I owned a Town Car that had coil springs, and the ride was VASTLY different from the Town Car's that utilize air suspension. Air suspension is more headache, and the repair cost can be higher, but I feel like the ride quality is superior.
I have an LSC Mark Lincoln now and would never change the air ride. I have had several and switched out the first one because Thunderbird parts were a direct interchange and I thought they would be better. Wrong. Once you get past the fear of the unknown, air ride is the same as steel, just with a different method. I appreciate your straight out method of instruction. Auto repair is not rocket science - just Mercedes and BMW and Audi try to make it seem that way with their bizarre engineering solutions.
The biggest issue I've found with the Airmatic systems is the people that work on them, or the lack of diagnostic that is performed on it. Your average non-MB indy tends to just scares the customer with a potential high cost to fix, and then just starts throwing parts at the problem until something eventually fixes it. The front on my Airmatic kept lowering overnight, took it to a mechanic, his immediate diagnostic was to replace the front strut assemblies, for 2 grand. Instead I decided to take the job on myself and with the money I saved on labor I bought a Star Diagnostic C4 Multiplexer, ran the leak tests on the system and noticed that the leak was not from the front, but all shocks were leaking and the front was lowering first because it had the most weight on it from the engine. After taking the time to understand how the system works, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't a leak on the airbags, but rather the pump was leaking. Took the pump apart, realized that the dryer medium (tiny balls that soak up the condensation) were completely soaking wet and the oxidation was causing the pump vent solenoid to stick and not close fully. I changed the dryer medium, cleaned the solenoid and the the system went back to working completely fine and has been for the last 30k miles. The entire thing cost me $11 for a bag of dryer balls. If I would have let my mechanic do it, he would have replaced the front struts, then when that didn't fix it, probably the pump as well, for a tune of $3500. Moral of the story, diagnose the damn thing properly... I can only imagine how many cars were converted over to steel springs just because of a sticky solenoid or some other minor issue.
It's easy to throw parts at a problem when you're not paying for them. Unfortunately, way too many 'techs' and even more DIY'ers go this route. Replaced a speed sensor before realizing it was a cut in the wiring between the body interior and exterior. So I'm guilty of taking short cuts too!
I replaced the rear bladders myself last year. Ordered from Arnott directly. I paid a little over $600 for the set. Air suspension is the best suspension.
We got the suspension conversion from Strutmasters for our E550 for $1,200. That included the module to remove the suspension light. The ride quality is great and we would highly recommend it considering the value of these cars. For the E55 it's only $999 with lifetime warranty as well!
The Conforti Brothers Strutmasters is great. Based in North Carolina, if you don't have the confidence to do the job yourself, they have a facility that you can bring your vehicle to and they will do the conversion for a reasonable price.
I had strutmasters on my w215 Mercedes and they were terrible. The car bounced all over the road and the struts were totally shot after just 1 year of driving. They squeaked very loudly on every little bump in the road. I replaced them over a year ago with Yellow Speed Racing adjustable coilovers and they are MUCH better. The only useful thing I got from the strutmasters kit was the ABC error delete module.
Absolutely love your videos , breath of fresh air from your usual youtubers... the knowledge you send out is second to non !! Hope this channel grows and grows as you deserve it bud
I ditched my air suspension on my Benz and couldn't be happier. The maintenance of the airmatic suspension was a nightmare and a money pit. I got the Strutmasters kit on my car. I like the way it rides better than the airmatic setup. You didn't mention that you can rebuild the air compressor. I did that on mine. You can save even more money doing that.
Great video. I have nothing but good things to say about the Arnott brand, I had an issue with E53 air struts and the owner of the company emailed me directly to get it sorted out. The X5 struts and springs total around $1000, so considering an E55 is going to be $3000 in replacement parts as a DIY is substantially more, definitely a major expense.
Sir, you are a genius! Test drove a CLS 55 AMG and a E55 AMG and fell in love with the amazing performance only AMGs can deliver but never made the move on actually buying one because of the complex airmatic suspension. After seeing this though, maybe I can buy one after all and save a huge amount of money! Great Channel! 👍👍👍 Please make one on the SBC system too.
Hey great video, with the Merc airmatic suspension if u pull the 5amp fuse from the fuse box on the side of the dashboard labeled for airmatic this will remove the fault message from the display, so for anyone considering a coilover kit and cant find anyone to code the car this hack should work
I love the blend of humor and excellent quality reporting. I still think I will shy away from vehicles with air suspension systems because at least when the Mercedes Benz units fail, the car drops to the ground and renders it immobile. It's not a luxury feature but more of a fatal flaw in my opinion. But if I have to buy one, it would be the Cadillac setup and i would purchase either the Strutmaster or Arnott kit from FCPeuro. Thank God for their lifetime warranty. FCPeuro seems to be the hidden gem in quality automotive aftermarket suppliers. Great video Alex!
Kenneth White Not 100% accurate. The Benz Airmatic will start throwing warning codes and the car will list before it actually goes totally flat. Ignore the warning messages and then your asking for trouble.
Joseph Gizzi Jr I'm surprised to hear you say that because even though I've never owned one, I did have friends that did. And I can remember on more than one occasion and more than one car, when we would be traveling on vacation, we would get to our destination with zero problems. Parked the car and remained inside till the next day due to the long drive. When we emerged the next morning, she was on the ground. My friends were equally stunned and i asked them both if they had this issue before. They said, "no". Maybe they weren't completely forthright but I wouldn't see why they would not tell me the truth. Just my experiences.
