Adjustable ride height w211 e320 cdi

[Digritz]

Hi
Quick question
I have a e320 cdi
Getting a few too many niggles to sort out and still justify keeping the car ( engine mounts , steering , suspension fault )
So I’m trying to find a nice one to replace it
But
What I can’t find is any other e320 with the adjustable suspension mine has ?
There is a. Button by the gear selector with comfort , sport 1 or sport 2 as setting which hunckers down the car and firms up the ride which is great when it gets a bit twisty !
So my question is
Did they take this feature off the cars after 2005 ( pre face lift ) or is it mine is just super rare ?
In which case I might invest the 1000/2000 to get it sorted out .

look forward to hearing from you !!

 

[John]

It's called AirMATIC and is probably somewhat rare on an E320 as it was a cost option (I'm not sure how much but I guess medium 4 figures).

It was available on all W211s from launch as far as I am aware.

It's standard on the E500 and E55K but you don't get it so often on lower models in the range (I've seen it on E240 petrols before but not many).

It's a great system but can be expensive to maintain.

I personally would keep the system going but only if the car was otherwise reliable and nothing else major is wrong with it.

I also wouldn't be put off the if the cost to repair was the same or more than the car is worth.

I think when you get to this stage, it's more about what the car is worth to you and what you get out of it.

Engine mounts are relatively cheap although I would find out the situation with the steering though.

If one of the struts is leaking (4 of them), they are getting on for a grand each fitted so go into this with your eyes open if you do decide to go ahead.

However, it could just be a pump (£200 odd).

Just be aware though that the second you get it all working, something else might then go and make you regret bothering.

That's old cars for you!

 

[219]

Find a good independent and get them to look over the car and quote to put right what they find wrong , and also to advise on any other potential issues .

At the same time compare this with what you would spend buying another car , bearing in mind that , unless buying new , a replacement vehicle can sometimes have unknown issues which also cost to fix .

Oh , airmatic is more commonly found on S-Classes , if looking for another car you might look at something like an S320 ?