Mercedes Benz Factory Air Suspension
This week we performed a simple test on this Mercedes Benz GL450 air suspension. After looking the factory air bag suspension had failed. Arnott is the company we use for these bags. They are a fraction of the price and the same quality as the Mercedes Benz suspension.
About Factory Air Suspension
Factory or original equipment manufactured (OEM) air suspension is a system that auto manufactures use to replace a regular coil spring. The systems have been around for a long time, and contrary to popular belief are very efficient. This can increase the suspension’s firmness and rideability for sportier driving, or softer for a more comfortable ride.
In these systems the vehicle is equipped with a small air pump and valves. When the car needs to go up, the air pump pumps air into the system via air lines and the pressure raises the car. When the car needs to go down, a pressure relief valve opens and lets the air pressure out thus lowering the vehicle.
Failure and Repair
Next we will talk about damage and failure. Over time, these bags will wear out. It’s typically not the rubber, but the internals that limit the travel of the suspension. These are called bump stops. This is a rubber bushing that will bottom out on rubber and not on the bag or the mounting components.There is the potential, although very unlikely, that the bag could get torn. Another way they can fail is the air bag can start leaking. The air bags are crimped with a metal band and these bands could fail over time and allow air to escape.
The leveling sensors are another thing that can fail. Each wheel has a sensor that tells the vehicle’s computer how low or high the car is sitting. Sometimes these fail, typically there will be a warning light on the dash that says something is wrong.
Other things that can fail are the air line, connectors, pumps and fittings. These components can be tested by a authorized shop such as Meister Werks European and Import. We are located 1 block south of The Renton Landing, across the street from Boeing in Renton, WA. Call 425.254.0627 or E-mail today for a quote today!
Last night we finished a air suspension refresh for this customer’s previous air ride install. Although we did not do the initial install, we fixed many problems with the old install. We resealed and trimmed all the leaky air lines and fixtures. Then we cleaned up the routing. We also made a custom base for the components to mount to. We finished that off with some fresh carpet. Previously they were screwed directly to the vehicle’s spare tire well causing an excessive amount of vibration and noise. We also stripped the spray painted tank to bare metal, prepped and powder coated it in house with Super Durable Wet White powder. To finish it off we rotated the compressors so they would not come in contact with the false floor that was previously made. Over all the noise reduction was at a minimum 20db less. We believe it turned out looking much cleaner, safer and functional than it was before.
