Hi,
what year? I had an 1984 230 te estate with self leveling suspension, this system was fitted to a lot of model. it consists
of to hydropnuematic rams that take the place of shocks they look the same apart from the pipes which are connected to them. these rams are raised and lowered according to the vehicles load. by a regulating valve attach to a contol lever,which is attach to a torsion bar which is connected to the back plate of the rear wheels. I hope i've not lost u? now the regulating valve is connected to a pump driven by the engines camshaft, this produces pressurised fluid that is deliverd to the control valve. depending on if the vehicle need to be raised or lowered fluids is taken from the fluid resevoir in the engine compartment and pumped to the struts. there are also two pressure spheres which are really the shock absorber elements of the system. inside the sphere there is a diaphram that seperates a fluid chamber, from a chamber with pressurise nitrogen gas these are your shocks. now depending on what your problem is dictates what you need to do? if the
ride is hard ,there is something to check first make sure that the control lever on the torsion bar is secure and not adrift from its
u bolt. it must move only in response to the relative position of the torsion bar. if this is secure but the ride is lowsy then the sphere are no good you have to jack the car at the rear but not on the axle as this will presurerise the fluid, do it on the two rear mounting bushes on the trailing arm. your need a good set of flare spanners. dont use ordinairy open ended ,big mistake. soak everything in wd 40 overnight. the spanner I think are 11mm 14mm 10mm 15mm but double check they have to fit perfect. theres a bleed nipple on the side of the valve connect a bit of rubber tube open it up drain off the fluid. disconect the sphere, you'll get soaked in oil so be prepared have a bowl ready to drop the spheres in. then fit the new spheres don't be clever and try to start the threads on the connection with a spanner, do it with your fingers. make sure its going on right before you use a spanner to complete the tightening. after everything done up, fill the reservoir with about 1.4 lt of the correct fluid thats very important double check that figure it may be different for your car. load the vehicle with a couple of adults, rev the car to 2000-2500 it should slowly start to rise up. thats it, no need to bleed, it does it its self. now the other problems you can have is if the vehicle won,t rise or if it rises and then sinks over night.normally if theres no leaks the vehicle will sink a very small amount more in cold weather very little in the summer, when left undriven for long periods. now if the vecle won,t rise then it s likely to be the the main control vale which will either need replacing or stripping down an the seals refurbished you can order a kit from mercedes to repair the seals. take care when dismanteling make sure you remember how it was taken apart. mark components with paint.The other fault is the struts.
To remove them you need to get access to the top mountings
accessible through to openings behind the rear seats there two plastic mercedes gromets Over the access holes its much like removing a shock absorber apart from the fact you'll have to drain down the fluid and disconect the fluid lines . then repeat the filling as above.
thats about all I know
Dean, December 2004