Wish I saw this before paying the MB dealer when my front strut starting throwing warning codes on my ‘09 S550 4Matic. Year later I wound up trading the car in for ‘14 S550 4Matic. Nothing beats the ride of and S550 with that air suspension. Now I now....great info!
Thanks for showing the cost and associated difficulty level of the various options. It’s also great that you are keeping an open mind when describing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. Very well done.
Just fixed a 07 Denali. New rear air compressor (lifetime warranty from Autozone) for the rear shocks and new conventional spring loaded shocks for the front with two front air suspension module bypass systems for $15 to keep that service suspension light off the dash. Now need to get new rear air shocks to finish it up as the air compressor only runs the rear.
Thanks for sharing. The Airmatic system is one of the main reasons why I went with the E350 vs E550 because I just did not want to deal with it. Would please do a video on Mercedes ABC (Active Body Control) system? Again thanks for the great informative videos.
I love your videos, thank you very much for making them. I currently own a 99 c43 AMG and a 90 190e renntech AMG....your $200 c43 is how I found you. Basically, any video you make, that has to do with older Mercedes, I’ll watch hahah. Especially love the ones where you’re detailing out the maintenance cost/estimates. P.s. looking to buy an E55 this year as well, thanks to your influence !! Keep up the good stuff brother
I have owned and worked on many MBenz with air matic suspensions. It's never the whole system, usually one strut or the pump or distribution block. I have never spent more than $1500 and once fixed they last a long time. Always use arnott products. Coil spring conversions never ride the same, it's the lazy way, diagnose the problem and change the offending part.
My W220 sitting on Arnott's coilovers now its a good DIY job for saturday!Ridecomfort very similar like was before with the Airstruts!Which is a big surprise for me as well!!!Price absolutely bargain if you compare with the OEM ones!So thanks for the good video i think this video give a big help for lot of people who's have some airmatic problems!
Don't matter how your color it the only way you'll catch me driving a euro car it's when you put my dead body in it. That been said, you're a life saver when it comes to dealing with them. ✊👍 keep up the good work, Mr. Alex !
My 11 Grand Cherokee Overland's suspension started going bad- the compressor constantly coming on to level the vehicle. I did some research on line and people were saying the repair could be any from $2000-4000 depending on what the dealer's diagnosis was. I just traded the thing in. I won't be going the air suspension route any more in the foreseeable future. There's enough that can go wrong with cars these days without having to worry about unnecessary stuff like that.
I have an S430 and once you do one air shock you will have it down where replacing the other takes way less time to do than the drakes. I got a “bad” shock for one side and by the 3rd time putting one on the hardest part was taking off the tire! I think it may have taken me 20 minuets total the last time or at least no more than 1/2 hour that was without help. So the front of the MB suspension is one of the most simple DIY jobs to do. The electrical connector is actually the hardest part
My coilovers are on the way for my 2003 S430, will be so happy to be rid of the stress of an aged air suspension! Supreme reliability and much cheaper than maintaining the air system, woo hoo!
I remember older Lincoln Continental's, owners opted for removal of the airbag suspension completely with a standard suspension aftermarket option when it experienced an expensive failure.
My brother and I replaced the entire air suspension on my dad's Range Rover with coil springs. Took us two days, we did it in the middle of winter so the cold slowed us down alot. Got the springs from Arnot as well.
This is reassuring stuff. Thank you. Such beautiful cars deserve time and effort. I haven’t experienced a problem with mine yet but it’s at the back of mind. Great stuff thank you 👍
I have a 2005 E500 and the rear air spring / shocks are around $300 each just for the parts. thats for aftermarket parts which are actually cheaper than OE (but actually better). in all honesty, the air suspension isn't the most confidence inspiring thing for road trips, but nice when the parts are in good shape
That's why I love MRC from gm. Not regular suspension or air ride. But in between can be controlled to be soft or firm and ride smooth and safe. And alot cheaper
For the Ford Crown Victoria- Lincoln Town Car when the rear air ride goes out go to victory auto wreckers and get the rear coil springs off a Police Interceptior
I have an ‘04 SL500 and would definitely keep the air suspension.. I’d just DIY it in the garage. The ride is just too good to give up. Thanks for the video! Good to know I can fix it myself when the time comes 😎
*I have an 06 Escalade EXT that is giving the "service ride control" error message too. according to the Cadillac forums the thing that typically fails on those is either the Whole compressor which you can replace for under $300.00 on ebay for the Dorman replacement or you could replace just the filter and the exhaust valve sometimes on the factory set up and come out under $100.00 if in fact your compressor is still good, and replacing that failed part is pretty straight forward and simple they do also have kits that include the two rear shocks with the new compressor for under $400.00 or right at $520 for the compressor and all 4 new shocks , the replacement shocks are the Arnott shocks in those kits as well. There is no sense just replacing the whole kit with regular shocks or the bypass module just to get rid of the error message on your dash. those shocks aid the traction control and AWD to help get you out of or keep you from getting stuck in tight or slippery spots so they do more than just beef up the suspension when you are towing. SO unless you are on an EXTREMELY tight budget spend the money and do it right with the replacement parts and save yourself some time and headache*
My 2010 e63 with ~150k miles said "airmatic malfunction". Ended up being a cracked line running from the compressor to the valve block. $20 fix and 30 minutes up under the car
air all the way. Good video as always. I’d like to see a video on the w163 and all the quality issues from Alabama. could be a pretty entertaining yet informative video 👍
When the air suspension on my friends Mercedes deflated, he had it towed to the dealer. The quote for the repair was so outrageous, he replaced the car with a Toyota Yaris.
wish you had an FJ Cruiser and a knock sensor issue. Your explanations are detailed and easy to follow. Can't find anything on the involved job on the internet.
