W211 E55 Airmatic problem - visit workshop!

[GreetMe]

So after less than two weeks of ownership the fun begins...

I raised the vehicle level manually for the first time today, to avoid scraping the nose while getting out of my girlfriend's office car park. The car seemed to change level OK and I dropped it back down again once I was out. Drove to Heathrow, parked up, all was well.

When I started the car again I got the following message:

I stopped and got out to check the ride height. Everything looked OK, all four corners were the same height. Switched the car off and started it again and the message didn't return.

Should I get it looked at as a matter of urgency or wait to see if the message comes back?

 

[developer]

You've nothing to lose by contacting the seller with a view to preparing them for recompense - after all 2 weeks isn't a long time.

 

[mct_cars]

If there's no leak from the suspension (which would be obvious as the car would be on the ground), then the most likely problem will be the air pump. Try raising the car and listening to it - it's under the left front corner of the car. If the car doesn't raise, and you can't hear the pump, that's your problem.

 

[GreetMe]

You've nothing to lose by contacting the seller with a view to preparing them for recompense - after all 2 weeks isn't a long time.

Already spoken to them. Sod off was the general gist of it. Sold as seen, no way of proving that it hasn't just happened, etc.

I'm still waiting for them to sort out a few minor problems the car had when I bought it (which they gave me a written guarantee they'd sort out but haven't yet); the conversation about the suspension just confirms how little they care about customer service. I found it quite amusing that I received a request to fill in a customer satisfaction survey about them today.

If there's no leak from the suspension (which would be obvious as the car would be on the ground), then the most likely problem will be the air pump. Try raising the car and listening to it - it's under the left front corner of the car. If the car doesn't raise, and you can't hear the pump, that's your problem.

Thanks very much.

I'll try it tomorrow.

 

[TDE1]

Sorry to hear that, C. I operate mine from time to time to make sure its working, but always makes me a tad nervous doing it, TBH. Glad it seems ok now, but if it were me, I'd get it looked at, if only for peace of mind.

Good luck

Tim

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Jog my memory, where did you get the car from again?

Unless you bought it as a trade sale and it says so on your receipt, you've got at least three months warranty by law. It's actually six, but that seems impossible to enforce IMO.

 

[GreetMe]

^ Really???

I bought it from Stratstone Jaguar in Manchester on the 28th of April.

Definitely not a trade sale.

 

[HB]

Get it back there man and take no sheet from them

 

[mct_cars]

^ Really???

I bought it from Stratstone Jaguar in Manchester on the 28th of April.

Definitely not a trade sale.

Here's your rights

Buying a car - your rights : Directgov - Government, citizens and rights

read them, then go back to the garage armed. If it is the pump, it's the thick end of £300 plus fitting, much better that they pay for it than you!

 

[brucemillar]

As above. Get the car back to them and tell them to get it sorted or, offer them the option of you having it sorted by your Merc Garage at their expense.

If they are shy about their knowledge of the law you can point them at trading standards.

 

[John]

I had this cohck piggery with mine. I was driving back from the dealer and that symbol popped up as I got to the garage to fill up for the first time...

At first, I thought it was the car stating it really needed fuel but reading up later indicated an issue with the pump etc.

I tried mine to ensure the 'raise car' button worked and it did.

After getting it on Star - a sensor was complaining but was operating as it should.

I then got it another couple of times after that of varying gaps in between and the last time it was on Star, again a sensor was complaining and was reset and the issues have not returned since.

I put this down to the car standing around for 4 or 5 months before I bought it - and probably there was damp affecting things as well as the battery not being fully charged - all mixed in with a pinch of MB gremlins.

Having been through the same times of the year again this year, all I got was the convenience features and it has not complained about it since.

Something I also noticed was how the car seem to loosen up the more I used it in the early weeks.

These cars want to be used!

My advice is to get it onto Star and get it checked to ensure the suspension is working as it should.

Unless you bought it as a trade sale and it says so on your receipt, you've got at least three months warranty by law. It's actually six, but that seems impossible to enforce IMO.

I thought that was the case but I can't find anything to support the 3 month warranty thing. That website posted doesn't say it either (unless wood from the trees).

 

[LTD]

Could be as simple as a sensor not reacting as it should.

The Airmatic pumps don't last forever and are located in probably the worst place they could choose. The manifold valve block is made from aluminium alloy which is porous to air when oxidised - not a bright idea that one.

However, you bought the car in good faith and it's now developed a problem within two weeks.

I'd go back in, get the salesman that dealt with you and advise him you want it fully checked over using STAR and nothing else with any faults rectified at THEIR expense. You have photographic proof the problem appeared and STAR will show a stored fault. Don't let the erase it and tell you otherwise.

If you think things are going to end in court, get a STAR equipped Indy to interrogate the fault codes and get a print off. Insist they do to reset them.

Hopefully it will just be a wee glitch and not reappear but could be a £1000 fix that is needed. Get it sorted out ...

 

[Alps]

mine done this a few times in the past but i reset everything with STAR and has been fine since, get it on STAR its probably either a tiny leak or sensor not reading right.

 

[GreetMe]

Get it back there man and take no sheet from them

Here's your rights

Buying a car - your rights : Directgov - Government, citizens and rights

read them, then go back to the garage armed. If it is the pump, it's the thick end of £300 plus fitting, much better that they pay for it than you!

As above. Get the car back to them and tell them to get it sorted or, offer them the option of you having it sorted by your Merc Garage at their expense.

If they are shy about their knowledge of the law you can point them at trading standards.

