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Air Suspension issue — Mercedes Lateral Acceleration Sensor
Several things may cause failures to your Mercedes Air Suspension. I am sharing how I fixed mine. Hopefully, it helps someone. This applies to AMG, w211 Mercedes, CLS 63, CLS 55, CLS 550, E550, E63 AMG, or any other Benz with an air strut.
I had to replaced my acceleration sensors last year. Easy fix, once the car was scanned. And two weeks ago, I had to replace my air compressor, air distribution block, the wiring harness and fuse.
I came home from work, and the car started making this noise like a ABS pump or secondary air injection pump was going bad, then the air compressor came on full blast, and stayed on until it quit.
I knew it had just burned itself out, plus a seen a puff of smoke from the drivers side shark grill. Sure enough the suspension wouldn't raise.
Luckily for me, there was still enough residual air left in the suspension, where I could get it to the shop, although in the car's instrument cluster displayed "Stop, car too low".
I drove about 2.5 miles, not more then 35 mph without any issues. The pump was done, the distribution block was the leaky culprit, and the wiring harness was toasty, thereby causing the fuse to blow.
I purchased an Arnott air compressor, and we order the remaining parts from Mercedes. Fixed...good as new, and surprisingly the care rides so much better, over bumps as the system isn't leaking air anymore.
And yesterday, I just replaced the rear air bags on my X5M, as the passenger rear bag, was having intermittent issues with inflating fully at stat up. Both replaced with Arnott bags.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Never a dull moment with expensive cars.
I had to replaced my acceleration sensors last year. Easy fix, once the car was scanned. And two weeks ago, I had to replace my air compressor, air distribution block, the wiring harness and fuse.
I came home from work, and the car started making this noise like a ABS pump or secondary air injection pump was going bad, then the air compressor came on full blast, and stayed on until it quit.
I knew it had just burned itself out, plus a seen a puff of smoke from the drivers side shark grill. Sure enough the suspension wouldn't raise.
Luckily for me, there was still enough residual air left in the suspension, where I could get it to the shop, although in the car's instrument cluster displayed "Stop, car too low".
I drove about 2.5 miles, not more then 35 mph without any issues. The pump was done, the distribution block was the leaky culprit, and the wiring harness was toasty, thereby causing the fuse to blow.
I purchased an Arnott air compressor, and we order the remaining parts from Mercedes. Fixed...good as new, and surprisingly the care rides so much better, over bumps as the system isn't leaking air anymore.
And yesterday, I just replaced the rear air bags on my X5M, as the passenger rear bag, was having intermittent issues with inflating fully at stat up. Both replaced with Arnott bags.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Never a dull moment with expensive cars.
Crazy.... was it caused by improper installation first time?
I had one go bad once, and it was after I was working around the supercharger and setting tools down in that area. Figured I damaged it knocking it with a wrench or something. Picked up a used one on Ebay, problem solved! I'm now more wary of where I set things down...
Crazy.... was it caused by improper installation first time?
No.....just a 14 yr. old air compressor that kicked the bucket. I knew that, I would be replacing it at some point, since I replaced the front air struts. I still have the original rear air springs, just waiting for them to fail. But when the compressor went ballistic it singed the wiring on the harness, which blew the fuse. So that harness needed to be replaced.
The most amazing thing is the car rides so much nicer now, since replacing the distribution block. The suspension now retains its air pressure, which soaks up the bumps even better. I thought the car road decent before, but it’s so much better now.
No.....just a 14 yr. old air compressor that kicked the bucket. I knew that, I would be replacing it at some point, since I replaced the front air struts. I still have the original rear air springs, just waiting for them to fail. But when the compressor went ballistic it singed the wiring on the harness, which blew the fuse. So that harness needed to be replaced.
The most amazing thing is the car rides so much nicer now, since replacing the distribution block. The suspension now retains its air pressure, which soaks up the bumps even better. I thought the car road decent before, but it’s so much better now.
Was the noise kind of like a chatter? I have a chattering noise coming from that area, and strangely enough it started shortly after replacing the compressor filter and intake hose. I've already done every other piece of the airmatic system so if I have to do the compressor I won't be too fussed, but I don't want to change something that isn't bad yet. Car still raises and lowers.
Was the noise kind of like a chatter? I have a chattering noise coming from that area, and strangely enough it started shortly after replacing the compressor filter and intake hose. I've already done every other piece of the airmatic system so if I have to do the compressor I won't be too fussed, but I don't want to change something that isn't bad yet. Car still raises and lowers.
Send me a PM with your email address, and I will send you the video of the sound that it made. The video is too large to upload to MBWorld. But it did make a chatter, then the compressor kicked on, and ran until it burn itself out.
Send me a PM with your email address, and I will send you the video of the sound that it made. The video is too large to upload to MBWorld. But it did make a chatter, then the compressor kicked on, and ran until it burn itself out.
I'll need to get under my car and listen to get a better feel for what's happening. Super clean car, BTW, thanks again.
If you have a air leak, it might not necessarily be the front air struts or rear air springs, your air leak can actually be coming from the air distribution block located just above the air compressor. This component does leak over time, and that was one of my issues besides a dead air compressor. Please take that into consideration, if you’ve replaced most air suspension components.
I just rebuilt my entire subframe which included 4 subframe to body bushes, differential front cross-member and rear subframe bushes, 8 K-Mack upper control arm bushes, new front lower torque arms with carrier bushes, UPD Toe Arms, rebuilt AirSprings ( by RMT ), new Airmatic Shocks, and installed a 3.06 Ring & Pinion in the Differential. This was my DIY method of using threaded rod and pvc pipe along with assorted washers etc. to remove/install all the bushes. It was this air Spring Hose that I later, after install, had to remove the Oetiker hose clamp on the Air Springs side in order to reposition it so as to avoid a little split on the end of the hose which caused for all air to leak! Ended up using a screw type clamp in-situ. Also, Each of those upper arms were removed but not before taking an Oil Marker drawing lines across each to note where they should be before forking them into place! Much easier than doing so after subframe is already instal Rear Diff bushings before install of new ones. Cross-member bushings before install.
Once I got that hose clamp positioned correctly ( ie-further away from the Air Spring but not past the raised ring section to create a good seal.) I was able to leave the car overnight with no issues. If it weren’t for the Differential having to come out again (!?!?!!?) to essentially be rebuilt, as well as the radiator springing a leak and the A/C taking a dump, I’d be on the road already!
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
Never a dull moment with expensive cars.
