To be honest, 17 years without AirMatic failures is pretty much unheard of. But typically, earlier failures are from hard use or higher mileage. Just shows how well-taken care of this car is.
Ya I think that’s a normal time frame. My abc is the same way every 15-20 years. The systems aren’t a piece of shit if they’re maintained properly and taken care of.
2002 april w211 220cdi OM646 owner here, turbo, transmission (722.6) blew this year, tranny went bc sometime in its life it pulled a traler and when i got it the o ring was leaking so it was run in sport mode without fluid (rip) turbo went on 480 000km and tranny started making problems arround 450 000km, timing chain still not tuched, previus owner is the colprut, yung kid got it from his dad in netherlands, in netherlands it was maintained with original parts (everything had a star on it, even control arms). kid pulled a trailer with it so it was slipping the 3rd to 4th good car tho, sbc is original and it works fine, got a new transmission and new turbine core (yup that exists) But it does have factory coil overs, and they got compressed for 20 years, sadly noone has the tool to borrow me to do the job, i have the entire new rear suspention ready in boxes
Just wonna say that I’ve been watching your channel for 3 years on your E55’s and I finally just got to buy one and man is it amazing and everything I imagined, Thank you for being one of my inspirations
Great video as always. Just one note, the lower bolt connecting the suspension strut to the suspension arm needs to be loose until the weight of the vehicle is on the struts again. Now the bolt can be tightened to specs. Otherwise the rubber bearing in the suspension arm would be twisted and therefore experience additional wear. I guess you did it correctly but forgot to mention this in the video. Keep up the good work! Kind regards from Germany
Yes, you need to torque the lower bolts to 120 ft-lbs while the suspension is loaded with the car's weight. I set the wheels down on blocks and torqued the lower bolts.
Appreciate you answering my question on your previous video, on how the E55 compares to the CLK63. Great video and sound editing as usual, makes it really enjoyable to watch. The rear on my E55 is begining to sag after 2 weeks of sitting. I've gotten all parts to fit in a H&R Monotube coilover kit. I'm really anxious to see how an E55 on coilovers will feel and drive.
I missed the E55 too! The W211 is just such a timeless design. I got in an accident with my Father in law's W211 after someone jumped a red light. It was so sad to see it dragged up on a flatbed truck. Most important thing is me and my wife walked away from a massive accident... I now drive a CLK...
My front right (final of my four corners) just failed and I got my replacement Arnott unit yesterday. I wondered if AMGmeister had a write up on this and now here it is lol.. I’ve had all the same issues as you’ve covered so far. Thanks again
Ideally, both sides should be replaced at the same time. Otherwise one side will handle slightly better than the other. Also, another side is very likely to go bad soon (1-2 years at most) based on observations. I bought the same reman unit from Arnott. It cane defective (would thump over bumps) I had to return and get a replacement. No issues so far. It’s been 2 years
Watched your vid one week ago and I’ll be damned if the same thing didn’t happen to my 2005 e55 today. Unfortunately I am not in any condition to repair it myself. This is going to get costly quick.
This maybe rather bias since I’m a 06 s55 AMG driver but this has been the best channel around ..though I have ABC this is still very informative and entertaining. Love the comparison of the two cars at the end ... fuk wit da Meister bruuhh
Speaking of transmissions... LegitStreetCars did an upgrade to the 5 speed to make it shift much better. Consider it if you want better shifting from the E55. Of course you have the CLK63, so you've already got your alternative...
I changed my front suspension on my 2003 E55 2 years ago. Cost me closed to $3,000.00. Now I am afraid of the rear suspension because the car is 18 years old, and still drives so good.
Hi AMG Meister, thanks for your stickers you sent me - they're really good quality. I put them in my E55! Can you tell me please the size of the brass nut on the strut for the air line? I just need to order the right socket since i'm doing my rear bags and struts in a few weeks :)
Firstly. If your Kompressor is always on or starts too often. Means you have a leak somewhere.. First check the lines coming off of the valve block. That's an issue I had.. 2nd problem is the air struts.. They get wear and leak after a while.. 3rd problem is the Kompressor itself. If it's slow, sluggish and struggling.. That means either the filter is clogged or the Kompressor itself is giving up. In my case the Kompressor died which cost me 400 Euros to fix on my W220..
I definitely like the e55 better! I'm glad you got a good deal on the rebuilt struts. Did you have to send the old ones in to get a core charge back? I guess a lot of people convert to regular struts. You made it sound like the originals lasted a long time. 17 years. Except for the fact that 79,000 kilometers is less than 50,000 miles which is low mileage for that old of a car but not impressive for the longevity of the original struts.
