w221 s350 bouncy ride

[hmang]

Hello All . do the struts on the w221 s class lose their damping ? Mine's gone a bit bouncy

 

[tavernole]

Hello All . do the struts on the w221 s class lose their damping ? Mine's gone a bit bouncy

Two electrical connectors near the top of each suspension point at the front, unplug them, spray with contact cleaner, which should solve the problem.

 

[hmang]

Two electrical connectors near the top of each suspension point at the front, unplug them, spray with contact cleaner, which should solve the problem.

thanks neighbour .
I'll have a bash

 

[markben]

thanks neighbour .
I'll have a bash

Just picking up on your thread / my similar issue, and if it helps?

1. By 'Bouncy..': Do you mean overly 'Harsh' (Bump / Thump - Ouch!): or 'Floating...' & overly soft damping characteristics?

In my case: 'Bouncy..' means very Harsh ADS behaviour even in Comfort mode - as if the strut electronic solenoid damping valves are usually defaulting to 'Full Stiff' Level 4 Hard Compression & Rebound Driving Safety mode at all 4 corners - with a rare & random exception when my ADS suddenly feels much softer momentarily 'Magic Carpet ride'. The difference is Night & Day when it happens.

And.. possibly due to inadequate and / or intermittently failing Current (Ma) supply to all 4 struts which should.. enable to open both valves fully across all 4 struts simultaneously according to what at my best guess are probably reliable signals from the various sensors to the ECU (Front body VBA & other relevant sensors + much more replaced with OE - but with no improvement!).

My best guess is that any or all of a damaged / corroded / shorted electrical wiring or connector somewhere.. in the ADS circuitry is the cause in my case.

 

[tavernole]

Just picking up on your thread / my similar issue, and if it helps?

1. By 'Bouncy..': Do you mean overly 'Harsh' (Bump / Thump - Ouch!): or 'Floating...' & overly soft damping characteristics?

In my case: 'Bouncy..' means very Harsh ADS behaviour even in Comfort mode - as if the strut electronic solenoid damping valves are usually defaulting to 'Full Stiff' Level 4 Hard Compression & Rebound Driving Safety mode at all 4 corners - with a rare & random exception when my ADS suddenly feels much softer momentarily 'Magic Carpet ride'. The difference is Night & Day when it happens.

And.. possibly due to inadequate and / or intermittently failing Current (Ma) supply to all 4 struts which should.. enable to open both valves fully across all 4 struts simultaneously according to what at my best guess are probably reliable signals from the various sensors to the ECU (Front body VBA & other relevant sensors + much more replaced with OE - but with no improvement!).

My best guess is that any or all of a damaged / corroded / shorted electrical wiring or connector somewhere.. in the ADS circuitry is the cause in my case.

When in comfort mode, spraying the two connector near the top of the front suspension with contact cleaner should eliminate the harsh ride

 

[markben]

When in comfort mode, spraying the two connector near the top of the front suspension with contact cleaner should eliminate the harsh ride

Yes I've tried that + replaced the 2 front body vertical acceleration sensors (on top of the struts) with new OE. Unfortunately no improvement, so I suspect an intermittent weak connection somewhere else in the ADS circuitry.

 

[V6Matty]

Yes I've tried that + replaced the 2 front body vertical acceleration sensors (on top of the struts) with new OE. Unfortunately no improvement, so I suspect an intermittent weak connection somewhere else in the ADS circuitry.

ADS on the 220 is very different from the AirMatic on the 221

 

[tavernole]

Yes I've tried that + replaced the 2 front body vertical acceleration sensors (on top of the struts) with new OE. Unfortunately no improvement, so I suspect an intermittent weak connection somewhere else in the ADS circuitry.

You will probably have get it read on Star scanner, cannot think what else it could be causing the issue.

 

[markben]

You will probably have get it read on Star scanner, cannot think what else it could be causing the issue.

Thanks, I've had a couple of Indies do that but they always say 'no faults stored / it rides ok' etc. I asked my local Indie in W-s-M to monitor live data with Star during an extended test drive over rough roads, since from the symptoms I'm pretty certain the HD fault is intermittent. But despite my being a regular customer and saying 'cost no object' they didn't want to know and politely referred me to my main Mercedes dealer (!). I had a similar experience with another Indie at my other home in Dorset.

In short, I think the 2 or 3 Indies I've tried simply aren't interested in doing more thorough investigations and / or don't take me / my description of the HD symptoms seriously. What p***es me off especially is that the various Indies disagree with my synopsis that the ADS is 'stuck' in either Sport 1, Sport 2 or Level 4 Hard Compression & Rebound 'Driving Safety' mode 98% of the time (I always drive in Comfort mode) - and uncomfortably harsh at all 4 corners except for that rare, brief 'softening' as per Magic Carpet ride. The difference is Night & Day when it happens...

 

[hmang]

Just picking up on your thread / my similar issue, and if it helps?

1. By 'Bouncy..': Do you mean overly 'Harsh' (Bump / Thump - Ouch!): or 'Floating...' & overly soft damping characteristics?

In my case: 'Bouncy..' means very Harsh ADS behaviour even in Comfort mode - as if the strut electronic solenoid damping valves are usually defaulting to 'Full Stiff' Level 4 Hard Compression & Rebound Driving Safety mode at all 4 corners - with a rare & random exception when my ADS suddenly feels much softer momentarily 'Magic Carpet ride'. The difference is Night & Day when it happens.

And.. possibly due to inadequate and / or intermittently failing Current (Ma) supply to all 4 struts which should.. enable to open both valves fully across all 4 struts simultaneously according to what at my best guess are probably reliable signals from the various sensors to the ECU (Front body VBA & other relevant sensors + much more replaced with OE - but with no improvement!).

My best guess is that any or all of a damaged / corroded / shorted electrical wiring or connector somewhere.. in the ADS circuitry is the cause in my case.

I thought my car wallowed on undulating road .
It's a bit skittish on bumpy bends . I dont drive overly fast , just normal for comfort .
Comfort mode is worse for this than the firmer ride in sport mode