Suspended with Suspension!

Raja Taimoor

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Hello forum!

My warm wishes to every forum member.

I don’t own an MB yet. Need help from the learned members in buying one.

My prospective purchase is a mint condition W140, S500, 1996, dark blue, 138,000 KM, engine, transmission and braking system in full form, all options, gadgets and A/C in a good state of health, no oil leaks.

Has AMG bumpers, AMG brakes and an AMG suspension (doubtful!). The car had AMG 18” rims with low profile rubber which the owner replaced with the regular 16” for a better drive (a ‘pro’ for me at least).

Problem areas:
1. Mild hissing sound from the area of the fan belt and associated pulleys. The sound decreased as the car warmed up. The owner states it is because of the newly replaced fan belt and will improve with time. I think it’s one of the pulleys/belt tensioner. Any comments?
2. Little rattling of the body interior on rough road
3. Absurd but very important: I DID NOT LIKE THE RIDE. Yes! I didn’t like the ride. I could feel in the steering wheel every bit of road and surface crack under its wheels (there was no vibration in the steering itself). On an uneven surface (not cracked or broken) and the whole car rocked like a cradle on every small undulation on the road. The independent suspension’s role was practically non-existent. On potholes, it banged in and out of even small potholes rather than passing on smoothly. The shocks were not stuck high up. They appeared to be travelling but were hard enough to rock the car rather than giving in to the bumps beneath.

It was disappointing. The car didn’t at all have that smooth, floating drive expected of this top class, well-kept machine. Don’t shoot me for that but my Crown Victoria gives me a better, smoother and a more pampering drive!

Guidance requested:
1. Never owned an MB before but didn’t know of AMG suspension and brakes. Could it be that AMG suspension/shock absorbers are hard, or are tuned for sports purpose because the car had 18” rims with low profile radials? Any possibility to set them to 'soft' position?
2. Isn’t this model supposed to be having hydraulic suspension rather than the conventional shocks? What are the pros and cons of hydraulic suspension if I installed one after purchase.
3. Possible root cause of the problem and any suggestions to rectify it and improve the drive with a rough cost estimate?
4. What's the original size of the tyres for this model.
5. Any other specific point or known issue to look for in this model?

Sorry for the long post. I’ll highly appreciate any guidance. Decision is suspended with this suspension.

Regards
Raja Taimoor
 

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Hello and welcome,, did the car have the ADS suspension, by the hissing and the way the car drove, it sounds as though this was not working
 
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Raja Taimoor

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Thank you for your interest television.

No the car doesn't have ADS. I talked to an independent mechanic who said it's better not to have ADS because its malfunction is inevitable and its repair expensive.
Could it be the poorly matched trye pressure?

The guy is willing to give me the old set of 18" rims with low profile tyres for no extra. Shall I go for this offer or the standard 16", the later being more comfortable to ride on.
 

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