Help with self levelling suspension!

[pupsi]

I basically need to bleed my self levelling suspension as the car is sitting high and it hasnt been done properly since i changed the rear struts.

It also need to be adjusted so that it sits lower at the rear.

Ive got the MB manuals but it still eludes me on how to do it. Ive read everything i can on forums but to no avail.
It seems to be one of those things that once someone shows you, you will know how to do it!

Am wondering if anyone can show me how to do it or direct me to a garage that can.

Ive been to Colin Ferns in Richmond but he wouldnt give me a price and said he would do whatever he had to to level the suspension where as i only wanted the suspension bled and adjusted.
Dont want to be slapped with a £600 odd bill!

Can anyone help or give any recommendations?

 

[nick mercedes]

I basically need to bleed my self levelling suspension as the car is sitting high and it hasnt been done properly since i changed the rear struts.

It also need to be adjusted so that it sits lower at the rear.

Ive got the MB manuals but it still eludes me on how to do it. Ive read everything i can on forums but to no avail.
It seems to be one of those things that once someone shows you, you will know how to do it!

Am wondering if anyone can show me how to do it or direct me to a garage that can.

Ive been to Colin Ferns in Richmond but he wouldnt give me a price and said he would do whatever he had to to level the suspension where as i only wanted the suspension bled and adjusted.
Dont want to be slapped with a £600 odd bill!

Can anyone help or give any recommendations?

Don't they self bleed?

Is the arm on the antiroll bar siezed?

 

[Sp!ke]

If its sitting high, I dont think it'll need bleeding.

Far more likely to be a simple adjustment of the control arm (2 minute job).

Get the rear on a pair of ramps, clamber under the back of the car, undo the arm and with the engine running, move the arm and see how the car reacts. It might be just the arm is bent or something.

 

[pupsi]

Ive read that they self bleed but not 100% sure on this.

Im pretty sure it needs bleeding/refilling as when i changed the struts, they leaked and allowed air to get into the system.

Also, i was under the impression that all 4 wheels need to be on the ground before you adjust anything?

I will try and do something later on, time permitting and then get some pics up of the underside of the car, the lever settings.

 

[moakesr]

I recently overhauled the SLS on my 500SL

I didn't believe the self bleeding aspect of the rear struts, as there is no return line, so this is what I did.

With the car up in the air and both rear wheels off the ground, I loosened off the banjo unions on the struts and allowed any air in the struts to bleed out and be replaced by hydraulic fluid. During this operation I removed the rod from the sls valve to the anti-roll bar and operated the valve manually.

Not sure lack of bleeding would cause it to be too high, in fact the compressibility of gas and incompressibility of liquid would make me think it would end up too low.

I would be looking at the SLS valve, and the rod connecting it to the anti-roll bar.

 

[pupsi]

Thanks for the advice mate, will have a look.

The reason i am suggesting bleeding or adjusting is because when i got the car, one of the rear shocks was leaking and the car was sitting VERY low.
After changing them and attempting to bleed and refill the SLS fluid, it went sky high.

 

[Sp!ke]

The shocks were replaced with SLS shocks as opposed to normal ones - yes?

You can bleed the system either at the bleed nipples or from the banjo bolts on each shock but your symptoms do not suggest this is likely as your car would be too low, not too high.

The control arm is where ride height can be adjusted and its a simple enough thing to test/adjust. You'll likely only need a 10mm spanner.

 

[karakan08]

The shocks were replaced with SLS shocks as opposed to normal ones - yes?

You can bleed the system either at the bleed nipples or from the banjo bolts on each shock but your symptoms do not suggest this is likely as your car would be too low, not too high.

The control arm is where ride height can be adjusted and its a simple enough thing to test/adjust. You'll likely only need a 10mm spanner.

so actually to lower a car without any changes it's possible to do this by adjusting the control arm?

 

[renault12ts]

From a previous thread ( by using the search function ):

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheels-tyres/69290-e300-self-levelling-suspension.html

 

[karakan08]

thanks for fast reply !
and how to check if the ride is riding high/low enough?

 

[jaymanek]

the system will almost always bleed itself.. the return pipe attaches to the cap on the reservoir..

just run the car and watch the fluid circulate.. top up as normal...