Airmatic problem

[ebuendy]

i have been battling with the airmatic of my R350 for a while now, first i have to change the left rear airmatic together with the shocks, next i noticed the vehicle is abnormally low, checked with the mechanic and he suggested the pump (compressor) may be bad, we changed that and everything seems to be normal. Right now the rear right is riduculosly low; am wondering if changing the rear right airmatic would solve the problem permanently?

[deep_blue]

The thread reads like a familiar story.....
Airmatic leaks in struts do occur and can be observed with those funny condition such as, one morning when it was cold the car was low in the right rear, but then leveled after I started the car.

Then it happens at the wrong time, or too often and a valve, compressor get replaced. The next time, if the mechanic can not find a leak but deceides to replace a airmatic strut - the problem stops. This is cetainly not the type of issue when I would say "replace all the struts just in case".

I think leaks in the strut can be increased & reduced by conditions of temperature and position. Only after I replaced the correct strut did I see the problem go away. To bad there is not a better way to expose the defective part. I wonder if STAR Diagnostics can "exorcise the parts to show the issue" somehow?

Airmatic has such a great ride and we all know the gremlins that can hide in the parts.

DB

[Cursealoud]

Originally Posted by stevosteve

Had my local garage changed two Arnott structs for me. After $3000, and a month later, with a new pump, a new valve, and two refurbushed front structs, the car can finally hold up.

Steve I am a new member and I wish I saw this thread earlier, but it was always your struts. I am surprised the dealership didn't figure that out. They should have put on your struts and charged you for at least trying that option. I would've given you an option of putting those on to rectify the problem. When the air compressor reaches a certain PSI an auto leveling sensor stops it. Overnight the air is supposed to hold and if it kept deflating overnight, it would've been obvious that the suspension bag has a pinhole leak. Ask yourself, WHERE IS THE AIR ESCAPING TO. IT HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE.