It is perfect, does not take away from the content and adds heart to the video. She does a really good job without stealing the spotlight of the content.
@@patrickkenna6387 It kinda let's the wizard get to the point or to go into detail to the position at hand. It's funny and doesn't take away from the video, as you said.
Wizard...This is an AWESOME explanation of the system. You made it extremely EASY to understand! Perfect instruction! I bought a 2008 S550 because the right strut was leaking (like your passenger side) for $4200! Owner did not want to fix it! The dealer estimated the repair at $2800! Fixed for $220!
Most German cars use a Wabco air compressor and you can do a full rebuild (cylinder head, piston ring, & desiccant) for $75-$100. My 04 Porsche Cayenne still uses its original Wabco pump motor & piston, which still works great after a rebuild & 225k miles
Yeah that small repairs like that arent viable for a shop like this. They want to do full repairs so they make a hefty profit on parts as well as labor.
I just bought an 07 S550. Glad to see it's not as complicated as everyone says it is. Mine works fine now with 95k miles but I wanted to learn about the airmatic system so I know what to look for when the struts or compressor wear out. Good information in this video. Thank you Wizard.
You should post a video talking or showing this. It always helps to get a different perspective and your style of doing things may help many people afraid to buy this car for this very reason. Thanks!
if it cost you to do it yourself 550.. it will cost three times more at a shop.. they double the parts prices and charge out the waazoo for labor.. of some guy that just learned how to replace a tire. Now you too can be a Wizard,, just do your Mechanic Certification ONLINE and never even get your hands dirty!!
Wizard thank you so much for this video. I have a 2011 E550 with a flattened rear end. Two shops wanted to convert the car to coil springs and I refused. Your video just confirmed my decision. Best explanation of airmatic suspension. Love your videos. Thank you again
Another quick way to diagnose for the diy’er, from your valve block you can disconnect one line at a time and use air from that end to tell if the line/ bellow is leaking, just like car wizard tried to air up just the strut except if you have a leaking line this can be helpful to do it this way
The compressor in my Navigator went out at 100,000 miles, man, that was a rough and bumpy end to that trip! But all I had to do was remove a headlight assembly and it was right there.
"What's the craziest suspension story have you ever seen?" Rust. The problems that happen when suspension components, or usually the mounting places, rust out entirely. Some so bad that the car is basically spare parts. Fixing the rust issues would exceed the value of the car. Also, Jr. Mints hair is awesome. Stop judging people simply off of their looks. From what little I know of him, he must be a good employee. He works with the Wizard and his high standards for repair. Kudos to him. VT247
I got one for you. just pulled an S430 out of a garage, hasn't moved in 5years, flat as a pancake. Computer is not calling to activate the pump. So I bypass the relay, pump starts, runs awhile and then the hissing starts. Removed the biggest squirrel nest under the pump you ever saw. Still hunting for the issue. Sucks to be me!
Mr and Mrs wizard you have given me such an inspiration just to hear you explain how the air suspension work and thanks for the info because you are not just a mechanic you are an instructor.
Terrific explanation of the S Class air suspension. I own a 2008 (46k miles) and everything works....for now, but thanks for all this explaining. It will eventually help me when I have to get it repaired. Too bad the owner never steam cleaned that engine bay. Mine looks brand new, this one looks like it has 150k miles on it. He needs to clean it.
Love the homegrown feel of the channel, the wizard was on the way up and through all the videos I've been here since I can remember DM on TH-cam. Wizard is funny in a way you know he means business but he still has to get to the point. Im sure the wizard is pretty cool in person. From the army the shop where he was working and always moving up.
I had a W220 this happened on and I ended up replacing the compressor and one strut which are not cheap. The W221 I now have is a far superior car. One piece of advice I was given by my trust UK Merc man is that you should raise and lower the suspension once each month just to keep it operational.
Same with Mercedes’ door windows and sunroof. What happens is the rubber seals heat and cool and get dust and grime, water build up that can congeal and literally glue the seal to the window glass. The plastic pulleys and slider jaws on the window regulators can get brittle. When the glass is glued to the seal and operated the weakest point is the plastic pulley or the very thin operating cable in the window regulator and either one could break causing the window to not go down or go down slightly while you hear a clunk/ bang/ whizz noise followed by a puckered sphincter muscle and a phone call to your Mechanic. My advice for Mercedes’ owners about sun roofs is don’t touch the operating button at all If it hasn’t been opened in a while….just don’t touch it and it won’t break. Soft tops? Use them regularly or else you have valve block leaks, hydraulic ram leaks, position sensor micro switch problems, etc.
I’ll probably never have a car with air ride but it was an entertaining video to watch as I wake up. I’m sure many will appreciate having your instruction.
