W221 S350 - should suspension drop whilst parked?

[Slartibardfast1]

Thanks I did check a few times but it was showing as unavailable.


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It's available again now but delivery time may be 4-6 weeks

Also available here for $574 (plus shipping and taxes) and they take Paypal:
truckspring.com

 

[phobos]

@DSK - I drive pretty much in comfort as well ( well it is an S class after all). The struts are a good next step if everything is working well, just remeber that the compressor has a life span as well and at 10 years it is most likely going, especilly if there is a leak on the struts.

Like mentioned, change the compressor filter regardless, if changing the compressor ( and relay) , MB does a trade in at around £350.

 

[phobos]

For the record, I got all my struts from Autodoc in Germany, delivered to my door in 1 week time with no extra charges / VAT.

 

[Paul Garrett]

To be honest my 20yr old W220 with airmatic suspension has never really given me much trouble,it has dropped down at times, esp when the weather been really warm, but reading that the system will breathe to allow the system to not expand too much air?
99% of the time it sits happy and level.
I did a bit of pre emptive work on the two front struts where the air valve sits, bit of JB weld around the mount where it has been known to crack, then painted over with black satin paint, done the soapy water test and had no issues at all,ive also checked over the air pump and thats all good, maybe ive just been lucky? ....but now ive probably jinxed it now and sods law it'l play up! Ha!

 

[Lawrenceytl]

last time I looked they offer a std replacement or a posh upgrade
but I have to say the website is a mind boggling mess....

Arnott Industries | #1 Replacement Air Suspension

Arnott Industries is the global leader in aftermarket automotive air suspension. From air struts to coil conversion kits, Arnott has it all.

www.arnottindustries.com

as I own one I think I'm justified in saying anything else but airmatic would be an upgrade

Part Number: C-3271​

Arnott's premium Mercedes-Benz suspension conversion kit C-3271 for the 2007-2013 S-Class (W221 chassis) with AIRMATIC and ADS features upgraded dampers. This kit is built with front and rear monotube sport shock absorbers custom valved for Arnott to provide your vehicle with the comfort and handling S-Class owners expect. Arnott's new design features steel springs made and includes a special patented Electronic Bypass Module (EBM) (U.S. Pat. No. 9,329,917) to disarm the Airmatic system and eliminate dash panel error lights.

Features:

• CNC-machined aluminum seats
• Powder-coated steel coil springs
• Pre-assembled for easy installation
• Engineered in the USA
• Patented Electronic Bypass Module

your choice in post 29 is the posh upgrade air shocks - I expect no one on the UK knows they exist

AS-2820 is a new - not remanufactured - aftermarket air suspension strut for the front of the 2007-2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W221 Chassis with AIRMATIC. This replacement strut, designed and assembled in the USA, features a new custom-valved shock absorber assembled with a durable new Continental ContiTech rubber air spring sleeve. For durability, we exclude the lower isolator seal, which is subject to failure on the OE. The strut is partly protected by an aluminum can and dust baffle to keep out debris, and is assembled with heavy-duty crimping rings, seals, O-Rings and bump stop. This fully assembled air strut plugs directly into the vehicle's electronic connector and eliminates fault codes.

Features:

• New custom-valved shock absorber
• Multi-ply Continental ContiTech air spring sleeve
• Pre-assembled for easy installation
• Detailed installation manual
• Designed & assembled in the USA

Sorry, late...

I ordered the Arnort C-2609 for my W221, nearly USD 1900 with international door-to-door service (by sea) and expected 90 days for delivery. Understand in US only cost around USD 1400 (door to door).

Arnott's dealer mentioned no stock at all.

Regarding the C-3271 extra USD 400.

The dealer explained that the C-3271 with Eibach spring and probably stiff than the C-2609, any idea about these 2 models? Preferred soft like the original Airmatic feels.

To prevent (Presently, my Bilstein airmatic worked to avoid the problem of any airmatic compressor, sensors, pump, and any of the airmatic strut problems)

Expected to install the C-2609 in Feb. 2023, and hopefully, it's the right COIL Suspensions and CONVERSION.

Finally, I'm not to promote a certain brand and just an idea of what I did. There are many brands out there that hopefully help to someone to SOLVE the W221 airmatic problem.

Have a pleasant weekend & stay healthy.

Tata

 

[Botus]

sorry no idea - the airtragic setup from the factory is either far to soft or far to brittle in Sport - I ruined my car going from its std 17" wheel and 235 tyres, where it gripped well, rode OK and was quiet. I moved to the expensive option OEM wheel and tyre set up, of 18" and 255 tyres. It now grips less, as it bounces and shudders out of control all over the road. Its far more uncomfortable, often dangerous and more out of control - but it looks far better.

Most of the issues with road cars today stem from ideas dreamt up on a race track x years ago. Some halfwit worked out the spring should be only just enough to support the vehicle weight and maintain a ride height - then you lock down the dampers to do everything to control the wheel movement

this has been adopted by many fools for road use on cars and bikes (AKA BMW and latterly everything else out there - including most aftermarket setups)

the hideous result is rock hard, non compliant suspension, that's great if you happen to be on a new bit of tarmac in Japan or a German autobahn at 140mph - but if you're driving in the real world, with lumps, bumps, potholes, gravel, speed bumps, raised /sunken drain covers and the usual disaster we pretend to call roads. This pathetic suspension set up is unsafe, uncomfortable, noisy and wearing on the vehicle occupants.

