Your car may experience some problems, such as being too low and sagging in the front or at the back. It could also display a malfunction warning on the dashboard. When any of these things happen, you should not ignore the signs as they may point to Mercedes air ride suspension problems.
In this case, you can repair the suspension by yourself, where you have the necessary skills. Alternatively, you can have the mechanic handle the work. In both cases, you need to understand what is happening to your car.
An AIRmatic or air ride system refers to a system that operates on air or hydraulic suspension. This system allows you to alter the suspension settings with the push of a button. If you want to raise the vehicle, you can do it within seconds, and all devoid the need for expert help. On many Mercedes Benz models, this system comes in-built from the factory.
One day you are at the shop, and you hear about 2005 Mercedes e500 air suspension problems, and you cannot help but wonder what that involves. Some time goes by, and your car drops to the ground such that you can no longer drive it. You end up calling a towing company and incurring unforeseen expenses, all because you have air suspension problems.
The tow company helps you get your vehicle to a repair shop where the mechanics quote unbelievable prices. It gets worse given that not many people know how to reset airmatic suspension Mercedes w220800 or other models. Thus, you have no option but to dish out the cash and hope that your nightmare may soon come to an end. But here’s the thing; you do have a choice. You can learn what problems are likely to occur in your suspension system and how you can fix them.
Air Suspension
This system works under the control of the air suspension control unit. With this system, you can change between the comfort and driving modes. Readjusting of the vehicle takes place continually, more so when the road conditions and driving styles change.
For example, when you drive at over forty miles an hour, the car lowers such that the COG gets closer to the ground. This lowering gives you more control over the vehicle when handling corners, and it creates a floating feeling. Can you see how important it is for the air suspension to be in good condition?
Common air suspension problems
Your car will often indicate there is an issue in the air suspension in two ways.
In the first one, the instrument cluster will read ‘AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE: VISIT WORKSHOP.’ In this case, the problem is likely an electrical fault, and you can use an OBD II scanner to read the fault codes. You don’t need to worry much about this. You can continue driving the car, but you should aim to get the faults fixed as soon as is possible. If the car drops in the days that follow, the suspension might not work to lift the vehicle, calling for towing.
The second message reads ‘STOP: VEHICLE TOO LOW’ in red, indicating that your car is in critical condition. However, you should not panic. Stop driving the vehicle, although in most cases, this will not even be an option as the car will not be in a drivable state.
What causes these problems?
Sometimes, the air suspension compression fails such that it does not produce the required pressure. It may be due to a faulty relay or the wearing out of the brushes inside. You can tell if the compressor is working by looking at the car’s response to elevation.
If you press the Mercedes S550 air suspension switch and nothing happens, you have a problem. If it engages and runs for a few seconds, you do not have a problem. You should also check the voltage and where there is a problem, you should work on replacing the air compressor.
Have you heard of a Mercedes air suspension leak? It is quite common owing to leaking air struts due to reduced insulation. When the leak is significant, you are likely to hear hissing sounds coming from the wheel housing. The back or front of the car may drop, regardless of how many struts are ineffective.
Often, the vehicle will lean more towards the side of the leaking strut. Leaking may also be as a result of cracks on the lines that deliver compressed air. You can check for leaks by using water and soap and checking for bubbles. Where you have a leak, you can replace the air strut or fix it using a replacement kit.
A failure in the compressor relay such that it does not engage the suspension compressor is also possible. It could also engage it for much longer than is necessary, leading to damage. The fault could also be due to a blown fuse in the air compressor pump, and you can easily replace this with a new one.
A valve block could also leak air to the central air reservoir of the compressor, and this leads to problems regarding maintaining the height of the car. You should also check for problems in the level sensor and brass valves. Where you come across any issues, you can either replace the faulty part or rely on DIY methods to fix the problem.
If you check for problems and cannot find what is wrong with your vehicle, you can get to the root of the problem using a diagnostic scanner. Get one that can retrieve and erase the fault codes.
2000 Mercedes s430 air suspension reset
Suppose you come across a problem in your vehicle, such as a faulty air compressor, and you fix it. How can you reset the air suspension? It is quite easy. The compressor will work once you shut off the car and turn the ignition back on. It will continue working as needed unless there is another fault that went undetected.
All the best!
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