I've had a few airmatic or similar cars (E500, ML63, X5, LR3, LC100) and was always surprised that anyone would change to coil shocks. I had to fix most eventually but the result was rewarding each time. Rewarding how? Well the cars worked as they should again and performed awesome again. No issues at all with the LC, but the rest all had shocks replaced eventually.
Don’t forget Cadillac LOL first thing to go on the El Dorado… We replaced with some that we could adjust manually with the compressor. Once we found the right PSA it was set for good really… Those hard plastic lines kind of suck. I am very surprised they don’t use something metal braided or anything else that it is holding all that pressure…Thanks for the videos, cheers!
16:04 He sounds like such a reliable an diligent guy who takes great care in saving the customer money. And I really believe he does ... but if a mechanic (not wizard obviously) wants to bill you two struts instead of one stating "they always have to be changed in pairs" then most people will just go "ah, ok, if that's what it takes" and pay up double of what would have been "necessary" according to wizard. That is the game of the industry.
I used to work for the Canadian Division of the German company that supplied MB with the deep drawn metal and roll formed aluminum parts for the E class, M class, and other MB airmatic struts. Interesting that the after warranty business exceeds the original production volumes by a significant amount....tells you something about the reliability, and also that the average owner goes back to the dealer for the work instead of searching for aftermarket alternatives.
Great video! As an owner of an 08 S550 4matic, I now know my way around suspension problems! Only part you left out was the central resevoir tank (i just replaced my leaky one!)
Good point as there is no moving parts in the reservoir tho I have seen problems usually from accident or mice chew on the aril lines. Also I disagree o his neg opinion on the abc every problem I’ve seen can be traced to not changing the fluid periodicalyEVERY ONE
Right, TQ, you can get what you pay for over and over again, or, you can go to coil springs once, and be done with failures. I say this from experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I just subscribed because of the great explanation you showed in the video. I have a 2006 S-430 and my dashboard said STOP too low. Taking my car to the shop in the morning. Thx!
Very simple explanation and illustration of components. I will now fire my dishonest mechanic who tried to rip me off. He wanted to replace the entire system and not even telling me which component is faulty. I even suggest that the left rear bag is leaking since the front remain normal for about a week then it also deflates. Then I touch the wire connector sensor on the left rear and it would inflate again. This inflation would last for a day or two in the rear then the front would also deflate after a week
Great advice on the air suspension. Only reason I'm familiar with it is cause working on semi you learn about air bags, tanks, leaks etc etc. I'm ready to take on a airmatic now
My ‘97 Seville SLS has something similar. Sadly, GM no longer makes replacement units for when they fail and believe me, they will fail. The nice thing is that there are aftermarket replacements that come with a LIFETIME warranty. I recently did mine and the car rides better than when it was released from the factory! Thanks for posting!!
What a fantastic video. You are very clear and honest to explain. I love my S class and love knowing more about it. I think I have a leak that also made the pump weak. I'll get my head on that and repair it
Great Video Wizard well done!!!! I just replaced both front struts on my friend E 500, similar layout .It is easy and affordable if you do the works yourself . Parts were not that expensive. The airmatic system is very easy and simple. I love the ride and the feel of the car.
Telling you all, replaced the rear strut left used the old air line fitting and it kept going back down. When back and put the new one on worked perfectly. Bought both so happy, think I'll do the other side. Never did anything like this before 🎉
As a long time Mercedes owner I can't stress enough how important it is to change both sides with Arnott but If u want to replace only 1 I strongly recommend putting a used 1 instead because the single new one will have issues within 3 months. That also applies to lower control arms that usually go bad on the SClass and those I only recommend Lemforder because no other brand can fit right or handle the weight of the car
Arnott has a lifetime warranty on the part at least now. They are covering mine but to your point it may have already killed my pump playing around. These cars we’ll never know for sure way to many moving parts literally and figuratively.
If your tired of dealing with the original airmatic , strutmaster or Arnott make nice replacement coil spring/shock conversation. Replaced a GL 350 system with a strutmaster kit. Worked great and drove very nice. No more problems. Plus the price of these complete kits are much less than original airmatic. Also comes with module to over ride system.
I'm surprised it rode nice on yours. Most W221 owners ended up swapping back to Airmatic because of the harsh ride. I've personally always stayed with Airmatic because it wasn't too expensive to replace. Not cheap but definitely affordable for most people.
I just replaced the rear air bags on my w212 e550. I went with the arnott replacement parts. The day after, the car was flat and pancaked on the garage floor again. Turns out that there was a leak in the hard line on the valve body that controls where all the air goes..... I trimmed an inch off the line and plugged it back in.... Now everything is great. Im glad I did the airbags but i didnt need them.
