Unlike the usual steel springs that most cars have, your Mercedes is equipped with their own design called the AirMatic System. The AirMatic system works together with the Adaptive Damping System (ADS) to give you as smooth a ride as possible. You’re literally riding on air!
By watching the road and predicting your driving habits, your Mercedes AirMatic system will automatically add air to the suspension system to give you a better driving experience. You can adjust the suspension yourself, depending on weather conditions to give your Mercedes more clearance and a more stable ride.
The AirMatic system is one of the defining features in any luxury Mercedes. As a responsible car owner, you should understand the warning signs as to when it is beginning to fail. Like any other car part, a general awareness of the symptoms of your car problems can go a long way towards fixing a minor problem before it becomes a major one.
Message Center Notifications on your Dashboard
Many people tend to ignore the messages their car is giving them. It’s tempting to think that your vehicle is giving you false information or that error notifications aren’t important. Remember that your Mercedes is a luxury vehicle with an intelligent onboard computer.
One of the easiest ways to understand if you have a problem with your AirMatic system is by looking at the message center notifications. If you see the picture of a vehicle with the word “malfunction” or “visit workshop” and an upwards pointing arrow inside a car, then this means your Mercedes AirMatic system is experiencing problems. The key indicator to look for is the upwards pointing arrow. When you see this warning light, an experienced Mercedes technician will have no problem in diagnosing and repairing the problem for you.
Air Leaks
Although not as easy to diagnose as an error message, air leaks are one of the most common issues you will encounter with the AirMatic system. As the entire system has pressured air running through it, any hole, tear, or leak in the system will cause air loss from the system.
A leak can occur at many places throughout the AirMatic system, but the most likely places would be where one part meets another part. This can be fittings, bearings, joints, valves and any other connections. You can spray water along the system to try and find the leak. When you see the sprayed water bubbling, you know you have an air leak. You will need to have it examined professionally at an expert Mercedes garage. Without air in the AirMatic system, most Mercedes vehicles will not allow you to drive it.
Difficulty Handling and Low Clearance
If you begin to notice that your Mercedes is turning with more difficulty than usual, or that it is lower to the ground, this is another indication that the AirMatic system is struggling. This can be caused by many factors, including leaks as was mentioned before. It can also be as simple as a blown fuse. If the fuses for the AirMatic system need to be replaced, the compressor and air tank will struggle to keep pressurised air in the system.
This means sluggish, slow turn rates and a vehicle that lays low to the ground, as the air system is not pushing upwards. Sometimes replacing the fuse can fix the problem. More often than not, a blown fuse means that there is a larger problem which can include a bad compressor.
It’s also possible that one of the AirMatic struts will fail. If you notice your Mercedes handling differently, resting lower to the ground, or you feel like you’re sitting at an angle, then have a specialist look for the cause. When the AirMatic system fails completely, the car won’t be able to drive.
Manfred’s Import Auto
Whatever your issue is, the crew at Manfred’s Import Auto has the experience to help you diagnose 
and find the problem. If you notice any of these AirMatic systems errors or indications, we can use our state of the art diagnostic equipment to quickly find and correct the issue.
The Mercedes AirMatic system is one the key features of a Mercedes luxury car, and helps give you the safest and most comfortable ride possible. For more than 35 years, Manfred’s Import Auto has been providing excellent service to Barrington, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, and Cary, IL. Call us or book an appointment through our online booking service now for all of your AirMatic needs.
* Mercedes Benz Car image credit goes to: Julie Deshaies.
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