The air bladders and seals in the air struts are made of rubber which naturally degrades over time. It really doesn’t matter the mileage, rubber degrades with age. Think about it; it wouldn’t be wise to drive around on 17 year old tires either, even if they had almost no miles on them.
Nice video! Quick and useful! Please tell why did you choose a reman Arnott shocks to the new "updated" Arnott shocks? I'd prefer OEM design of the old ones too, but I'd like to hear more info about why new ones are less desirable.
May want to keep in mind they are replaced in pairs usually when they go out esp when going to a different design/arnott in this case. Arnott is a very good alternative but i have found the Biltein OEM shocks are better built and usually last longer. Also may want to update your TCU with a tune and you will see your CLK63 will be left behind :) I doubt E55 is 2 seconds slower to 150 lol 2 seconds equates to a few cars lengths at that speed
I always have trouble with the RR strut on my S55. The ABC does not like to sit at the curb height , but the rest are fine. It holds pressure and articulation is good. No codes sets. Not sure if it's the position switch.
IS ARNOTT the onyl one you recommend? my car now has car to low red light. there might be 1 inch gap at best between whell and fender. there is Arnott, autopart premium bilstein, dorman and more. what would be your top 2 or 3 to recommend for struts?
Question regarding Arnott front struts. I notice you said you ussed remanufactured units 2300 & 2301 rather than new units. Please can you tell me if this will allow the Airmatic 1 & 2 & Comfort & Raise settings to be selected behind gear selector?? So if I buy new Arnott struts, these functions will not work? Thanks and greeting from Ireland
Yes, the AS 2300 and 2301 allows for the damper settings to be selected with the button behind the shift lever. The new Arnott struts have their own damper design that is not connected to the button in the car.
@@AMGmeister thank you so much for this information. Unfortunately Arnott Europe say those remanufactured items are unavailable. I believe Bilstein are the OEM struts. I may have to try to source them instead. My cls55. Is similar age to yours. Thank you sir!
What was the price difference between the OEM and these refurbished ones? And did you check whether or not it could have been solved with some epoxy in the right places?
In love of E55K, no more words to say
To be honest, 17 years without AirMatic failures is pretty much unheard of. But typically, earlier failures are from hard use or higher mileage.
Just shows how well-taken care of this car is.
Mine made it to 14 years till they failed. As far as I know it hasn't been replaced before.
Ya I think that’s a normal time frame. My abc is the same way every 15-20 years. The systems aren’t a piece of shit if they’re maintained properly and taken care of.
2002 april w211 220cdi OM646 owner here, turbo, transmission (722.6) blew this year, tranny went bc sometime in its life it pulled a traler and when i got it the o ring was leaking so it was run in sport mode without fluid (rip)
turbo went on 480 000km and tranny started making problems arround 450 000km, timing chain still not tuched, previus owner is the colprut, yung kid got it from his dad in netherlands, in netherlands it was maintained with original parts (everything had a star on it, even control arms). kid pulled a trailer with it so it was slipping the 3rd to 4th
good car tho, sbc is original and it works fine, got a new transmission and new turbine core (yup that exists)
But it does have factory coil overs, and they got compressed for 20 years, sadly noone has the tool to borrow me to do the job, i have the entire new rear suspention ready in boxes
Your car looks absolutely fantastic. The paint is just perfect.
The side profile of the E55 is so smooth!
Just wonna say that I’ve been watching your channel for 3 years on your E55’s and I finally just got to buy one and man is it amazing and everything I imagined, Thank you for being one of my inspirations
The condition of your E55 is amazing. Your video photography is as well.
"After a bit of downtime for the suspension" - nice pun :-)
your channel sold me on an e55 like 2 years ago and now repairing my airmatic system. Excellent car in terms of reliability.
Great video as always. Just one note, the lower bolt connecting the suspension strut to the suspension arm needs to be loose until the weight of the vehicle is on the struts again. Now the bolt can be tightened to specs. Otherwise the rubber bearing in the suspension arm would be twisted and therefore experience additional wear. I guess you did it correctly but forgot to mention this in the video. Keep up the good work! Kind regards from Germany
Yes, you need to torque the lower bolts to 120 ft-lbs while the suspension is loaded with the car's weight. I set the wheels down on blocks and torqued the lower bolts.
Appreciate you answering my question on your previous video, on how the E55 compares to the CLK63. Great video and sound editing as usual, makes it really enjoyable to watch.