Hello I just watched your documentary on the S550 suspension Minds has just completely went low you gave great information thank you so much I had to subscribe
I had a 220 chassis with airmatic and I replaced both the front air struts my self. Very easy to do. There is nothing like driving a car with air suspension, like floating on a cloud.
I absolutely love my S550 Benz, no problems with air suspension yet, but if it goes out, I’ll just fix it , no way in hell I’m putting coils into S class Benz
Well said on it not being terribly complex. The E70 X5 (BMW, your favorite) also had ride leveling rear air suspension. The aftermarket for those "airbags" is very good, and fairly reasonable to replace.
I think just on the 7-passenger model (My old E70). Mine had it for sure but I compared it with another E70 (Friend's car) and his is only the 5 passenger and didn't have airbags in the rear.
I picked up a 2008 s550 with 81k miles and service records for $6000 today lol. Just finished the PPI here at Mercedes in Salt Lake and the service advisor told me I scored a very great deal. So that’s why I’m here haha
@@jweezywooden4378 I cut the plastic air line off the compressor, used some hose splicers/adapters and some epoxy to put a valve stem on the end of the hose.
A customer came to me (auto parts store) to ask me why his freshly bought used Lincoln rode so rough. I looked underneath and saw that someone had welded in flatbar to hold the car up.
There should be reliable aftermarket parts at a decent price to keep the system. A Lincoln without it is just not its true self. Maybe Rockauto has stuff?
@@pfsantos007 there are aftermarket parts available for most vehicles with air suspensions including ford. Arnott Industries in Florida is one and they make parts for a wide range of vehicle makes including ford and mercedes. In my experience they rarely last as long as the OEM parts but are also usually less expensive.
On E-class the rear consists of two parts: an air bag and a strut. It is not one unit unlike the fronts. I replaced my front air struts using arnot remanufactored OEM struts. It took me 45 mins. It is been 3 years and no leaks whatsoever. Ideally they should be replaced in pairs according to MB.
Good information , I have a 2009 CLS 550 with a slow leak. Around three weeks of sitting the rear is flat and the front is still at the correct height. I didn't know if this was common that one end could be flat and the other end be at the right height now I know.
From Fraser Mitchell, husband of Leslie I had two Jaguar saloons with the air suspension, and by and large it works OK, but it is very expensive if things like struts need replacing. This expense is what puts people off this type of suspension. With steel coils, they fail, and you fit another one and carry on for not much money. If a strut fails, like here, its nearly £800 for the Bilstein replacement. It should be possible to just replace the air bag, but there are very few shops around that do this. On the other hand, the compressors cost half that and are easy to swap out.
Yessss my Benz is doing that exactly the same an yes I like how you explained it people think the world is over when it’s low !! Yes I rather fix my air matic than. Do the swop idk why people do that ! The air ride is amazing an it saves you when you out speeding or doing an type of spin out or peal out on the road !
Great explanation. You suggest that the car is drive able with flat struts but my E550 manual says not to drive after the warning light comes on. Do the tires rub the chassis or is it just the loss of the suspension function which would mean to drive very slowly?
I spent probably $6,000 or so on my S550's air suspension at the dealership. Still loved that car! It looked alot like this one.Maybe one day I'll get another, but I won't be taking it to MB for service if it has air suspension issues!
OEM Airmatic struts were super expensive when introduced in 2000. The prices have come down and there are a few knock-off brands that are as little as $200 now. Arnott is one of the best, but they are much more than $200. If you do the labour yourself, you can do all 4 corners for $1000 with Chinese knock-offs, maybe $3k for the good stuff, but it would be rare for all 4 to fail simultaneously. I'd be tempted to buy used from a wrecker and do it myself, as required, they're not very difficult.
I’m buying an S class with the suspension and it’s a bit worrying Eddie from the UK I’ve already bought the car I hope it’s going to be okay thanks very much for your brilliant video🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👍👍👍
FYI You can get the air compressor aftermarket Ebay $80, & the air shocks for $180 each and yes they hold up just as good as OEM. German Engineers have them made to better than OEM spec out in Asia where material & labor is dirt cheap! 👌
i was about to miss my highway exit with my beautiful fully loaded 2007 S550 one night & I hit a dip in the road - it blew my passenger side front airmatic strut. the trick to removing it was hammering out the connection to the lower control arm.....otherwise it wasnt too bad.
Gmc Yukon will have air ride in the back only, air compressor lines ride hight se sors and the air shock... and a spring too. I liked it. Easy to work on too.