I've always said that as much as I'd love an AMG I could never afford one. You got me really considering changing my mind. Wow. You could be helping me to realize my dream. Thanks.
My dad had a 2003 Escalade ext his had 95,000 miles and he treated it if it was his child and it’s true the better and proper you treat your car it will last
My front passenger side went out yesterday and was replaced today. It’s actually not expensive i paid 550 installed and took the guy less then an hour. It would’ve been faster if he didnt strip a bolt, lol. I love the air suspension because i like the lowered look it will scrape, pressing the button to raise the vehicle is really a great option and on long trips being in comfort mode granted not drastic change from lets say S1 is still a great option to have. When you replace them with good quality air suspension bags they will last for a very long time. Keep up the good work👍
Love your videos, I currently own a 2008 Cadillac DTS, and was considering to purchase a 2006 Mercedes-Benz S430 4Matic with 150,000 miles, I have heard horror stories and indecisive! HELP.. LOVE MY CADDY! CADILLAC MAN !
Well done Alex... Another great video. I drive a 2003 SL 500 with 150,000 miles. I don’t have any issues right now but who knows when I will need all that good information you just gave us.. Thanks!
Well, Alex, as an actor you make a mighty fine mechanic (I think that’s how that saying goes). Lol. Love your vids. Happy that none of my three benzes has air suspension, running a Benz here in Australia is expensive enough as is (and I do all my own labour).
Good info here. I would keep the system as these are some of the systems that set these cars apart from cheaper (When new) cars. Sounds like aftermarket is the way to go here.
Hey Ken...”usually” when the system detects a pressure leak you will get a warning on the dash as well as code stored in the computer. I’ve had a number of Benz’s in my day with air suspension and personally never seen the car go from level to flat without some warning. If the car sits over night and you come out in the morning and its down to the ground...I would think some messages would have been thrown prior to that happening. I’m no Benz’s mechanic...just from what I’ve been told by the dealer and seen on my own first hand.
The skit in the opening scene was meant to be an exagerated. But, you can have a blow out of a strut or spring that would cause it to slam. Or a line that burst but yes generally you will have a warning. Thanks for watching. Alex
I recall a phone call from a previous lifetime as a Mercedes service advisor LOL. He was proud of himself, picking up a low-mileage W220 S430 for $27,000 with collapsed air suspension. Mind you this was in 2004. - So what do you think it is and how much it would cost? - About$5,700. -The line went quiet for a moment. I thought he hung up on me 😂 Did you say.... Five thousand.... Seven hundred dollars?!? - Yes sir. Well if the car has been sitting on the ground especially for a long period, odds are all for airbag Springs are collapsed. Prior to that happening, the pump was most likely running constantly in an attempt to level the vehicle. So in all likelihood the pump has burnt out, taking the relay with it. So we would need to replace all of those components if needed, THEN check the remainder of the system for leaks. I was following service department protocol of course. Last I knew, which was a few years ago looking into it for a friend, I think shocks.com or some other site offered a conversion kits similar to what you mentioned with the Escalade. Coil springs, shock absorbers, and the bypass module so you would not have a warning light, for something like $1,300 with a lifetime warranty as well.
Great video, thanks for sharing so much great information. My choice would be to dump the air ride and convert. The inevitability of the car dropping would drive me nuts and I’d love the car less. Just my preference.
You're making me miss my S550 now 😣.... I did a rear airmatic shock from Arnott for $700 DIY and dealer wanted $2800 for it. When my business really takes off Im gettin me a SL63AMG!!!! I say next video should be about the V12 vehicles and why they're so cheap ans what is and what is not DIY on them. My friend who was a MB tech warned me not to get a V12.
I redid the magnetic ride control shocks in the rear of my DTS performance and it was around $1400. Not to bad.
6 лет назад+1
I found these videos awesome to watch, even when I don't have any of the cars you talk about. I own an '89 Jeep XJ Cherokee, '06 Jeep XK Commander, '08 Suzuki Grand Vitara and '15 Mazda MX-5 1.5, so I'd love to see any of them in your feed, but awesome stuff nonetheless! :D
Converted a 1997 Lincoln Town Car Air Suspension in the Rear End from Air Springs to Coil Springs and Monroe Max-Air Shocks. Cost $ 200 and a Saturday Afternoon.
@@circusboy90210 How? Crown Vics are the same car but with coils in the back and they ride and handle great. I used the Crown Vic coils in my mom's Town Car when it blew a bag.
Great video. I've got a Toyota Crown Majesta (grey import to Australia) which comes with air suspension similar to the Lexus LS400. Worked beautifully for a couple of years now needs a repair and online Toyota prices are horrendous (big $$$$). Just need to find a conversion kit to replace it.
