2003 e500 mercedes driver side airmatic suspension will not raise the car back to normal. Can it be fixed or is to better to install regular struts to avoid this problem in the future.

It is a very well known issue. Mercedes are no longer the cars that they were before 1990. Lots of help here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=2006+E500.+Why+doesn%27t+it+raise

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http://www.mercedesmedic.com/mercedes-lowers-drops-parked-air-suspension-self-leveling-problems

open the hood, look at the strut tower, you well see the three (3) bolts that hold the strut in place, do you see a lines on the center of the strut,? no, you have regular suspension?, if yes then you have air suspension.

fill your info at www.starbaja.com or call.

California air ride repair

It will have to be tested at a dealership. It is most likely the strut assembly, but occasionally the air pumps go bad.

The easiest fix is to hook up a scanner on the suspension test plug. This will give you a test to each sensor. Some models may even record a history of performance.

Underneath the car, someone can use soapy water and spray the air lines and suspension bags to test for leaks. There are venting solenoids on each wheel to level the car and a Master solenoid called a "dump" valve to release all of the air

The system is tied into the doorjam and trunklid switches which must be closed to allow the system to work. Escaping air should be easy enough to find.

i have a s350 from 2004 and i have a guestion.

Is it possible to replace an airmatic suspension by a normal suspension?
If it is possible are there any suggestions about which one?

The suspension has a leak somewhere and/or the airmatic compressor has stopped working properly. You need either the Mercedes star diagnosis system (SDS) in order to access the suspension control module to tell it to raise the vehilce or you can try to trick it by jacking up the car so it thinks it's sitting at the correct ride height. But as long as the display reads a warning it won''t allow the airmatic compressor to run.

Hello, that could be one of several things. It could be a worn out bushing, sway bar link, or your strut assembly itself. With the nose of the car raised off the ground, wiggle the front tires. If there is excessive wobble it is likely to be one of the suspension components.

Sounds like you may have a leak in the airmatic suspension struts on the rear. These govern the height of the car in different modes. Not an immediate problem unless you are loosing a visible amount of fluid but it will only get worse.

To check if you have airmatic you will have buttons just behind the gear lever which can be used to put the car in to a stiffer, lower mode or to raise it for rough ground