You mentioned that the computer gives up and makes both air struts equal in low height to enable the drive to get it serviced. You didn’t say weather or not the computer could fail or it’s location is or how to test it. You say the valve block is the brain in the height control, but what other than the height sensors tell the valve block what corrections need to be made. When mine had dropped to the ground like a lowrider, I found a bad compressor, valve block, and the link arm to the rear sensor was missing. Replaced all of the above and it still doesn’t go up and the dashboard warning for the Airmatic is still on. I am waiting for the Control Module to arrive in hopes that it will be completely corrected. I should mention that I removed the existing Strutmasters and installed the Airmatic Set Up again. The ride was extremely terrible and started to make knocking noises as well as damage to the lower Ball Joints. The compressor and Valve Block were damaged by the moisture entering a crack in the in-line air filter tube . My vehicle also has a reserve tank that was mentioned but not shown. 2002 S430. Thank you for making the video.
Yeah, actually airmatic system is quite simple and messages reported by obd is easy to understand. I had some leaking at the rear of my 2011e350 and changed both rear airspring at 160000 mi. I also had messages regarding the compressor which finally appeared to have internal oxidation causing long filling time of the reservoir. Now the car is just riding like a dream
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I always laugh when Mrs. Wizard chimes in with a random comment or statement. It's a nice touch to the channel.
It is perfect, does not take away from the content and adds heart to the video. She does a really good job without stealing the spotlight of the content.
@@patrickkenna6387 It kinda let's the wizard get to the point or to go into detail to the position at hand. It's funny and doesn't take away from the video, as you said.
Yea she's so cool. I'm glad she doesn't try to take over Wizards shine.
Wizard...This is an AWESOME explanation of the system. You made it extremely EASY to understand! Perfect instruction! I bought a 2008 S550 because the right strut was leaking (like your passenger side) for $4200! Owner did not want to fix it! The dealer estimated the repair at $2800! Fixed for $220!
how?
So targeting an airmatic vehicle with a damaged suspension allows you to buy for very cheap?
yeah really, how? cause if the strut was 220 then itll be fixed for a couple weeks
@@allefley4628 Still doing great after 1 year! Could you break tomorrow though! We will see!
@@richardgreene3460 was it new or used? RWD or 4 matic? I need one for my 4 matic and the prices are insane everywhere beside china made ones
A very comprehensive but simple explanation from an obviously knowledgeable and experienced technician!
Most German cars use a Wabco air compressor and you can do a full rebuild (cylinder head, piston ring, & desiccant) for $75-$100. My 04 Porsche Cayenne still uses its original Wabco pump motor & piston, which still works great after a rebuild & 225k miles
Mine is too, 2007. Did everything you said. All parts costed 30 bucks for my CLS550. Same pump still working strong.
Yeah that small repairs like that arent viable for a shop like this. They want to do full repairs so they make a hefty profit on parts as well as labor.
Ive got 5x mercs - 2x with airmatic (E550 & E55) and 1x ABC (S600) - they're amazing systems - no issues with mine yet but DIY when i do.
Thank you for your content. I've been doing this for 51 years and I still learn from you.
I just bought an 07 S550. Glad to see it's not as complicated as everyone says it is. Mine works fine now with 95k miles but I wanted to learn about the airmatic system so I know what to look for when the struts or compressor wear out. Good information in this video. Thank you Wizard.
congrats man , How is she doing 6 months later ?
@@eagleeye8916 guess its not going well🤣
Car Wizard: Maybe consider using a green laser pointer when you're trying to teach us about hard-to-reach parts of the car's underside?
I just replaced the front struts on my S550. It is very easy and the part was not expensive. The airmatic system is very easy and simple.
You should post a video talking or showing this. It always helps to get a different perspective and your style of doing things may help many people afraid to buy this car for this very reason. Thanks!
if it cost you to do it yourself 550.. it will cost three times more at a shop.. they double the parts prices and charge out the waazoo for labor.. of some guy that just learned how to replace a tire. Now you too can be a Wizard,, just do your Mechanic Certification ONLINE and never even get your hands dirty!!
One side of my S550 leaks and one side is lower than the other side two issues any solution
Wizard thank you so much for this video. I have a 2011 E550 with a flattened rear end. Two shops wanted to convert the car to coil springs and I refused. Your video just confirmed my decision. Best explanation of airmatic suspension. Love your videos. Thank you again
Did you do all 4 or 2 at a time....what did you do to repair also did lights stay off on dash
Another quick way to diagnose for the diy’er, from your valve block you can disconnect one line at a time and use air from that end to tell if the line/ bellow is leaking, just like car wizard tried to air up just the strut except if you have a leaking line this can be helpful to do it this way
The compressor in my Navigator went out at 100,000 miles, man, that was a rough and bumpy end to that trip! But all I had to do was remove a headlight assembly and it was right there.
All Lincolns ride smooth glad you got Licoln money peace
"What's the craziest suspension story have you ever seen?" Rust. The problems that happen when suspension components, or usually the mounting places, rust out entirely. Some so bad that the car is basically spare parts. Fixing the rust issues would exceed the value of the car. Also, Jr. Mints hair is awesome. Stop judging people simply off of their looks. From what little I know of him, he must be a good employee. He works with the Wizard and his high standards for repair. Kudos to him.
VT247
I got one for you. just pulled an S430 out of a garage, hasn't moved in 5years, flat as a pancake. Computer is not calling to activate the pump. So I bypass the relay, pump starts, runs awhile and then the hissing starts. Removed the biggest squirrel nest under the pump you ever saw. Still hunting for the issue. Sucks to be me!
I like the 2007-2013 Mercedes S Class styling.
Way better than the new one
Yea same here
W221 4 LIFE!
@@Nippledozer Yep for sure.
@@asmr-everything630 In 2009 or 2010 is when they started using LED headlights and two balled headlights.
This car bring back memories, the old shop you used to rent, the Wizard with hair and the early Tyler Hoover videos.
Mr and Mrs wizard you have given me such an inspiration just to hear you explain how the air suspension work and thanks for the info because you are not just a mechanic you are an instructor.
This channel repeatedly makes me thankful for the cars I own (and lots I'll never own) - and for my local mechanic(s) of 15+ years.
Thank you. You remind me of my Merc Man. Those near you are lucky as I am. None of the bs you get at main dealers. Long may you reign!
Terrific explanation of the S Class air suspension. I own a 2008 (46k miles) and everything works....for now, but thanks for all this explaining. It will eventually help me when I have to get it repaired. Too bad the owner never steam cleaned that engine bay. Mine looks brand new, this one looks like it has 150k miles on it. He needs to clean it.
Love the homegrown feel of the channel, the wizard was on the way up and through all the videos I've been here since I can remember DM on TH-cam. Wizard is funny in a way you know he means business but he still has to get to the point. Im sure the wizard is pretty cool in person. From the army the shop where he was working and always moving up.
Wizard! Thanks so much for making this video. I just got a w221 and haven't gotten under it yet. Thanks for the guided tour!
I had a W220 this happened on and I ended up replacing the compressor and one strut which are not cheap. The W221 I now have is a far superior car. One piece of advice I was given by my trust UK Merc man is that you should raise and lower the suspension once each month just to keep it operational.
Same with Mercedes’ door windows and sunroof.
What happens is the rubber seals heat and cool and get dust and grime, water build up that can congeal and literally glue the seal to the window glass.
The plastic pulleys and slider jaws on the window regulators can get brittle.
When the glass is glued to the seal and operated the weakest point is the plastic pulley or the very thin operating cable in the window regulator and either one could break causing the window to not go down or go down slightly while you hear a clunk/ bang/ whizz noise followed by a puckered sphincter muscle and a phone call to your
Mechanic.
My advice for Mercedes’ owners about sun roofs is don’t touch the operating button at all
If it hasn’t been opened in a while….just don’t touch it and it won’t break.
Soft tops?
Use them regularly or else you have valve block leaks, hydraulic ram leaks, position sensor micro switch problems, etc.
i was afraid to touch up and down button just incase it broke something
The cringe comedy and long awkward pauses are classic to this channel. Never change CarWizard...never change.
I’m having suspension problems where are you located
@@reginaldharris4588 omegaautoclinic.com/
I’ll probably never have a car with air ride but it was an entertaining video to watch as I wake up. I’m sure many will appreciate having your instruction.
I've had a few airmatic or similar cars (E500, ML63, X5, LR3, LC100) and was always surprised that anyone would change to coil shocks. I had to fix most eventually but the result was rewarding each time. Rewarding how? Well the cars worked as they should again and performed awesome again. No issues at all with the LC, but the rest all had shocks replaced eventually.
My compressor came on a lot in my 2001 Deville. I replaced both rear air shocks. I bought them off ebay for $65.
Don’t forget Cadillac LOL first thing to go on the El Dorado… We replaced with some that we could adjust manually with the compressor. Once we found the right PSA it was set for good really… Those hard plastic lines kind of suck. I am very surprised they don’t use something metal braided or anything else that it is holding all that pressure…Thanks for the videos, cheers!
Never heard any one give a better explanation thanks 🙏🏽
16:04 He sounds like such a reliable an diligent guy who takes great care in saving the customer money. And I really believe he does ... but if a mechanic (not wizard obviously) wants to bill you two struts instead of one stating "they always have to be changed in pairs" then most people will just go "ah, ok, if that's what it takes" and pay up double of what would have been "necessary" according to wizard. That is the game of the industry.