The reason I say unsafe, is because this locked up damper set up means very sudden extremes forces no longer get absorbed by the spring bottoming out (which with 7" of movement) would mostly resolve the issues of many wayward road conditions that come out of nowhere. And that older set up, also left the bump stops as a bit of back up saving the wheels from cracking. Nowadays the dampers hold the wheel dead still, the wheels fracture and crack and the vehicle is picked up and thrown around.

I remember one occasion in my BM 335. I was making good progress on an empty back road I knew. Gently cruising around a fast sweeping bend trying to accelerate past 80mph when a small warp on the surface from subsidence, that I hadn't seen, threw the rear wheels 5 foot in the air. And now I'm tasked with trying to corner safely as the car flies 45 degrees off my chosen line. As it crashed back to earth with a large wobble, I expected the front screen to pop out under the ridiculous forces the suspension system completely failed to absorb. So this design means one has to continuously suffer a harsh ride from its joke race car set up. Yet its also much less safe and means one has to drive far slower to stay on the road - this is not progress!

in an accountants evil mind to pretend to get around the wrong steel springs and dampers rates chosen, they created a complex unreliable joke replacing the right components with a leaky, nasty air set up that is the worst of everything. It creates a nasty mishmash of all the worse traits of any suspension setup. With it being brittle, uncomposed, wallowing, out of control, vague, mismatched and every other trait one would never want. All wrapped up in a morphing disaster from one bump and corner to the next.

the reason they do it is two fold 1) its unreliable so they can keep stealing money off the idiots that choose it and 2) they can pretend to give a bigger range of suspension modes, to market the joke to fools that can't drive. What we need is one complaint, composed, grown up setup that works everywhere - jag managed if for 40 years with no silly buttons for the owner to select the wrong mode every drive. On a BMW if you are lucky enough to have the option adaptive damper setup, you always select comfort and within 100 yards ask yourself - where's the actual comfort mode - this is race plus ? and thus never ever touch the button again for the entire car's short designed to fail life

 

[DSK]

Mine has behaved itself, taking about a week to usually drop a touch only unless it’s parked on a wonky surface in which case it will do things over a few days.

I agree with the latter, conventional suspension spring and damped right is bob on. Nice to have it manually adjustable too like bikes but, bikers and drivers are worlds apart.

The w221 wafts nicely but, in this and several new range rovers, I find I can’t fully trust what the suspension is going to do over questionable surfaces, on the spot over a conventional setup, as if the computers and sensors just say can’t compute, that scenario and it’s not programmed into them. Comfy is questionably soft and sport feels like someone chopped the springs and is trying to stiffen the stiffen the dampers but hasn’t managed it in time. This has reduced my confidence in going at warp speed like I can in my old cars. Largely under normal conditions of road and driving it works well enough to try and find a good balance for a system all round.

Mine has 20” rims, looks the part but, certainly more tyre noise, I weave like smack head in a nightclub dodging every surface imperfection. Volvo and Supra I take care but never worry about cracking a rim and even upto 180mph I’m as cool as a cucumber knowing exactly what my vehicle components are doing, saying and how the car will react at all times.

I do agree air suspension is over hyped but it sells, look you have 50 suspension modes, 100 gearbox settings, 20 engine power settings, choose your exhaust to sound like a hooker on gear changes……. Many like this but, I just like a car to be designed and engineered to a tee for its purpose so I can just drive it.

Even the 7G, what idiot programmed comfort and sport modes? comfort is too slack and sport doesn’t know what to do so you get the worst of both worlds. I leave it in comfort as it’s the best of a bad bunch. Why not have one mode, default and just make that work bang on……


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[Botus]

ODD - I got a thx and thought the last post was asking how to calibrate ride height - oh well FREE info

the official way to do the suspension level is 4 electronic angle sensors that get magnetically attached on the suspension arms - these feed readings back to Xentry and it sorts itself out

BUT - this is NOT the starting point - attempts at calibration will likely make things much worse - the cars NEVER lose the factory settings (unless and idiot has played) - what happens all the time is the level sensor link rods seize on their plastic ball joints - misreading, then eventually snap off the little legs attaching them to the car, one by one (each time bringing a new temporary setpoint as the bracket deflects more and more) till in the end it falls off and as the car is built dangerous - it doesn't say Hey no values - lock air and throw the dash light ! - oh No, far better ! - immediately smash to the ground so its ultra dangerous and un-drivable

W221 with airtragic - level sensor links - part 10

front A 22 132 024 89
rear A 22 132 025 89

UK site
front https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125714842498?
rear https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111385921315?

if you are asking about them note:
1) nothing holds the car up other than air - you could lose a limb, or die
2) the front's are easy, BUT use a jack or ramp to support the car when playing with joke suspension
3) you won't be able to fit the rear, and won't know anyone else that will (they MIGHT charge you £800 to half break it). Its impossible to fit the rear clamp to the uncompressible anti-roll bar (ARB) - don't bother, get a stainless narrow worm drive clip and do it better in just 30 minutes - there is a flat on the ARB to get its correct location