airmatic

[benzburner]

Not really a tech issue as depending on the general concensus, the car may be given back.

Dad has been attempting to buy a Tealite blue (?) '02 E240 Avantgarde with 54k and FSH from a Merc main stealer for 3 weeks.

We saw this car at the valeters the day after it arrived as a trade-in. It had a serious clang in the front so we decided on a deal subject to Dad being happy with the Avantgarde's ride after the clang was fixed. Of course, the looks got the ok immediately. Test drove it again, gave the ride the thumbs up after showing it the bumpiest road in the area, but on the spin it showed up faults for the suspension (airmatic) among other items we spotted. They undertook to sort everything. They rang and said the airmatic problem was a split hose.

He was called to collect the car but it turned out that not only were not all the jobs done, it had collected a fine big smack over the N/S rear door and wheelarch. It went off to the panelbeaters and it was ready today, paint was 100%. It has now been three weeks since first viewing between the various pit-stops.

Dad collected the car today on his third attempt but noticed a big deterioration in the ride. It positvely BANGED at the rear when a bump would hit it the right way and handled badly. A few minutes of chin-scratching and I spotted that the N/S rear was lower than the O/S by about an inch, with the engine running.

I know it has a raised suspension option but I have also concluded that the ride height is varying by about an inch both front (stays level) and back depending on when you look at it. He hasn't used the stiffened options yet as they are just cruel on our desperate roads.

I sent my justifiably and increasingly unhappy father back to work out of fear of fireworks and took it back to the stealer myself. Of course, the suspension had levelled off by the time I arrived and I left with assurances of warranty work if it went pare-shaped.

Earlier this evening, we switched on the car to see how it was feeling and from the rear, we could hear air escaping in 2 second bursts every 5 seconds, like it was attempting to pressurize but it didn't lift, so the arch was level with the top of the tyre. Pushing down on that side affected the air sound. Later this evening, the car was now lower with a lean of about 2" L-R on the O/S- it has literally bottomed out on the O/S. Pushing down on that side has NO effect. We didn't start it so we're not sure it will lift, making it safe to move.

I, myself would be happy to tease this problem out with the stealer, knowing that with it's age, you may only get the 3 star treatment. Dad, on the other hand, wants to shove it back to them but I don't think he'll find a better example.



If I encourage him to stay the course, am I likely to end up with egg on my face or is there a set amount of things it could be? My Dad's nerves are pretty much shot over this car even though it seems fixable to me. It is usch a hot topic- I'm up at almost 2AM trying to get answers...

 

[moneyman]

I think that if it was me I would be handing the car back.

As you say it had had a big ding when you first saw it, then suffered another ding whilst at the dealers and the suspension is playing up.

Hand it back. There are lots of E classes out there so I am sure that you find another one.

Regards
Steve

 

[jberks]

There are one of two possibilites here. Either the previous owner had the issue but couldn't be bothered to sort it as they were changing it anyway, or, they got rid because it was a money pit and was never right. A quick call to the previous owner should clarify that one. If you can't speak to them, demand to see the warranty history on the car. (A threat to return it should provide the necessary encouragement if they're reluctant).

Assuming its not a recurrent problem, then if you like the rest of the car and there are no other problems, then I'd maybe give them a second chance on this one. They may have found a split hose, repaired it but missed something else, or else not tightened something properly (it happens). They key by the sound of it is that if left for a few hours it will lean. If so, they should be able to diagnose it once parked in their workshop for a couple of hours.

 

[benzburner]

I think that if it was me I would be handing the car back.

As you say it had had a big ding when you first saw it....There are lots of E classes out there so I am sure that you find another one...Steve

Steve, on this side of the Irish Sea, you have a plentiful supply of E200K Elegances with no extras- it would have been given back long ago if this wasn't exceptionally well loaded by our standards.

Bad choice of words on my part- when we first saw it, there was a prominent suspension knock in the front.

There are one of two possibilites here...previous owner couldn't be bothered to sort it...it was a money pit...A quick call to the previous owner...They may have found a split hose but missed something else, or else not tightened something properly

Service history receipts by and large only show the standard service items with hardly anything exceptional. The front suspension knock was fine and healthy by the time we first test-drove it, so I suspect the 'couldn't be bothered' option is most most realistic.



I'm trying to encourage me Da to keep it but they're already on their third strike and he hasn't had it 24 hours. It failed to rise after being run this morning- it's fully bottomed out on the back now and the stealer are sending a tow truck.