It is ABSOLUTELY recommended to replace both. If one has failed the other one will soon.
I used to work for the Canadian Division of the German company that supplied MB with the deep drawn metal and roll formed aluminum parts for the E class, M class, and other MB airmatic struts. Interesting that the after warranty business exceeds the original production volumes by a significant amount....tells you something about the reliability, and also that the average owner goes back to the dealer for the work instead of searching for aftermarket alternatives.
These are the best looking years for s class in my opinion. I love the tail lights especially
Great video! As an owner of an 08 S550 4matic, I now know my way around suspension problems! Only part you left out was the central resevoir tank (i just replaced my leaky one!)
Did that make the whole car flat?
In the trunk?
Good point as there is no moving parts in the reservoir tho I have seen problems usually from accident or mice chew on the aril lines. Also I disagree o his neg opinion on the abc every problem I’ve seen can be traced to not changing the fluid periodicalyEVERY ONE
Are we able to fill them manually for a short. Of time?
As a w221 owner, very useful video for me. Thx Wizard
I agree with you completely on repairing air suspension instead of coil springs, you get what you pay for.
Right, TQ, you can get what you pay for over and over again, or, you can go to coil springs once, and be done with failures. I say this from experience.
@@shanepowers7566 yeah but it compromises the character of the car. springs feel like poo compared to airmatic
@@shanepowers7566 And you know better than the original Mercedes engineers who designed the air matic system.
@@shanepowers7566 you should have bought a Corolla , not S class Mercedes , and be done with it to begin with
I think Junior is flexing with his hair to the Wizard :D
I was expecting Johnny Bravo hair with this comment. 😳
I thoroughly enjoyed this video.
I just subscribed because of the great explanation you showed in the video.
I have a 2006 S-430 and my dashboard said STOP too low.
Taking my car to the shop in the morning.
Thx!
Very simple explanation and illustration of components. I will now fire my dishonest mechanic who tried to rip me off. He wanted to replace the entire system and not even telling me which component is faulty. I even suggest that the left rear bag is leaking since the front remain normal for about a week then it also deflates. Then I touch the wire connector sensor on the left rear and it would inflate again. This inflation would last for a day or two in the rear then the front would also deflate after a week
I'm super happy you did this video, I always thought air suspension was complicated
Great advice on the air suspension. Only reason I'm familiar with it is cause working on semi you learn about air bags, tanks, leaks etc etc. I'm ready to take on a airmatic now
There is a company in Florida that rebuilds the air struts , they give guaranty for life and they are reasonably priced .
My ‘97 Seville SLS has something similar. Sadly, GM no longer makes replacement units for when they fail and believe me, they will fail. The nice thing is that there are aftermarket replacements that come with a LIFETIME warranty. I recently did mine and the car rides better than when it was released from the factory!
Thanks for posting!!
WIZZ I LOVE THE WAY YOU EXPLAIN YOUR LOVE FOR CARS KEEP GOIN ❤❤❤❤
But Mrs. Wizard, the S class is a yacht!
Yes i have one its great
What a fantastic video. You are very clear and honest to explain.
I love my S class and love knowing more about it.
I think I have a leak that also made the pump weak. I'll get my head on that and repair it
Great Video Wizard well done!!!!
I just replaced both front struts on my friend E 500, similar layout .It is easy and affordable if you do the works yourself . Parts were not that expensive. The airmatic system is very easy and simple. I love the ride and the feel of the car.
Telling you all, replaced the rear strut left used the old air line fitting and it kept going back down. When back and put the new one on worked perfectly. Bought both so happy, think I'll do the other side. Never did anything like this before 🎉
As a long time Mercedes owner I can't stress enough how important it is to change both sides with Arnott but If u want to replace only 1 I strongly recommend putting a used 1 instead because the single new one will have issues within 3 months. That also applies to lower control arms that usually go bad on the SClass and those I only recommend Lemforder because no other brand can fit right or handle the weight of the car
Arnott has a lifetime warranty on the part at least now. They are covering mine but to your point it may have already killed my pump playing around. These cars we’ll never know for sure way to many moving parts literally and figuratively.
Great to see something new and interesting - Juniormint. Surprised to see that those Merc struts are only 500 to 600.
If your tired of dealing with the original airmatic , strutmaster or Arnott make nice replacement coil spring/shock conversation.
Replaced a GL 350 system with a strutmaster kit. Worked great and drove very nice. No more problems.
Plus the price of these complete kits are much less than original airmatic. Also comes with module to over ride system.
