Airmatic issues *Resolved*

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Amo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
485
Location
London
Car
CLS 55 AMG
History - bought my CLS exactly a year ago and it had issue with rear end of the car dropping overnight and occasional Airmatic error in white while driving. I have had it seen by my usual indie and general feedback was "you going to need 2 rear bags if its dropping to floor overnight". As it didnt bother me much i left it as.

Solution - Terry @ Wayne gates checked it over and found the airmatic pump was not passing the test on STAR so i ordered and fitted a new pump. This didnt resolve the issue however the car was raising to normal position very quick now due to new pump so i left it alone. Recently it started causing more issues where it would take longer to raise and drop more quicker so i asked Terry if he could spend some time on the car.

I had this week off work and dropped the car with Terry on Monday. I gave clear instruction on what the issue was and that i had no hurry for the car so he can do it at his own time without having to rush it as he is a very busy man(i trust Terry to be fair anyway). I spoke to him on both Monday and Tuesday evening and was told 3 different leaks were found on the pipes which were sorted without any major parts needed and then both of the rear air tanks were leaking at usual place. Terry fixed these on wednesday and monitored the car for 3 hours and it didnt move even 1 mm and only then he told me that it was ready to be collected.

I have had the car since wednesday and not really driven it as i wanted to check if we got all the possibly leaks and the car is still sitting where it was on wednesday at 5:30pm!!

I am really amazed at the work ethic from the boys at Wayne gates and Terry even texted me yesterday to check how the car was. This to me shows the true workmanship by the man.

So the moral of the story is....please do not throw ££££'s at your airmatic issues, take the car to a PROPER indie and give them time to diagnose the issue and you may be very surprised at how easy it is to live with AIRMATIC.

Thank you Terry and Jay @ Wayne gates...True Mechanics for my MB's
 
Amo said:
History - bought my CLS exactly a year ago and it had issue with rear end of the car dropping overnight and occasional Airmatic error in white while driving. I have had it seen by my usual indie and general feedback was "you going to need 2 rear bags if its dropping to floor overnight". As it didnt bother me much i left it as. Solution - Terry @ Wayne gates checked it over and found the airmatic pump was not passing the test on STAR so i ordered and fitted a new pump. This didnt resolve the issue however the car was raising to normal position very quick now due to new pump so i left it alone. Recently it started causing more issues where it would take longer to raise and drop more quicker so i asked Terry if he could spend some time on the car. I had this week off work and dropped the car with Terry on Monday. I gave clear instruction on what the issue was and that i had no hurry for the car so he can do it at his own time without having to rush it as he is a very busy man(i trust Terry to be fair anyway). I spoke to him on both Monday and Tuesday evening and was told 3 different leaks were found on the pipes which were sorted without any major parts needed and then both of the rear air tanks were leaking at usual place. Terry fixed these on wednesday and monitored the car for 3 hours and it didnt move even 1 mm and only then he told me that it was ready to be collected. I have had the car since wednesday and not really driven it as i wanted to check if we got all the possibly leaks and the car is still sitting where it was on wednesday at 5:30pm!! I am really amazed at the work ethic from the boys at Wayne gates and Terry even texted me yesterday to check how the car was. This to me shows the true workmanship by the man. So the moral of the story is....please do not throw ££££'s at your airmatic issues, take the car to a PROPER indie and give them time to diagnose the issue and you may be very surprised at how easy it is to live with AIRMATIC. Thank you Terry and Jay @ Wayne gates...True Mechanics for my MB's
I've just had the same problem with my cls55
Mine had a leak on the tanks which I thought I had fixed but it kept going down !
I couldn't find anyone local to diagnose and repair it for me , so I did it myself taking my
time removing the tank and pressure testing ,
I found the smallest leek at the top of the tank .
I sealed it from the inside and out , not moved
now for over a week , happy days ;)
 
Andrew - its almost always tanks or the air lines but you do need to find someone who has patience to find and fix these. This is why i gave myself an entire week just in case to even tackle the issue.
 
I suggest you buy a gas leak spray detector from a plumbing out let as this will show the slightest of leaks as fine bubbles to help going any where first that costs money or parts that aren't really needed. Spray around a fiver don't use detergent washing up liquid
 
Yes the airpump can be a problem,I had to have one changed on my S320,I had a leak on a pipe and it must have been like it for some time,the car was level but the Mercedes airpump had to work much harder to keep everything correct,and so it wound down a bit and then a neat idea Mercedes has in the electronics is if the airpump does not replace the air in the tank in 6 seconds it throws a fault up,this is what I got every now and then,even when it was put on the star,it passed the test twice in 3 times ,but changed the pump and mended the leak and all good
 
I had to raise my car up from normal lower position to get down a poxy slope in a restaurant car park
since then the front has started dropping drivers side more so started it yesterday went straight back up but 30hrs later its almost back to where it was !
 
I had to raise my car up from normal lower position to get down a poxy slope in a restaurant car park
since then the front has started dropping drivers side more so started it yesterday went straight back up but 30hrs later its almost back to where it was !
Check the clear air lines that run up into the engine bay for leaks.
 
History - bought my CLS exactly a year ago and it had issue with rear end of the car dropping overnight and occasional Airmatic error in white while driving. I have had it seen by my usual indie and general feedback was "you going to need 2 rear bags if its dropping to floor overnight". As it didnt bother me much i left it as.

Solution - Terry @ Wayne gates checked it over and found the airmatic pump was not passing the test on STAR so i ordered and fitted a new pump. This didnt resolve the issue however the car was raising to normal position very quick now due to new pump so i left it alone. Recently it started causing more issues where it would take longer to raise and drop more quicker so i asked Terry if he could spend some time on the car.

I had this week off work and dropped the car with Terry on Monday. I gave clear instruction on what the issue was and that i had no hurry for the car so he can do it at his own time without having to rush it as he is a very busy man(i trust Terry to be fair anyway). I spoke to him on both Monday and Tuesday evening and was told 3 different leaks were found on the pipes which were sorted without any major parts needed and then both of the rear air tanks were leaking at usual place. Terry fixed these on wednesday and monitored the car for 3 hours and it didnt move even 1 mm and only then he told me that it was ready to be collected.

I have had the car since wednesday and not really driven it as i wanted to check if we got all the possibly leaks and the car is still sitting where it was on wednesday at 5:30pm!!

I am really amazed at the work ethic from the boys at Wayne gates and Terry even texted me yesterday to check how the car was. This to me shows the true workmanship by the man.

So the moral of the story is....please do not throw ££££'s at your airmatic issues, take the car to a PROPER indie and give them time to diagnose the issue and you may be very surprised at how easy it is to live with AIRMATIC.

Thank you Terry and Jay @ Wayne gates...True Mechanics for my MB's
where is terry based mate i have a local german specialist i use but hes more bm then merc.
 
I'm having a similar battle too with mine. I had both front struts replaced with brand new bilstein units as well as front 2 sensors and links changed with new genuine parts. Yet still the front left corner sits a bit lower and overnight the whole car leans to the left. Annoying as its was parts I didn't need to replace. Still trying to get the car's ride height calibrate. Before changing these parts the front right corner would sit lower then the left then after changing the sensors the left corner is lower now. I can hear the pump kicking in a few times too.
 
nasty i hope you find the issue soon its harder when you dump loads of money on stuff not needed and you just want the car sorted.
i knew they had issues but mines had two pumps in its life and ive not long had lowering links on the front but it sat the same sort of height until i get the back link on as i say was all good sat but i had to drive down a massive ramp to park the car so i raised her up lowered her when parked raised when i left then lowered and drove home !
sunday lunch she had dropped about half inch.
its hard finding people local who know these inside and out and who are willing to take on the menial task of finding the leak.
 
I had to learn the airmatic system inside out because no specialist could resolve my issues - including a number of the sponsors on this forum! Turns out the primary issue was a coding one resolved by ComandOnline, but the following things were checked / replaced whilst looking for the needle in the haystack:

1. ESP unit that is the brain and controls the airmatic system. Run diagnostics in STAR to ensure it’s working / no errors.
2. Pump - mine was not giving full pressure and you can run tests in STAR to inflate and check pressure.
3. Valve block - mine was corroded so we replaced it as it wasn’t working well.
4. Broken air hoses - one of mine was split accidentally when the diff oil seals were changed.
5. The mechanical level sensor that sits behind the diff. This works in tandem with the other level sensors to keep the car level. Mine was fine but it can break over time, or not move correctly due to corrosion / damage. You can check this but watching it in action on a ramp when raising and lowering the car.
6. Magnetic bearings in wheel hubs. Forgot the name for this but if you’ve had the spindle replaced or it’s worn out you need to make sure the sensors are getting readings within acceptable tolerance. You can check the sensor readings in STAR.
7. There is a suite of airmatic tests in STAR that you can run to check most of the components of the system.
8. Strut failure will cause that corner of the car to drop completely, telling you to pull over immediately if you’re driving.

In my experience some errors won’t show up on your dashboard / in STAR, including small air leaks or a poor condition valve block.

You can search online for technical diagrams and information that describes the airmatic system in more detail.

57A57FA1-39E1-4788-B2C0-FAA92F7DE00A.jpeg
A90EC75C-210D-4DBC-AC9B-90476C147D81.jpeg
FDFEE6D4-1178-4ED7-A75A-AC3C3E723F97.jpeg
8F232721-C938-49E5-9111-F159E58B9E2C.jpeg746DC844-BD91-414D-822C-D35607567C27.jpeg
AE7F865F-E4D6-4EC8-8A39-0641EE9FE11C.jpeg
That last one is the level sensor behind the diff!
 
