. Something is leaking somewhere. It is a time bomb ticking. It may fail soon, or it may fail in 5 years — hard to say.
I had sagging front on my W212 E550 and the dealer detected a leak and replaced under the extended warranty. It would drop for about 0.5 inch or so.
My 2007 E63 doesn't drop at all (knock on wood) even if I don't drive for a week. However, the front strut blew up once without any warning. I replaced it with Arnott OEM remanufactured unit to keep the auto damping functionality.
12-26-2019 | 11:43 AM