I'm surprised it rode nice on yours. Most W221 owners ended up swapping back to Airmatic because of the harsh ride. I've personally always stayed with Airmatic because it wasn't too expensive to replace. Not cheap but definitely affordable for most people.
Hell no lol
Wonderful, so simplistic on his explanation in regards to the trouble shooting on the Airmatic system.
This is exactly what I'm experiencing with my GL 450. Thank you very informative 👍
9:39 - Looks like Junior Mint is starting to like being on camera.
I just replaced the rear air bags on my w212 e550. I went with the arnott replacement parts. The day after, the car was flat and pancaked on the garage floor again. Turns out that there was a leak in the hard line on the valve body that controls where all the air goes..... I trimmed an inch off the line and plugged it back in.... Now everything is great. Im glad I did the airbags but i didnt need them.
I have an 2018 GLS with airmatic and it like riding on a cloud, i love it
Hello I just watched your documentary on the S550 suspension Minds has just completely went low you gave great information thank you so much I had to subscribe
I had a 220 chassis with airmatic and I replaced both the front air struts my self. Very easy to do. There is nothing like driving a car with air suspension, like floating on a cloud.
thank you for explaining, it really helps guys who want a car and want to work on it themselves
Hey Wizard, you should get a pointing stick or a laser pointer for pointing out stuff like this, great job with the videos!
I absolutely love my S550 Benz, no problems with air suspension yet, but if it goes out, I’ll just fix it , no way in hell I’m putting coils into S class Benz
Well said on it not being terribly complex. The E70 X5 (BMW, your favorite) also had ride leveling rear air suspension. The aftermarket for those "airbags" is very good, and fairly reasonable to replace.
I think just on the 7-passenger model (My old E70). Mine had it for sure but I compared it with another E70 (Friend's car) and his is only the 5 passenger and didn't have airbags in the rear.
was hoping your show us changing the strut out and testing the air suspension? Enjoyed the premise but would of like to see the work and the result.
Fixed my cheap Audi a8 air suspension pretty easily. Change the struts up front. Love the comfort!
I have a E500 and only the passenger rear was flat… ❤️your link,very informative!!!!
Excellent Presentation Thanks! My Dads Cadillac Fleetwood had a similar rear system helped him repair that in 1998
I picked up a 2008 s550 with 81k miles and service records for $6000 today lol. Just finished the PPI here at Mercedes in Salt Lake and the service advisor told me I scored a very great deal. So that’s why I’m here haha
My first car had rear air ride shocks...and a blown compressor. Had to air them up every morning with a tire inflator.
how?
@@jweezywooden4378 I cut the plastic air line off the compressor, used some hose splicers/adapters and some epoxy to put a valve stem on the end of the hose.
I have a '98 Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark, and i'll eventually just replace the air suspension with a conventional suspension
A customer came to me (auto parts store) to ask me why his freshly bought used Lincoln rode so rough. I looked underneath and saw that someone had welded in flatbar to hold the car up.
ouch. my suspension works great, but I would like to tighten up the car a bit and add some performance
obsolete professor wow 😳
There should be reliable aftermarket parts at a decent price to keep the system. A Lincoln without it is just not its true self. Maybe Rockauto has stuff?
@@pfsantos007 there are aftermarket parts available for most vehicles with air suspensions including ford. Arnott Industries in Florida is one and they make parts for a wide range of vehicle makes including ford and mercedes. In my experience they rarely last as long as the OEM parts but are also usually less expensive.
Excellent explanation of air suspension, thank you car wizard!
On E-class the rear consists of two parts: an air bag and a strut. It is not one unit unlike the fronts. I replaced my front air struts using arnot remanufactored OEM struts. It took me 45 mins. It is been 3 years and no leaks whatsoever. Ideally they should be replaced in pairs according to MB.
Yet air suspension on heavy truck lasts a 750k miles.
I like how Missis Wizzard has all the good questions
Good information , I have a 2009 CLS 550 with a slow leak. Around three weeks of sitting the rear is flat and the front is still at the correct height. I didn't know if this was common that one end could be flat and the other end be at the right height now I know.
Excellent info and we finally get to see Jr. Mint!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wizard’s voice lulls me to sleep. Very handy sometimes.
I touch myself to his voice
From Fraser Mitchell, husband of Leslie
I had two Jaguar saloons with the air suspension, and by and large it works OK, but it is very expensive if things like struts need replacing. This expense is what puts people off this type of suspension. With steel coils, they fail, and you fit another one and carry on for not much money.
If a strut fails, like here, its nearly £800 for the Bilstein replacement. It should be possible to just replace the air bag, but there are very few shops around that do this. On the other hand, the compressors cost half that and are easy to swap out.