The rear on my E55 is begining to sag after 2 weeks of sitting. I've gotten all parts to fit in a H&R Monotube coilover kit. I'm really anxious to see how an E55 on coilovers will feel and drive.
Get bc racing I got some the ride feels stock with no body roll I love them
@@sanchexx4215 I already have the H&R Monotubes here. I will install them this Friday or Saturday, if all goes according to plan.
Pull the entire hydronic system tied to it and drop 220 lbs. it will amaze you how light the car feels.
@@Stupidboi1 it's pneumatic and weighs about 20kg more than a coilover setup
I missed the E55 too! The W211 is just such a timeless design. I got in an accident with my Father in law's W211 after someone jumped a red light. It was so sad to see it dragged up on a flatbed truck. Most important thing is me and my wife walked away from a massive accident... I now drive a CLK...
My front right (final of my four corners) just failed and I got my replacement Arnott unit yesterday. I wondered if AMGmeister had a write up on this and now here it is lol.. I’ve had all the same issues as you’ve covered so far. Thanks again
Every W211 E55 I owned had this issue. Luckily it is a pretty easy fix I used to order my replacements from Arnott.
Ideally, both sides should be replaced at the same time. Otherwise one side will handle slightly better than the other. Also, another side is very likely to go bad soon (1-2 years at most) based on observations. I bought the same reman unit from Arnott. It cane defective (would thump over bumps) I had to return and get a replacement. No issues so far. It’s been 2 years
Yes, I replaced both even thought just one broke. It's recommended to change both by the manufacturer.
I literally went out to my 2005 E500 Wagon this morning and my front driver side strut has given out what a coincidence.
My right side Sunday.
Excellent angle shots
beautiful image quality. well done!
Great video as always. The quality of your content is unmatched.
Jesus your car is clean. I'm not looking forward to my air to go, in New Zealand it wont be cheap
I'm from New Zealand as well. Definitely ain't cheap, 2k each 🥶.
I’m in NZ mate I can help if u need it. Depending on what year yours is I can point u in the right direction
I have to say that is one clean car
@@johnbates606 Do you know where I can get two front bearing caps ? I'm from Auckland.
@@AFLI8D hey mate I just saw your dm to me. When u say hub caps do you mean the ones that are in the wheels ?
Loved the quick comparison between the E55 and Clk63😎👍🏼
Watched your vid one week ago and I’ll be damned if the same thing didn’t happen to my 2005 e55 today. Unfortunately I am not in any condition to repair it myself. This is going to get costly quick.
This maybe rather bias since I’m a 06 s55 AMG driver but this has been the best channel around ..though I have ABC this is still very informative and entertaining. Love the comparison of the two cars at the end ... fuk wit da Meister bruuhh
Speaking of transmissions... LegitStreetCars did an upgrade to the 5 speed to make it shift much better. Consider it if you want better shifting from the E55.
Of course you have the CLK63, so you've already got your alternative...
This was such an informative vid. Please AMGmeister can we get a video on the S55 vs E55 amg?
I changed my front suspension on my 2003 E55 2 years ago. Cost me closed to $3,000.00. Now I am afraid of the rear suspension because the car is 18 years old, and still drives so good.
Terrific video !
Mine just failed on my E55 appreciate the videos
Nah bro you good it’s just slammed dawg. That fitment cleannnn
Hi AMG Meister, thanks for your stickers you sent me - they're really good quality. I put them in my E55! Can you tell me please the size of the brass nut on the strut for the air line? I just need to order the right socket since i'm doing my rear bags and struts in a few weeks :)
I love your videos thanks!
Please make merchandise. i would love a hoodie or a t-shirt.
Is there a way to check air suspension before they go bad? Any symptoms before getting shot?
Firstly. If your Kompressor is always on or starts too often. Means you have a leak somewhere.. First check the lines coming off of the valve block. That's an issue I had.. 2nd problem is the air struts.. They get wear and leak after a while.. 3rd problem is the Kompressor itself.
If it's slow, sluggish and struggling.. That means either the filter is clogged or the Kompressor itself is giving up. In my case the Kompressor died which cost me 400 Euros to fix on my W220..
Least it took 17 years. That's impressive knowing that 2000s cars are meant to be disposeable
yeah and only 79.000 km, my w203 still has the original suspension even after 430.000 km
I definitely like the e55 better!
I'm glad you got a good deal on the rebuilt struts. Did you have to send the old ones in to get a core charge back?
I guess a lot of people convert to regular struts.
You made it sound like the originals lasted a long time. 17 years. Except for the fact that 79,000 kilometers is less than 50,000 miles which is low mileage for that old of a car but not impressive for the longevity of the original struts.