I can barely only afford my Toyota 4runner TRD PRO. Which honestly has nearly bank rupted me, so I can't imagine what it cost to maintain these luxury cars.
Love your videos and super informative as always. I would like to see a video comparing module reprograms at the dealership compared to other companies with scanners that you load different maps and so on. I had a check engine light on my speed3 recently and the dealer reprogrammed the pcm and it fixed the issue. From comments online there is supposedly a way to access the calibration and do it yourself and think it would be cool in the future, if it's legit and won't cause more damage than it's worth. If you could find a source and way to confirm this, I think it'd be a great video since these cars nowadays are just getting more and more modules and dyi is seeming less and less possible.
If my air suspension goes I would switch to coils. Seems like a reliable and lightweight alternative. I'd only lose some ride quality that you can only get with airmatic but thats fine
I haven’t done bags in an E55 yet but don’t you have to use the Ramis gauge to get your lower control arms to the right ride height angle before you “torque” the bag into place to prevent it from blowing out the side? I do know positions of these bags are critical with these unlike the 166 chassis
My sister has a S550...if the suspension fails , I will tell her to convert to the Arnott suspension :) . I am glad that my Mercedes does not have air suspension...LOL
lol dealer quoted me over 7000$ to fix my S430. A 300$ used air compressor and a relay later, I was back on the road. They wanted to replace all damper, compressor, distribution box etc the whole nine yard. Told them they are incompetant if they can't find the problem to the point to go ahead and shotgun fix by replacing everything. Pressure gauge on the output of the compressor and I knew that was the problem even WITHOUT star diagnosis.
I did the rear Air shocks on my Yukon Denali and compressor, and front shocks for $750. 3 hours to do all. If I ever die, my wife will finally figure out what all of them tools in the garage are for.
Doh! Took the E55 for a blast to get gas last night and heard a whoosh and then a big red ‘car too low’ warning. Luckily I was a couple of blocks from the house and as able to get it home and a jack under it to keep the suspension from sitting on the tire. I am looking at options from rebuilding the stock ones as a pair for $600 round trip shipping to a full BC Racing adjustable coil over conversion and non-airmatic lower control arms for around $1300. Arnott coilover kit is a little more but is not adjustable but does include bypass module. I have not been able to see what an Arnott conversion ride height to see if it is any better than Strutmasters. I don’t really need the adjustments the BC offers and don’t really want to have to look for someone to code out the system but I don’t want my E55 sitting like an F150 either. I’m going to end up spending $1200-$1600 no matter what so I just have to decide which way to go. Anyone know how the Arnott kit looks after settling?
What would you guys do? Do you love your air suspension or would you ditch it all?
I owned a Town Car that had coil springs, and the ride was VASTLY different from the Town Car's that utilize air suspension. Air suspension is more headache, and the repair cost can be higher, but I feel like the ride quality is superior.
LegitStreetCars air suspension all the way , amg without it is not an amg
Ditch it all on the E55 and do the BC coilover setup from VRP
I kept my ABC suspension in my sl55 and did most the work myself.
I have an LSC Mark Lincoln now and would never change the air ride. I have had several and switched out the first one because Thunderbird parts were a direct interchange and I thought they would be better. Wrong. Once you get past the fear of the unknown, air ride is the same as steel, just with a different method. I appreciate your straight out method of instruction. Auto repair is not rocket science - just Mercedes and BMW and Audi try to make it seem that way with their bizarre engineering solutions.
The biggest issue I've found with the Airmatic systems is the people that work on them, or the lack of diagnostic that is performed on it. Your average non-MB indy tends to just scares the customer with a potential high cost to fix, and then just starts throwing parts at the problem until something eventually fixes it.
The front on my Airmatic kept lowering overnight, took it to a mechanic, his immediate diagnostic was to replace the front strut assemblies, for 2 grand. Instead I decided to take the job on myself and with the money I saved on labor I bought a Star Diagnostic C4 Multiplexer, ran the leak tests on the system and noticed that the leak was not from the front, but all shocks were leaking and the front was lowering first because it had the most weight on it from the engine. After taking the time to understand how the system works, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't a leak on the airbags, but rather the pump was leaking. Took the pump apart, realized that the dryer medium (tiny balls that soak up the condensation) were completely soaking wet and the oxidation was causing the pump vent solenoid to stick and not close fully. I changed the dryer medium, cleaned the solenoid and the the system went back to working completely fine and has been for the last 30k miles. The entire thing cost me $11 for a bag of dryer balls. If I would have let my mechanic do it, he would have replaced the front struts, then when that didn't fix it, probably the pump as well, for a tune of $3500.
Moral of the story, diagnose the damn thing properly... I can only imagine how many cars were converted over to steel springs just because of a sticky solenoid or some other minor issue.
Always inspiring to read this sort of post.
It's easy to throw parts at a problem when you're not paying for them. Unfortunately, way too many 'techs' and even more DIY'ers go this route. Replaced a speed sensor before realizing it was a cut in the wiring between the body interior and exterior. So I'm guilty of taking short cuts too!
how old was your car when you did this? What if i do not know how to turn a wrench; not buy it?