The problem is that a round trip to the garage would be the best part of £200 in petrol. I'd rather spend £300 and have a fixed pump.

I haven't been through it with a fine tooth comb yet but I can't see anything in that link that says I have a three-month warranty by law.

To my knowledge they're liable for anything that was wrong with the car pre-sale but after that it's a case of my word against theirs which, given the treatment I've had from them so far, would result in lots of unanswered letters from me, ombudsmen, tribunals and possibly court... That might be the right way to go in principle but in reality I'd be better off paying to get the car fixed myself.

I had this cohck piggery with mine. I was driving back from the dealer and that symbol popped up as I got to the garage to fill up for the first time...

At first, I thought it was the car stating it really needed fuel but reading up later indicated an issue with the pump etc.

I tried mine to ensure the 'raise car' button worked and it did.

After getting it on Star - a sensor was complaining but was operating as it should.

I then got it another couple of times after that of varying gaps in between and the last time it was on Star, again a sensor was complaining and was reset and the issues have not returned since.

I put this down to the car standing around for 4 or 5 months before I bought it - and probably there was damp affecting things as well as the battery not being fully charged - all mixed in with a pinch of MB gremlins.

Having been through the same times of the year again this year, all I got was the convenience features and it has not complained about it since.

Something I also noticed was how the car seem to loosen up the more I used it in the early weeks.

These cars want to be used!

My advice is to get it onto Star and get it checked to ensure the suspension is working as it should.



I thought that was the case but I can't find anything to support the 3 month warranty thing. That website posted doesn't say it either (unless wood from the trees).

Could be as simple as a sensor not reacting as it should.

The Airmatic pumps don't last forever and are located in probably the worst place they could choose. The manifold valve block is made from aluminium alloy which is porous to air when oxidised - not a bright idea that one.

However, you bought the car in good faith and it's now developed a problem within two weeks.

I'd go back in, get the salesman that dealt with you and advise him you want it fully checked over using STAR and nothing else with any faults rectified at THEIR expense. You have photographic proof the problem appeared and STAR will show a stored fault. Don't let the erase it and tell you otherwise.

If you think things are going to end in court, get a STAR equipped Indy to interrogate the fault codes and get a print off. Insist they do to reset them.

Hopefully it will just be a wee glitch and not reappear but could be a £1000 fix that is needed. Get it sorted out ...

I don't have photographic proof yet (the photo above is from a Google search) but the message was stored in the malfunction menu so I could easily get a picture.

mine done this a few times in the past but i reset everything with STAR and has been fine since, get it on STAR its probably either a tiny leak or sensor not reading right.

I'll check the car again later today once it's had 24 hours to settle and see how the suspension looks. I'll also check the pump operation. Whatever the outcome Star Motor Services are only about 15 miles away so they should be able to tell me exactly what's wrong.

I'm hoping it's just a sensor; I've spoken to the previous owner and he never used the manual levelling and always had the suspension in comfort mode so it's possible, as JohnEBoy said above, that it's just a glitch from lack of use.

Thanks for all the replies and info. I'll update the thread when I've checked the car.

 

[John]

Try switching through the different modes a few times as well. I started off using Comfort Mode but found very quickly that the car seemed to feel a bit 'light' at speed. It didn't give me much confidence so probably a month or so in I changed to Sport Mode II and there it has remained ever since (with occasional Comfort changes and car raising when required).

To my knowledge they're liable for anything that was wrong with the car pre-sale but after that it's a case of my word against theirs which, given the treatment I've had from them so far, would result in lots of unanswered letters from me, ombudsmen, tribunals and possibly court... That might be the right way to go in principle but in reality I'd be better off paying to get the car fixed myself.

This is one of the reasons why I got mine inspected prior to purchase - I don't believe in putting positive energy into negative situations - I'd rather move on within reason and as you say - the cost to get there and back is money towards getting it sorted if in fact it is an issue rather than just a gremlin like I experienced. You have more scope to get stuff sorted before you buy it - and we agreed on what they would and wouldn't do before I bought it. Anything that was wrong before I bought it was then highlighted although I still got gripes after - but as said these have gone now.

There was a 3 month warranty but I'm not sure what it would have covered and never needed to use it anyway.

 

[GreetMe]

I know what you mean about Comfort Mode. It's fine for low-speed stuff but it feels a bit "floaty" once you up the pace. I find Sport II a bit twitchy but I'm liking Sport I a lot.

I had a three month warranty on my old RS4 and it wasn't worth the paper it was written on. It developed a boost leak and also had a corroded oil line that needed sorting within the three month period and I got precisely nowhere with a claim for either of them.

 

[developer]

Try switching through the different modes a few times as well. I started off using Comfort Mode but found very quickly that the car seemed to feel a bit 'light' at speed.

It should lower itself over 87mph (140kph), not that we ever do that of course .

I run mine on S1 as I also find Comfort too soft and S2 too hard.

 

[Alps]

It should lower itself over 87mph (140kph), not that we ever do that of course .

I run mine on S1 as I also find Comfort too soft and S2 too hard.

its a lower speed than that, i`ll dig it up.

 

[GreetMe]

Copied from the manual:

The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be set manually. The "Lowered"
vehicle level is set automatically:
- at speeds above 85 mph (140 km/h)
- when "Sports tuning" is selected

 

[C240Sport97]

I run mine on S1 as I also find Comfort too soft and S2 too hard.

but I'm liking Sport I a lot.

Sport I is my favourite too .. best compromise of comfort and handling.

Comfort when driving in central London.