Rear Suspension Again!

[davcoff]

Sorry to raise this again, but I have started to get the message about suspension rising please wait etc if my vehicle is not used every day .My dealer says that the air pads will need replacing at a cost of approx £1500 inc VAT.
2 questions:
1) the vehicle drops on both sides - am I being naive in thinking that this could mean that it is unlikely to mean it is the bags - if only one has gone would both sides drop. If correct what is the likely cause?
2) Is £1500 for both reasonable?

Thanks Guys

 

[mioba]

Find yourself a MB indy, will be subtantially less

 

[Botus]

any air leak can cause it to drop - early stuff was around >60k miles and 10 years expect to replace bag /strut. This extended around 2006 to 12 to 15 years and >110k miles

however anything can and may affect any component and any time, there are huge amounts of tests full diagnostics can check for, but experience is as much use

after many years the air pump gets lazy and struggles to cope with the need to fill more often from small leaks and or odd info from lazy sensors - the lazy sensors are usually in the form of totally seized link rods on the suspension arms and the variation comes from the flexing bracketry shortly before it snaps off and the car falls on the floor

if both sides regularly drop a lot when left and seems OK when driving its often the bags... NOTE: breathing when parked with the key out up to an inch with atmospheric and temp changes is normal

never go to a main dealership.... these days £200 per strut is quite common and its not long to fit them either

 

[davcoff]

any air leak can cause it to drop - early stuff was around >60k miles and 10 years expect to replace bag /strut. This extended around 2006 to 12 to 15 years and >110k miles

however anything can and may affect any component and any time, there are huge amounts of tests full diagnostics can check for, but experience is as much use

after many years the air pump gets lazy and struggles to cope with the need to fill more often from small leaks and or odd info from lazy sensors - the lazy sensors are usually in the form of totally seized link rods on the suspension arms and the variation comes from the flexing bracketry shortly before it snaps off and the car falls on the floor

if both sides regularly drop a lot when left and seems OK when driving its often the bags... NOTE: breathing when parked with the key out up to an inch with atmospheric and temp changes is normal

never go to a main dealership.... these days £200 per strut is quite common and its not long to fit them either

Thanks for this - very useful

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I would imagine at that age of car the MB dealer will replace both rear airbags and air pump which would add up to £1500. The alternative is to use an Independent MB specialist and use aftermarket airbags (Aerosus etc) and buy a pump reconditioning kit from http://www.bagpipingandy.com/

 

[SL63 Mark]

Dealer will probably advise everything in the car is replaced.

 

[goldy]

I had this recently. Turned out to be a hole in the pipe where it is held to the car.
Cost me £115 to repair.
Get the pipes checked first. May be the easier fix

 

[ajlsl600]

I remember l, rover bringing their bagged 4x4 out to kenya for a launch, non of em made it from Mombasa thru tsavo and back to Nairobi in a level manner. Air pipes Chaffin was cause there too.