I had to learn the airmatic system inside out because no specialist could resolve my issues - including a number of the sponsors on this forum! Turns out the primary issue was a coding one resolved by ComandOnline, but the following things were checked / replaced whilst looking for the needle in the haystack:

1. ESP unit that is the brain and controls the airmatic system. Run diagnostics in STAR to ensure it’s working / no errors.
2. Pump - mine was not giving full pressure and you can run tests in STAR to inflate and check pressure.
3. Valve block - mine was corroded so we replaced it as it wasn’t working well.
4. Broken air hoses - one of mine was split accidentally when the diff oil seals were changed.
5. The mechanical level sensor that sits behind the diff. This works in tandem with the other level sensors to keep the car level. Mine was fine but it can break over time, or not move correctly due to corrosion / damage. You can check this but watching it in action on a ramp when raising and lowering the car.
6. Magnetic bearings in wheel hubs. Forgot the name for this but if you’ve had the spindle replaced or it’s worn out you need to make sure the sensors are getting readings within acceptable tolerance. You can check the sensor readings in STAR.
7. There is a suite of airmatic tests in STAR that you can run to check most of the components of the system.
8. Strut failure will cause that corner of the car to drop completely, telling you to pull over immediately if you’re driving.

In my experience some errors won’t show up on your dashboard / in STAR, including small air leaks or a poor condition valve block.

You can search online for technical diagrams and information that describes the airmatic system in more detail.

View attachment 127617
View attachment 127618
View attachment 127619
View attachment 127620View attachment 127621
View attachment 127622
That last one is the level sensor behind the diff!

Thanks for the info bud. I might reach out to Command to see if they can find any coding issue or take it to a dealer.

So far the below have been replaced by the same garage and don't want to spend anymore now until we find the genuine reason why its playing up like this. I get no error codes, never seen the "STOP Too Low" warning. OBD2 picks up nothing either. If I park in the raise mode it'll stay raised but the front left corner will still be a few finger spaces too low. I do have 10mm spacers on front but since the sensor change, when I turn left onto a road with a bump at the start or incline it catches the arch liner and guard. It damaged the wing in the process. Never happened before even with the spacers on. I have the Renntech lowering module v1 but have had to turn it off since and sitll catches the arch.

- 2 front new bilstein air struts
- Genuine Airmatic pump
- Genuine front Valve Block
- Genuine front sensors and links

Thanks
 
I had to learn the airmatic system inside out because no specialist could resolve my issues - including a number of the sponsors on this forum! Turns out the primary issue was a coding one resolved by ComandOnline, but the following things were checked / replaced whilst looking for the needle in the haystack:

1. ESP unit that is the brain and controls the airmatic system. Run diagnostics in STAR to ensure it’s working / no errors.
2. Pump - mine was not giving full pressure and you can run tests in STAR to inflate and check pressure.
3. Valve block - mine was corroded so we replaced it as it wasn’t working well.
4. Broken air hoses - one of mine was split accidentally when the diff oil seals were changed.
5. The mechanical level sensor that sits behind the diff. This works in tandem with the other level sensors to keep the car level. Mine was fine but it can break over time, or not move correctly due to corrosion / damage. You can check this but watching it in action on a ramp when raising and lowering the car.
6. Magnetic bearings in wheel hubs. Forgot the name for this but if you’ve had the spindle replaced or it’s worn out you need to make sure the sensors are getting readings within acceptable tolerance. You can check the sensor readings in STAR.
7. There is a suite of airmatic tests in STAR that you can run to check most of the components of the system.
8. Strut failure will cause that corner of the car to drop completely, telling you to pull over immediately if you’re driving.

In my experience some errors won’t show up on your dashboard / in STAR, including small air leaks or a poor condition valve block.

You can search online for technical diagrams and information that describes the airmatic system in more detail.

View attachment 127617
View attachment 127618
View attachment 127619
View attachment 127620View attachment 127621
View attachment 127622
That last one is the level sensor behind the diff!
much appreciated shes in for some bits there having a look while they have her in there but this is very handy 🙌
 
I’m not sure about how lowering modules affect the airmatic system. I know there’s a test in STAR to check the ride height levels on each corner and you can inflate and deflate to see if the values are within tolerance.

You’d only need to recode if someone had accidentally erased some of your settings from the cluster. If your Airmatic settings don’t show up in the cluster when you press the Sport button then it’s definitely a coding issue. STAR won’t show any errors!

Best wishes.
 
i only have lowering links but its sat at almost the same height as factory for now as i say its been fine for over 6 weeks but literally sat night i raised the car via the raise button drove a hundred yards at crawling speed parked lowered back to normal then opposite when leaving had the issues the next day she had dropped so i am hopin its a simple leak as she has cost me a pretty penny already
when she is working i love it
 
best place to get front struts ?
started car today and front right wont go up half the height it should and had dropped till the arch was sat on mynew tyres leaving a nice cut mark :oops:
 

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