True Story
I replaced the rear bladders myself last year. Ordered from Arnott directly. I paid a little over $600 for the set. Air suspension is the best suspension.
We got the suspension conversion from Strutmasters for our E550 for $1,200. That included the module to remove the suspension light. The ride quality is great and we would highly recommend it considering the value of these cars. For the E55 it's only $999 with lifetime warranty as well!
The Conforti Brothers Strutmasters is great. Based in North Carolina, if you don't have the confidence to do the job yourself, they have a facility that you can bring your vehicle to and they will do the conversion for a reasonable price.
I wish that were available when my E55's rt front a rt rear air bags going bad...nearly $4k spent on that crap...
I had strutmasters on my w215 Mercedes and they were terrible. The car bounced all over the road and the struts were totally shot after just 1 year of driving. They squeaked very loudly on every little bump in the road. I replaced them over a year ago with Yellow Speed Racing adjustable coilovers and they are MUCH better. The only useful thing I got from the strutmasters kit was the ABC error delete module.
@@javierdejesusorpi8543 you did the right thing, keep the air suspension, especially with an AMG.
Absolutely love your videos , breath of fresh air from your usual youtubers... the knowledge you send out is second to non !! Hope this channel grows and grows as you deserve it bud
I ditched my air suspension on my Benz and couldn't be happier. The maintenance of the airmatic suspension was a nightmare and a money pit. I got the Strutmasters kit on my car. I like the way it rides better than the airmatic setup.
You didn't mention that you can rebuild the air compressor. I did that on mine. You can save even more money doing that.
Great video. I have nothing but good things to say about the Arnott brand, I had an issue with E53 air struts and the owner of the company emailed me directly to get it sorted out. The X5 struts and springs total around $1000, so considering an E55 is going to be $3000 in replacement parts as a DIY is substantially more, definitely a major expense.
Sir, you are a genius! Test drove a CLS 55 AMG and a E55 AMG and fell in love with the amazing performance only AMGs can deliver but never made the move on actually buying one because of the complex airmatic suspension.
After seeing this though, maybe I can buy one after all and save a huge amount of money!
Great Channel! 👍👍👍
Please make one on the SBC system too.
Hey great video, with the Merc airmatic suspension if u pull the 5amp fuse from the fuse box on the side of the dashboard labeled for airmatic this will remove the fault message from the display, so for anyone considering a coilover kit and cant find anyone to code the car this hack should work
I love the blend of humor and excellent quality reporting. I still think I will shy away from vehicles with air suspension systems because at least when the Mercedes Benz units fail, the car drops to the ground and renders it immobile. It's not a luxury feature but more of a fatal flaw in my opinion. But if I have to buy one, it would be the Cadillac setup and i would purchase either the Strutmaster or Arnott kit from FCPeuro. Thank God for their lifetime warranty. FCPeuro seems to be the hidden gem in quality automotive aftermarket suppliers. Great video Alex!
Kenneth White Not 100% accurate. The Benz Airmatic will start throwing warning codes and the car will list before it actually goes totally flat. Ignore the warning messages and then your asking for trouble.
Joseph Gizzi Jr I'm surprised to hear you say that because even though I've never owned one, I did have friends that did. And I can remember on more than one occasion and more than one car, when we would be traveling on vacation, we would get to our destination with zero problems. Parked the car and remained inside till the next day due to the long drive. When we emerged the next morning, she was on the ground. My friends were equally stunned and i asked them both if they had this issue before. They said, "no". Maybe they weren't completely forthright but I wouldn't see why they would not tell me the truth. Just my experiences.
I've seen a W211 with collapsed front suspension driving on the road. Might've been scraping the tyre.
They make kits for many vehicles that eliminate the entire system and replace it with conventional springs for much less money.
The skits in the beginning are so cringey yet highly entertaining. LOL
Cringey and Entertaining is exactly what I'm thinking when I make them, haha.
The skits are top notch and make his channel so fun to watch. I always laugh so hard because I know it's true.
Wish I saw this before paying the MB dealer when my front strut starting throwing warning codes on my ‘09 S550 4Matic. Year later I wound up trading the car in for ‘14 S550 4Matic. Nothing beats the ride of and S550 with that air suspension. Now I now....great info!
I have a 2006 Escalade no problems so far. Didn’t realize it would be so expensive to fix. Thanks for doing these videos.
dude keep bringing more vids you are about to hit 100k soon i remember when you were at 30 and 40k
Thanks for showing the cost and associated difficulty level of the various options. It’s also great that you are keeping an open mind when describing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. Very well done.
Thanks brother!
Just fixed a 07 Denali. New rear air compressor (lifetime warranty from Autozone) for the rear shocks and new conventional spring loaded shocks for the front with two front air suspension module bypass systems for $15 to keep that service suspension light off the dash. Now need to get new rear air shocks to finish it up as the air compressor only runs the rear.
Thanks dude. We own a W211 E500 2005. Bought used and it has been very good to us. Nice to know suspension options.
Thanks for sharing. The Airmatic system is one of the main reasons why I went with the E350 vs E550 because I just did not want to deal with it. Would please do a video on Mercedes ABC (Active Body Control) system?
Again thanks for the great informative videos.
