2008 Mercedes Benz S550 4MATIC Air Suspension Malfunction

[@robinpengelly8202]

Hey so glad you are back and enjoying your video again - was hoping you were ok!

[@martinlang9615]

I had owned a 2008 S320 CDi long wheel base black on black and it was a private import from UK. I sold it back to the dealer in Sydney AUSTRALIA only about 3 months ago after pouring in heaps to get it to a mechanically near perfect condition. I got 1248 klms on one tank of diesel and still had 122 klms to go (that would be highway klms). It was beautiful. Installed ultra high resolution reversing camera, head unit for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. From memory the tyres were 245/55R18 but should have been 255/55R18 (I think that profile is right…could have been 45 though). An amazing ride. Factory rims and I imported a genuine rim to match so it had a full size spare. It was rear wheel drive. As you can see it was incredibly economical, plenty of power and torque to overtake effortlessly. It had a removable gooseneck towball with inbuilt lock which did not change the aesthetics of the rear bumper. The air suspension was ok and I had a diagnostic scan tool to view faults. I have a large diesel 4x4 with air suspension now which gives a good ride, better than the Merc due to the bigger tyres as well. Personally, these vehicles are only for hardcore enthusiasts with cash to keep fixing issues…as you will have issues. Why buy a juice guzzler S550 though. Even around town I would get 800 klms per tank. It was a very difficult decision to sell her.

[@martinlang9615]

All 5 rims and tyres were the same size. The manual said I could have 17,18,19,20 inch tyres. I would have preferred the 17 inch rims so that it had higher profile tyres for the terrible roads here in Australia. I had an engine start battery in the rear seat upright (accessible via the boot)…an unusual location as it has an accessory battery under the hood. The biggest issue with the V6 is the oil cooler gasket which was made of the wrong material from factory. It was orange in colour, the new neoprene is purple for $10…but it takes 2 days to replace it. My local mechanic sourced an additive from Sydney and it was amazing. The oil leak stopped after about 200 klms driving. Expensive at $100, but worth every cent as it lasts 2 years! I think the mechanic said it was made by Liquid Engineering, but I can’t find them on the internet and my mechanic has retired. I tried using ATP from the US and it was good, but you needed it every oil change. I sold it with 248,000 klms, bought 3 years prior with 200,000klms.

[@martinlang9615]

Huh! I just found them. Search “Liquid Engineering AUSTRALIA”. By far the best I could get my hands on and it saved me thousands…mind you I would have continued to use the ATP product. The W221 is my favourite shape for sure. The S320 did not have all the features this S550 would have. It did have rear electric blind. I agree with you on the silly 20 inch rims. Stupid idea. Even my 18 inch rims were not high profile enough. Just be aware that the S550 I think had the bigger rims anyway. You need to look in the manual which of course I no longer have, but I do remember that they were the bigger sizes as standard. Good luck.

[@joachimhorey2490]

'PromoSM' 🌷