The air bladders and seals in the air struts are made of rubber which naturally degrades over time. It really doesn’t matter the mileage, rubber degrades with age. Think about it; it wouldn’t be wise to drive around on 17 year old tires either, even if they had almost no miles on them.
Nice video! Quick and useful! Please tell why did you choose a reman Arnott shocks to the new "updated" Arnott shocks? I'd prefer OEM design of the old ones too, but I'd like to hear more info about why new ones are less desirable.
May want to keep in mind they are replaced in pairs usually when they go out esp when going to a different design/arnott in this case. Arnott is a very good alternative but i have found the Biltein OEM shocks are better built and usually last longer. Also may want to update your TCU with a tune and you will see your CLK63 will be left behind :) I doubt E55 is 2 seconds slower to 150 lol 2 seconds equates to a few cars lengths at that speed
Yes, always replace in pairs.
Beautiful machine. Wait, did you buy another one, I sought of remember a video where you said you sold it...
How do you maintain that immaculate show room quality paint job???
I own an 2005 S500 and mines did the same thing..I actually converted it to shocks and struts..
Awesome video as always! May I ask how much the struts were??? There's no price on their website...
I bought from Rock Auto. About $500 USD each including a refundable $100 core charge.
I always have trouble with the RR strut on my S55. The ABC does not like to sit at the curb height , but the rest are fine. It holds pressure and articulation is good. No codes sets. Not sure if it's the position switch.
Welcome to the m156 family :-) I make videos about my E63.
A question if I may. Was the S211 E55 ever sold post facelift without the SBC? The sedan reverted to the M156 engine around the same time.
Thanks
What’s better? The Arnott rebuilt or the Arnott new? I assume that extra cylinder they add is good, no?
IS ARNOTT the onyl one you recommend? my car now has car to low red light. there might be 1 inch gap at best between whell and fender. there is Arnott, autopart premium bilstein, dorman and more. what would be your top 2 or 3 to recommend for struts?
Yessirskiii 💪
Question regarding Arnott front struts. I notice you said you ussed remanufactured units 2300 & 2301 rather than new units. Please can you tell me if this will allow the Airmatic 1 & 2 & Comfort & Raise settings to be selected behind gear selector?? So if I buy new Arnott struts, these functions will not work? Thanks and greeting from Ireland
Yes, the AS 2300 and 2301 allows for the damper settings to be selected with the button behind the shift lever. The new Arnott struts have their own damper design that is not connected to the button in the car.
@@AMGmeister thank you so much for this information. Unfortunately Arnott Europe say those remanufactured items are unavailable. I believe Bilstein are the OEM struts. I may have to try to source them instead. My cls55. Is similar age to yours. Thank you sir!
What was the price difference between the OEM and these refurbished ones?
And did you check whether or not it could have been solved with some epoxy in the right places?
How do you change the brake fluid on a E55?
You need to use a high level scan tool or Mercedes STAR diagnostic which can run the pump to bleed the brakes properly.
Do you have any videos of replacing the rears on the e55?
did not know that Arnott uses oem cores for their replacements? that alone makes me more likely to buy Arnott.
My front left air strut has failed also. I was wondering is it safe to replace just one side or is it more advisable to replace both front struts?
When you say you filled the strut to 5.5 bar of pressure, how did you do that?
Are there any aftermarket suspension upgrades for this car?
This might be a stupid question, but how is your paint so clean and has no swirl marks. How do you dry the car after washes?
Yes, I dry the car with an air blower. Wash with 2 buckets and lots of soap.
Would you acquire a M157/M152 in the near future?
Did you upgrade the headunit on your E55??? I have a 2003 and I'm looking to upgrade the headunit.
Any suggestions???
When are your going coil’s?
What camera are you using
Funniest thing is that everybody seems to be selling them when it hits that 120k miles range
So why would you not want ads?
Do you know if its normal for the e55 to slightly sag after sittinh for day or two?
Don’t come to STL you might replace all 4 twice in a year 😂
Pulley, headers and tune and see about the 0-120 time
Nah keep it stock.
How much it cost you?
1000 USD for the two struts including $200 in refundable core return charges.
@@AMGmeister
Thank like your video.
Rear ones will need replace soon have some 🤑🤑🤑🤑 ready
😍😍😍😍😍😍
They have a 7 speed swap for the e55s would you ever consider?
I had a rare airmatic issue related to the speed sensor. This is how I fixed mine ruclips.net/video/B4BPgAEJ0cE/видео.html
it always fails. just swap it for coilovers.
Why? Easier and better to just replace them with Arnott.