I love your videos, thank you very much for making them. I currently own a 99 c43 AMG and a 90 190e renntech AMG....your $200 c43 is how I found you. Basically, any video you make, that has to do with older Mercedes, I’ll watch hahah. Especially love the ones where you’re detailing out the maintenance cost/estimates. P.s. looking to buy an E55 this year as well, thanks to your influence !!
Keep up the good stuff brother
Thanks so much!! Very cool cars you have there. If you need anything feel free to reach out.
Alex
I have owned and worked on many MBenz with air matic suspensions. It's never the whole system, usually one strut or the pump or distribution block. I have never spent more than $1500 and once fixed they last a long time. Always use arnott products.
Coil spring conversions never ride the same, it's the lazy way, diagnose the problem and change the offending part.
Another video treasure of useful information. Thanks for showing us enthusiasts the practical side of following our passion for amazing cars!
My W220 sitting on Arnott's coilovers now its a good DIY job for saturday!Ridecomfort very similar like was before with the Airstruts!Which is a big surprise for me as well!!!Price absolutely bargain if you compare with the OEM ones!So thanks for the good video i think this video give a big help for lot of people who's have some airmatic problems!
I had an 05 towncar. conversion kit and labor for rear only was 275 with labor. light stayed on but didn't care and did not miss air ride.
You're in my top ten channels. Yay for FCP Euro, they've taken care of me a few times!
Don't matter how your color it the only way you'll catch me driving a euro car it's when you put my dead body in it.
That been said, you're a life saver when it comes to dealing with them.
✊👍 keep up the good work, Mr. Alex !
My 11 Grand Cherokee Overland's suspension started going bad- the compressor constantly coming on to level the vehicle. I did some research on line and people were saying the repair could be any from $2000-4000 depending on what the dealer's diagnosis was. I just traded the thing in. I won't be going the air suspension route any more in the foreseeable future. There's enough that can go wrong with cars these days without having to worry about unnecessary stuff like that.
Awesome video. I completely forgot about buying an Escalade. Thanks for the reminder.
I have an S430 and once you do one air shock you will have it down where replacing the other takes way less time to do than the drakes. I got a “bad” shock for one side and by the 3rd time putting one on the hardest part was taking off the tire! I think it may have taken me 20 minuets total the last time or at least no more than 1/2 hour that was without help.
So the front of the MB suspension is one of the most simple DIY jobs to do.
The electrical connector is actually the hardest part
This video is key as I see Air suspension rides slammed everywhere...
My coilovers are on the way for my 2003 S430, will be so happy to be rid of the stress of an aged air suspension! Supreme reliability and much cheaper than maintaining the air system, woo hoo!
I remember older Lincoln Continental's, owners opted for removal of the airbag suspension completely with a standard suspension aftermarket option when it experienced an expensive failure.
My X5 has the air suspension deleted. Sits on H&R springs and Bilstein shocks. The ride and handling is so much better than the floaty air setup.
My brother and I replaced the entire air suspension on my dad's Range Rover with coil springs. Took us two days, we did it in the middle of winter so the cold slowed us down alot. Got the springs from Arnot as well.
This is reassuring stuff. Thank you. Such beautiful cars deserve time and effort. I haven’t experienced a problem with mine yet but it’s at the back of mind. Great stuff thank you 👍
I really like this old Cadillac Escalade's interior. It looks so comfy.
Great vid! One thing the dealerships are GREAT at is charging you money!
You misspelled"stealership"
I have a 2005 E500 and the rear air spring / shocks are around $300 each just for the parts. thats for aftermarket parts which are actually cheaper than OE (but actually better). in all honesty, the air suspension isn't the most confidence inspiring thing for road trips, but nice when the parts are in good shape
That's why I love MRC from gm. Not regular suspension or air ride. But in between can be controlled to be soft or firm and ride smooth and safe. And alot cheaper
For the Ford Crown Victoria- Lincoln Town Car when the rear air ride goes out go to victory auto wreckers and get the rear coil springs off a Police Interceptior
Buy direct from Ebay, it cost half of Arnott. Tried it for a couple months. It works like a charm.
Those light lens covers look awesome!
I have an ‘04 SL500 and would definitely keep the air suspension.. I’d just DIY it in the garage. The ride is just too good to give up. Thanks for the video! Good to know I can fix it myself when the time comes 😎
I switched my e63 and r350 over to Arnott and haven’t had a problem since: compressors, struts and shocks.
*I have an 06 Escalade EXT that is giving the "service ride control" error message too. according to the Cadillac forums the thing that typically fails on those is either the Whole compressor which you can replace for under $300.00 on ebay for the Dorman replacement or you could replace just the filter and the exhaust valve sometimes on the factory set up and come out under $100.00 if in fact your compressor is still good, and replacing that failed part is pretty straight forward and simple they do also have kits that include the two rear shocks with the new compressor for under $400.00 or right at $520 for the compressor and all 4 new shocks , the replacement shocks are the Arnott shocks in those kits as well. There is no sense just replacing the whole kit with regular shocks or the bypass module just to get rid of the error message on your dash. those shocks aid the traction control and AWD to help get you out of or keep you from getting stuck in tight or slippery spots so they do more than just beef up the suspension when you are towing. SO unless you are on an EXTREMELY tight budget spend the money and do it right with the replacement parts and save yourself some time and headache*
Air pump 150.00 Front shock 297.00 Im good to go! 2008 Mercedes cls550 DIY! Good luck guys nice vid
That’s really Close to what mine cost. Full air suspension replacement. Thanks again..!
