- Engine / equipment
- AIRMATIC air suspension: E-Class W211, W212 and W213, S W220 to W223, CLS, CL, ML W164, GL, GLE and GLS
- Period mentioned
- 2002–2026
- Symptoms
- One corner sags overnight, suspension fault warning, the compressor runs a lot or a compressor overheated message appears; eventually the car sits low and rides hard.
- Possible cause described
- The air bellows on the struts leak with age, often at the upper crimp rings, and the compressor overworks until it burns out. The valve block and lines also leak, and the compressor relay (in the rear SAM on W221, W222 and W213) and ride height sensors fail.
- Check for the garage
- Spray soapy water on bellows, lines and valve block; read each corner's data with Xentry; check the compressor fuse and relay. Do not replace the compressor without fixing the leak first, or the new one will fail soon.
- Cost cited in the source
- Compressor: approx. €600–1,200 at an independent garage (converted from Canadian dollars); bellows: depends on the cornerA rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Mileage cited in the database: 95,000–115,000 km. This is not a maintenance interval and does not predict a failure.