W211 E500 Airmatic pump intermittent problem

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imperial-custom

New Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2016
Messages
8
Car
Mercedes E500 Estate (W211)
Hi guys, over the last few days I've had a problem with the airmatic compressor on my w211 e500 estate. The pump will sometimes stay on continuously for around half an hour/40 minutes and occasionally will make a loud banging noise. It does this regardless if the engine/ignition is on or not. Can anyone help shed some light on this? The suspension seems to operate as normal and I cannot hear any leaks.

Cheers, Ray.
 
total guess, but replace the relay that drives it? it should never be on that much, without dash warnings. maybe its sticking?

relay at rear of fusebox under bonnet on its own clip. plenty of pics on tinternetweb of it.
 
Thanks for the reply mate. Yes when I searched for the problem on this forum and a few others, the relay seemed the most likely cause to me. I just couldn't find anything about the compressor banging! Very strange as it only does it for a few seconds, sometimes in conjunction with starting the engine.
 
Also, where is the best place to buy a replacement relay? I'm guessing the dealer as I can't find it on any motor factor websites or eBay etc
 
Update as of today, the car is on full drop and will not raise :/ the car is very very low
 
Thanks mate. Could it be the relay caused the pump to fail by overrunning? Where is the cheapest place to buy a replacement?
 
Thanks mate. Could it be the relay caused the pump to fail by overrunning? Where is the cheapest place to buy a replacement?

Can do if it's faulty and requesting the pump over and over. More often the pump wears / leaks and ends up working harder and harder until it becomes super noisy and then dies.

You can get a replacement most places, should be around £200. When I got mine from Mercedes they supplied it with a new relay, so worth replacing rather than saving a few pennies.
 
i bought a pump on ebay with a 2 yr warranty. 250 ish quid.

the relay is generic, any 40 amp iirc relay will work. I had one in my spares box. its just a 4 terminal relay. even bloody halfords will have one! buy the cheapest you can find, or even just nick one from elsewhere in the fuse box(es) to see if the pump then runs.....
 
I had the same issue with the weird popping noises when the pump starts up, I had the seals and piston ring in the compressor replaced with parts from eBay from a seller called bagpipingandy. It made the compressor quieter but it was still struggling to pump up the car fast enough. I think i had left it too long to replace them and it had strained the motor which sounds the same as your situation.

I think you may be best following the same route as myself and looking at a new compressor which is an easy fit.


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Thanks for the replies, really helpful! I will order the relay now and if that makes no difference I will look into a new pump as well. It's no love lost on a new relay regardless for a few quid!
 
A little update, I purchased a relay from halfords that appeared to be the correct one and was the only one with the correct pin pattern. However when I fitted it to the car, the pump refused to do anything and it threw a fault on the diagnostics. Maybe worth buying one off eBay that is listed for your car.


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Update as of today, the car is on full drop and will not raise :/ the car is very very low


I purchased a compressor from Mercedes (£229 with original pump in exchange), I also purchased a relay and new filter.

This morning I fitted the pump with only a couple of street ramps and basic sockets set.

The hardest part was holding the pump when getting the last bolt out but other than that it was very simple.

I followed the guide in the link which covered everything required.

http://m.instructables.com/id/Mercedes-S-E-Class-Wabco-Air-Suspension-Compressor/

As soon as I fitted the pump and filter and then the relay, I turned the car on without clearing any fault codes and it immediately rose up from sitting on the ground to full height in 20 seconds.

I would recommend this option especially if the cars high mileage as it is only a matter of time until it fails anyway.

Hope this helps and let me know if you want any more info


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They are about a tenner from the dealer
Does anyone know what the part no is? I spoke to my MB dealer and they couldn't tell me over the phone without seeing the car.
Seemed pretty basic but I need another as mine sticks occasionally and does what the OPs did. I don't really want to burn the pump out.
 
Does anyone know what the part no is? I spoke to my MB dealer and they couldn't tell me over the phone without seeing the car.
Seemed pretty basic but I need another as mine sticks occasionally and does what the OPs did. I don't really want to burn the pump out.


Compressor: A2113200304
Filter: A2203200069
Relay: A0025427619


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Thanks
 

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