Air suspension is getting better and becoming more common and hopefully more cost effective
I have the same problem as this customer does on my S550. Thank you car wizard! 😁
Yessss my Benz is doing that exactly the same an yes
I like how you explained it people think the world is over when it’s low !! Yes I rather fix my air matic than. Do the swop idk why people do that !
The air ride is amazing an it saves you when you out speeding or doing an type of spin out or peal out on the road !
The car wizard must be getting ready for September 19th, International Talk like a Pirate Day. Can't wait for that episode 😉.....
The last good looking S-Klasse.
It is aging well. I liked it less new than I do now that the w222 has been out and looks so bland in comparison. A clean w221 is still classy
@@poisonouspython1410 Agreed.
I really wish there was a "car wizard" in my area.... Someone that could work on a old ford and a lambo. Maybe I should move to kansas.....
Or in another country 😊
Great explanation. You suggest that the car is drive able with flat struts but my E550 manual says not to drive after the warning light comes on. Do the tires rub the chassis or is it just the loss of the suspension function which would mean to drive very slowly?
I spent probably $6,000 or so on my S550's air suspension at the dealership. Still loved that car! It looked alot like this one.Maybe one day I'll get another, but I won't be taking it to MB for service if it has air suspension issues!
OEM Airmatic struts were super expensive when introduced in 2000. The prices have come down and there are a few knock-off brands that are as little as $200 now. Arnott is one of the best, but they are much more than $200. If you do the labour yourself, you can do all 4 corners for $1000 with Chinese knock-offs, maybe $3k for the good stuff, but it would be rare for all 4 to fail simultaneously. I'd be tempted to buy used from a wrecker and do it myself, as required, they're not very difficult.
This is beyond a great video👌🏽👌🏽🎖️ thanks from all of us !!
The excitement is on the yacht .... just a friendly reminder ✌️
I’m buying an S class with the suspension and it’s a bit worrying Eddie from the UK I’ve already bought the car I hope it’s going to be okay thanks very much for your brilliant video🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👍👍👍
FYI You can get the air compressor aftermarket Ebay $80, & the air shocks for $180 each and yes they hold up just as good as OEM. German Engineers have them made to better than OEM spec out in Asia where material & labor is dirt cheap! 👌
I’m gonna do that when mine go
i was about to miss my highway exit with my beautiful fully loaded 2007 S550 one night & I hit a dip in the road - it blew my passenger side front airmatic strut. the trick to removing it was hammering out the connection to the lower control arm.....otherwise it wasnt too bad.
Why did junior mint dye hid hair purple??
Did he lose a bet ??
Probably a millennial thing
Probably antifa initiation lol
@@Mattrusin lol
Trump Trump 2020
We get it, Trump isn't his president.
Great video, 100% agree with all of it. I’ve a P38 & L322...so I know air suspension well...
Gmc Yukon will have air ride in the back only, air compressor lines ride hight se sors and the air shock... and a spring too. I liked it. Easy to work on too.
I owned 2 Lincoln Mark VIII’s. I have forever sworn off air-ride suspensions. My X6 xDrive5.0i is a conventional and very responsive suspension.
You mentioned that the computer gives up and makes both air struts equal in low height to enable the drive to get it serviced. You didn’t say weather or not the computer could fail or it’s location is or how to test it. You say the valve block is the brain in the height control, but what other than the height sensors tell the valve block what corrections need to be made. When mine had dropped to the ground like a lowrider, I found a bad compressor, valve block, and the link arm to the rear sensor was missing. Replaced all of the above and it still doesn’t go up and the dashboard warning for the Airmatic is still on. I am waiting for the Control Module to arrive in hopes that it will be completely corrected. I should mention that I removed the existing Strutmasters and installed the Airmatic Set Up again. The ride was extremely terrible and started to make knocking noises as well as damage to the lower Ball Joints. The compressor and Valve Block were damaged by the moisture entering a crack in the in-line air filter tube . My vehicle also has a reserve tank that was mentioned but not shown. 2002 S430. Thank you for making the video.
Do air suspension systems require any routine maintenance? For example, do they have a replaceable filter at the pump?
Extremely well done. Keep up the good work!
Is junior mint being sponsored by Royal Purple?
Yeah, actually airmatic system is quite simple and messages reported by obd is easy to understand.
I had some leaking at the rear of my 2011e350 and changed both rear airspring at 160000 mi. I also had messages regarding the compressor which finally appeared to have internal oxidation causing long filling time of the reservoir.
Now the car is just riding like a dream
what a brilliant communication on the subject!
Given me some confidence on buying airmatic now
I love how u answer every thought