Hi. I have a late 2004 270 CDI Estate with airmatic, 125 k miles, owned from new.
Since the recent bout of cold weather the car has developed a pronounced wallowing affect. There is also a clatter at the rear when riding bumps / shallow pot holes etc. (This sound happened from new but now seems much more prevalent.)
Some quite modest bumps seem to upset the car unduly. It's not it's previous poised and predictable self!
The issue is no better or worse with or without load in back.
The vehicle rises and lowers as normal when changing settings or selecting 'raise vehicle'. It has not dropped on any corner. It doesn't settle if left for days.
Approx 3 weeks ago there was a pronounced smell of oil at rear of car - similar to diesel but not.
Following day noticed black stain on drive with trail, but both seemed in wrong position for car and I wondered if perhaps van had turned around in drive and not related to car. Still think this. Almost certainly accounted for smell.
This was since wallowing had started though, so wondered about shocks. Have taken driver's rear wheel off to check. Shock dirty (road dirt), but no sign of oil there or on rest of suspension or inside wheel rim / wheel arch. Gaiter at top of shock is just starting to perish though.
'Bouncing' the car to check the shock appears to indicate this is OK. Odd thing though is that I am sure that previously the suspension was pretty rigid when engine turned off, now seems soft. I maybe wrong on this though.
To drive, the car feels as though the air springs have been set really soft. But the dynamics of the car are changed by the airmatic button, so system is functional in some way.
There have been no dash warnings or messages.
I keep trying to persuade myself I'm being paranoid, but having driven the car for 125k miles I know something is wrong!
Could it be a sensor? Would this be logged on STAR if there are no dash warnings? Any other way to check shocks?
To the best of my knowledge no airmatic parts have been replaced since new.
Any help / advice / comments welcome. Thanks.
Since the recent bout of cold weather the car has developed a pronounced wallowing affect. There is also a clatter at the rear when riding bumps / shallow pot holes etc. (This sound happened from new but now seems much more prevalent.)
Some quite modest bumps seem to upset the car unduly. It's not it's previous poised and predictable self!
The issue is no better or worse with or without load in back.
The vehicle rises and lowers as normal when changing settings or selecting 'raise vehicle'. It has not dropped on any corner. It doesn't settle if left for days.
Approx 3 weeks ago there was a pronounced smell of oil at rear of car - similar to diesel but not.
Following day noticed black stain on drive with trail, but both seemed in wrong position for car and I wondered if perhaps van had turned around in drive and not related to car. Still think this. Almost certainly accounted for smell.
This was since wallowing had started though, so wondered about shocks. Have taken driver's rear wheel off to check. Shock dirty (road dirt), but no sign of oil there or on rest of suspension or inside wheel rim / wheel arch. Gaiter at top of shock is just starting to perish though.
'Bouncing' the car to check the shock appears to indicate this is OK. Odd thing though is that I am sure that previously the suspension was pretty rigid when engine turned off, now seems soft. I maybe wrong on this though.
To drive, the car feels as though the air springs have been set really soft. But the dynamics of the car are changed by the airmatic button, so system is functional in some way.
There have been no dash warnings or messages.
I keep trying to persuade myself I'm being paranoid, but having driven the car for 125k miles I know something is wrong!
Could it be a sensor? Would this be logged on STAR if there are no dash warnings? Any other way to check shocks?
To the best of my knowledge no airmatic parts have been replaced since new.
Any help / advice / comments welcome. Thanks.
.
