What Are the Common Mercedes Suspension Issues? (5+ Troubleshooting Tips)

In this brief article we are going to discuss the different Mercedes Suspension issues including AirMatic Suspension, what the causes are, and how these issues can be effectively dealt with.

A Mercedes-Benz is known for exceptional performance and handling in almost every type of driving. On the accumulation of time and high mileage, suspension components which under constant punishment from roads and different terrain, tend to gradually and steadily wear and deteriorate in their performance.

What are the common suspension issues in a Mercedes?

The most common Mercedes suspension issues that occur are failures in the AirMatic Suspension system are:

  • ‘AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE: VISIT WORKSHOP.’ In this case, If you get this message in the display, then the problem could be most likely due to an electrical fault. You should use an OBD II scanner and get it to display all the fault codes. 

Although, in this fault, you would be able to continue driving the car, it would be wise to rectify the faults at the earliest. If you notice that the car suspension starts losing height gradually over time, then it is possible that the suspension would be unable to lift back the vehicle

  •  ‘STOP: VEHICLE TOO LOW’.  This is to indicate that your car suspension is in a critical condition and that you should stop driving. In several cases the car may not even be driveable. 

How to Deal With AirMatic System Failure in a Mercedes?(+7 Troubleshooting Tips)

You can deal with a Mercedes AirMatic System Failure by first finding out the root cause.

There are three probable causes for the failure of your AirMatic System:

  • AirMatic Compressor Failure

The main symptom of this kind of failure is that the vehicle would be sitting low and not able to raise itself again. The probable causes for this type of failure are:  

  • leakages in the air lines, 
  • airflow blockages leading to loss the of minimum pressure required to allow air suspension functioning, or 
  • Burn-out of the Compressor motor
  • Airmatic Strut Failure

The main symptom is the vehicle would be sitting lower and at an uneven height while driving. The most probable cause would be damage to one or of the AirMatic Struts which led to a leakage and loss of air pressure.

  • Blown fuses 

A Bumpier than usual ride is the main symptom of this sort of failure. It could happen due to either a voltage surge in the circuit or just simply due to age. It might also indicate other general electric problems in your car.

  • Airmatic Relay Problems:

The relay opens and closes electronic circuits. Through this, it controls the AirMatic your compressor. Occasionally, a relay could fail due to loads over longer periods while engaging with the compressor.

  • Airmatic Valve Block:

If there happens to be an AirMatic Valve block, then air can leak back into the compressor and then potentially damage the compressor itself.

  • Airmatic Shock Failure:

If the Airmatic Shock has failed it could lead to dislodging of internal components and subsequent squeaking noises when the vehicle runs. This could be either due to:

  • A part defect
  • Incorrect assembly of the suspension
  • Shock has reached its end-of-life
  • Leakages in the Air Lines:

There is a possibility of leakage at any of the connection points within the Air circuit. You can easily identify the points of leakage by spraying soap and water all over the entire air circuit lines and then observing for the appearance of bubbles.

Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in

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Conclusion

In this brief article we have discussed the different Mercedes Suspension issues including AirMatic Suspension, what the causes are, and how these issues could be effectively dealt with.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): 

How much does it cost to fix the Airmatic suspension?

In the case of the Mercedes-Benz GL450 parts would cost around  $540, and labor costs could range between $190 and $230.

How do I reset my Mercedes air suspension?

Once you are done repairing your Airmatic suspension, you need to make sure that all the warning messages are turned off. For this you need to reset your Airmatic system.

There are two ways to reset your Airmatic System:

One way is to turn off the ignition and then turn it back on after 10 minutes. The warnings earlier seen before the repair should have turned off. 

Another way to achieve this is to disconnect the positive and negative battery terminals of the battery. Now contact these two cables. Allow about ten minutes for the system to complete the power down process.

If both these methods did not reset your Airmat system, then you need to diagnose any more faults using the OBD II Scanner. 

How much does it cost to fix a Mercedes suspension?

The AirMatic spring replacement should cost around $1,500. The labor involved might cost around $220

The cost of a Mercedes Active Suspension Air Compressor Replacement should be around $1,200

How do you test a Mercedes air suspension?

The best way is to:

  • Detach the vehicle power supply to the Airmatic system and hook up direct power and ground
  • Manually energize the Strut, by supplying external compressed air into the strut by connecting using a rubber air nozzle
  • Now observe for air leak noise and check for leak points using a soap bubble test.