A Luxury Ride at a Luxury Price
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221) is a luxury vehicle and has the highest rating for ride comfort due to its Airmatic suspension. However, when suspension components like the air compressor, valve block, air springs, or air struts start to wear, you will notice the ride less cloud-like and more turbulent.
The friction between the wheels and the road is held by the suspension. It offers great handling and strong steering stability. It does have the most comfortable ride however that does come with a hefty price tag when it comes to repairs. When a part in the suspension is going; there are symptoms that will be felt and noticed. We have compiled this information so you can recognize some common issues with the Airmatic suspension.
Instead of going directly to the dealership, looking for parts from a highly reputable manufacturer like Suncore Industries is most ideal. You can either replace the part yourself or bring it to an ASE certified mechanic to do it for you. Either option will save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
Symptoms of Failing Suspension Components
There are many symptoms that come from a failing suspension system. Whether it is the entire system, or a single component, knowing what to listen or look for can help you diagnose the issue.
- One part of the vehicle is sagging lower than the other
- Air Compressor is running longer than normal
- The vehicle leans or rolls to one side while driving
- A rough and/or bumpy ride
- You are having more difficulty steering the vehicle
- Abnormal and faster tire wear
To diagnose the issue and find out where the problem lies, you must take a look at the components and be aware of the above signs.
Leakage from the System
Leakage can occur anywhere in the system however typically found at the air springs or air struts. This is especially obvious when you notice your vehicle sagging. For example, if your rear passenger corner is sagging, then the culprit would most likely be the rear passenger air spring. The next step would then be to inspect the entire air spring for visual damages or leaks.
Read the Codes
Mercedes-Benz uses a special StarSCAN Diagnostic Scan Tool to read fault codes which cannot be determined otherwise. For example, a common code is 5283 (Recovery time during filling of central reservoir is too long). For this, either the actual air compressor is faulty (common), or the reservoir tank has a crack which leads to an air leak (uncommon).
Visual Inspection of the Suspension System
Do a visual inspection. The air springs and or air struts can be visually inspected for wear and tear. The amount of rubber dry rot and weakness in these parts will show what condition they are in. Trace all the lines from the tank to air compressor to air springs/struts and check for leaks.
Simply concoct a soapy water solution to spray on all connectors, fittings, joints, crevices, and creases to check for bubbling. If bubbling is found, you may have found the source of leak which then you would need to repair or replace.
There is a myriad of issues that could be the culprit of your W221 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Airmatic suspension problem, and it is difficult to provide every single one, but majority of complaints and replacements for the W221 Airmatic system consists of the air compressor, valve block, and the valve failure on the air spring or air strut.
Fraction of Dealer Prices without Sacrificing Quality
Once you have determined the problem, you can then decide to either keep the comfort of air suspension and replace the problematic component with Suncore’s premium air suspension parts or convert your air ride to a passive suspension system for a peace of mind.
We offer many different replacement parts for the W221 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. This includes air springs, air strut assemblies, air compressors, valve blocks, air to coil conversion kits, complete struts, shock absorbers and more.
Regardless of which you choose, Suncore Industries provides solutions for your Mercedes-Benz S-Class Airmatic suspension problems. Get back the smooth and enjoyable ride you once knew and loved with Suncore's high quality and extremely affordable parts.
Here Every Step of the Way
All our parts include step-by-step instructions on how to install our parts. We also have install videos for both the front and rear air strut assemblies for your W221. If you need further assistance, you can contact us directly and one of our knowledgeable technicians can assist you over the phone.