My 2010 e63 with ~150k miles said "airmatic malfunction". Ended up being a cracked line running from the compressor to the valve block. $20 fix and 30 minutes up under the car
air all the way. Good video as always. I’d like to see a video on the w163 and all the quality issues from Alabama. could be a pretty entertaining yet informative video 👍
When the air suspension on my friends Mercedes deflated, he had it towed to the dealer. The quote for the repair was so outrageous, he replaced the car with a Toyota Yaris.
ياخي احب الانسان هذا انصحكم يامحبي مرسيدس بمتابعة هذا الشخص فنان قليله فيه حببني فالمرسيدس حبي كبير لك ❤
wish you had an FJ Cruiser and a knock sensor issue. Your explanations are detailed and easy to follow. Can't find anything on the involved job on the internet.
Thank you. Thinking of changing my shocks for my S40 Benz myself.
Hey Alex, Happy Easter! Thanks for another excellent video!
Love watching your channel all the way from AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺
I've always said that as much as I'd love an AMG I could never afford one. You got me really considering changing my mind. Wow. You could be helping me to realize my dream. Thanks.
My dad had a 2003 Escalade ext his had 95,000 miles and he treated it if it was his child and it’s true the better and proper you treat your car it will last
Wow, I spent just under 300 to restore the rear air ride in my 96 Town Car. Now it'll ride like it should from the factory lol.
My front passenger side went out yesterday and was replaced today. It’s actually not expensive i paid 550 installed and took the guy less then an hour. It would’ve been faster if he didnt strip a bolt, lol. I love the air suspension because i like the lowered look it will scrape, pressing the button to raise the vehicle is really a great option and on long trips being in comfort mode granted not drastic change from lets say S1 is still a great option to have. When you replace them with good quality air suspension bags they will last for a very long time. Keep up the good work👍
Love your videos, I currently own a 2008 Cadillac DTS, and was considering to purchase a 2006 Mercedes-Benz S430 4Matic with 150,000 miles, I have heard horror stories and indecisive! HELP.. LOVE MY CADDY!
CADILLAC MAN !
Hella yeah. This is encouraging. I wanna try my hand at a Benz. But I just don't know them like that. E55 is looking more and more attractive.
I've also used Arnott on a RR P38, really good for their price!
Well done Alex... Another great video. I drive a 2003 SL 500 with 150,000 miles. I don’t have any issues right now but who knows when I will need all that good information you just gave us.. Thanks!
Well, Alex, as an actor you make a mighty fine mechanic (I think that’s how that saying goes). Lol. Love your vids. Happy that none of my three benzes has air suspension, running a Benz here in Australia is expensive enough as is (and I do all my own labour).
People like you are awesome thanks for sharing! Maybe I'll buy a E55 AMG now 😂
Good info here. I would keep the system as these are some of the systems that set these cars apart from cheaper (When new) cars. Sounds like aftermarket is the way to go here.
i thought i would see "red beams" moving over you as you letting these dealer secrets out 😅 great videos bro
Hey Ken...”usually” when the system detects a pressure leak you will get a warning on the dash as well as code stored in the computer. I’ve had a number of Benz’s in my day with air suspension and personally never seen the car go from level to flat without some warning. If the car sits over night and you come out in the morning and its down to the ground...I would think some messages would have been thrown prior to that happening. I’m no Benz’s mechanic...just from what I’ve been told by the dealer and seen on my own first hand.
The skit in the opening scene was meant to be an exagerated. But, you can have a blow out of a strut or spring that would cause it to slam. Or a line that burst but yes generally you will have a warning. Thanks for watching.
Alex
Awesome vid mate that's a nice Cadillac too goes well with the E55 Kompressor 👍🏻
There is a company in Florida that rebuilds the Mercedes original air compressor n air shock/struts warranties them and is very reasonably priced.
Great video love your style in these videos!
Would love to see that video on the Hydraulic ABC suspension on a CL55 or SL55.
Same here, I have done most of the work on my sl55 abc system and there are not enough video out there on how to do it
Skid Williams check out Tavarish. He did a coil over swap on an SL55 and is also doing a manual trans swap soon on it
I recall a phone call from a previous lifetime as a Mercedes service advisor LOL. He was proud of himself, picking up a low-mileage W220 S430 for $27,000 with collapsed air suspension. Mind you this was in 2004.
- So what do you think it is and how much it would cost?
- About$5,700.
-The line went quiet for a moment. I thought he hung up on me 😂
Did you say.... Five thousand.... Seven hundred dollars?!?
- Yes sir. Well if the car has been sitting on the ground especially for a long period, odds are all for airbag Springs are collapsed. Prior to that happening, the pump was most likely running constantly in an attempt to level the vehicle. So in all likelihood the pump has burnt out, taking the relay with it. So we would need to replace all of those components if needed, THEN check the remainder of the system for leaks.
I was following service department protocol of course. Last I knew, which was a few years ago looking into it for a friend, I think shocks.com or some other site offered a conversion kits similar to what you mentioned with the Escalade. Coil springs, shock absorbers, and the bypass module so you would not have a warning light, for something like $1,300 with a lifetime warranty as well.
Great video, thanks for sharing so much great information. My choice would be to dump the air ride and convert. The inevitability of the car dropping would drive me nuts and I’d love the car less. Just my preference.
I have a Cadillac as well love the air suspension, fixed it myself very cheaply, I wouldn’t go any other way.
That black Mercedes is so pretty
You're making me miss my S550 now 😣.... I did a rear airmatic shock from Arnott for $700 DIY and dealer wanted $2800 for it. When my business really takes off Im gettin me a SL63AMG!!!! I say next video should be about the V12 vehicles and why they're so cheap ans what is and what is not DIY on them. My friend who was a MB tech warned me not to get a V12.
I redid the magnetic ride control shocks in the rear of my DTS performance and it was around $1400. Not to bad.
I found these videos awesome to watch, even when I don't have any of the cars you talk about.
I own an '89 Jeep XJ Cherokee, '06 Jeep XK Commander, '08 Suzuki Grand Vitara and '15 Mazda MX-5 1.5, so I'd love to see any of them in your feed, but awesome stuff nonetheless! :D
Great video Alex! The headlights on the Escalade look hazy, make a vid polishing/restoring them.
Converted a 1997 Lincoln Town Car Air Suspension in the Rear End from Air Springs to Coil Springs and Monroe Max-Air Shocks. Cost $ 200 and a Saturday Afternoon.
TRAIN SHIPS worst idea ever to delete airbags
@@circusboy90210 How? Crown Vics are the same car but with coils in the back and they ride and handle great. I used the Crown Vic coils in my mom's Town Car when it blew a bag.
How many zeros in 'a bajillion'? Lol. Informative as always, Alex. Keep up the great work
Yep I have used Monroe shocks on both of my buicks feels very close to factory ride quality
You’re doing a great job! Thank you!
Great video. I've got a Toyota Crown Majesta (grey import to Australia) which comes with air suspension similar to the Lexus LS400. Worked beautifully for a couple of years now needs a repair and online Toyota prices are horrendous (big $$$$). Just need to find a conversion kit to replace it.
I can barely only afford my Toyota 4runner TRD PRO. Which honestly has nearly bank rupted me, so I can't imagine what it cost to maintain these luxury cars.
Love your videos and super informative as always. I would like to see a video comparing module reprograms at the dealership compared to other companies with scanners that you load different maps and so on. I had a check engine light on my speed3 recently and the dealer reprogrammed the pcm and it fixed the issue. From comments online there is supposedly a way to access the calibration and do it yourself and think it would be cool in the future, if it's legit and won't cause more damage than it's worth. If you could find a source and way to confirm this, I think it'd be a great video since these cars nowadays are just getting more and more modules and dyi is seeming less and less possible.
If your air suspension goes bad on the Mercedes, I would do a coilover conversion. I heard it handles better
THE-ALBANIAN-GUY It does.
done it/ no complaints.
Great video. Have an ML350CDI with air suspension. Love the ride but not the bills so thanks for the info
An Oscar winning dramatic performance! LOL
I like this video very informative. Thinking of buying a used Benz so this is Interesting video for me.
If my air suspension goes I would switch to coils. Seems like a reliable and lightweight alternative. I'd only lose some ride quality that you can only get with airmatic but thats fine
I haven’t done bags in an E55 yet but don’t you have to use the Ramis gauge to get your lower control arms to the right ride height angle before you “torque” the bag into place to prevent it from blowing out the side? I do know positions of these bags are critical with these unlike the 166 chassis
nice escalade!! love the headlights on the benz
My sister has a S550...if the suspension fails , I will tell her to convert to the Arnott suspension :) . I am glad that my Mercedes does not have air suspension...LOL
lol dealer quoted me over 7000$ to fix my S430. A 300$ used air compressor and a relay later, I was back on the road. They wanted to replace all damper, compressor, distribution box etc the whole nine yard. Told them they are incompetant if they can't find the problem to the point to go ahead and shotgun fix by replacing everything. Pressure gauge on the output of the compressor and I knew that was the problem even WITHOUT star diagnosis.
My 2000 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L air suspension is intact. It is like new. Love my Expedition and of course, FORD MOTOR COMPANY... ❤️🚙
I did the rear Air shocks on my Yukon Denali and compressor, and front shocks for $750. 3 hours to do all. If I ever die, my wife will finally figure out what all of them tools in the garage are for.
Doh! Took the E55 for a blast to get gas last night and heard a whoosh and then a big red ‘car too low’ warning. Luckily I was a couple of blocks from the house and as able to get it home and a jack under it to keep the suspension from sitting on the tire. I am looking at options from rebuilding the stock ones as a pair for $600 round trip shipping to a full BC Racing adjustable coil over conversion and non-airmatic lower control arms for around $1300. Arnott coilover kit is a little more but is not adjustable but does include bypass module. I have not been able to see what an Arnott conversion ride height to see if it is any better than Strutmasters. I don’t really need the adjustments the BC offers and don’t really want to have to look for someone to code out the system but I don’t want my E55 sitting like an F150 either. I’m going to end up spending $1200-$1600 no matter what so I just have to decide which way to go. Anyone know how the Arnott kit looks after settling?
I love this! Please make more scary parts reviews and comparison please.
Finally subscribed after the 10th video watched.
Angel Arroyo Bout time!! Haha, welcome!