Mercedes Air Suspension Strut - Arnott Industries 166320566680

Mercedes’ AIRMATIC air suspension has been the benchmark for many manufacturers for several decades. Thanks to their programming, the integrated air spring and adaptive damper are highly adjustable and conform to nearly any situation. However, their reliability is less than that of a traditional steel coil spring and passive damper. It’s a much more complex design, and that can mean expensive replacements, although the aftermarket technology from Arnott shows otherwise.

Mercedes AIRMATIC Air Suspension 

Modern Mercedes air suspension found on the W166 GLE and X166 GL/GLS models uses a rubber air spring over an electronically-controlled adaptive damper. Mercedes calls the system AIRMATIC, which can trace its root back to the 90s. As the Mercedes rolls down the road, various sensors connected to the suspension relay information back to the AIRMATIC computer, which then uses that information to determine the suspension’s characteristics. Although it works very well most of the time, the air struts do have a reputation for failing.

Mercedes Air Suspension Failure Symptoms

• Sagging ride height

• Hissing from the strut assembly

• The air suspension compressor is constantly running

• AIRMATIC warning messages on the instrument cluster

• Unusually harsh ride

More often than not, Mercedes’ air struts will fail gradually as a leak in the air spring bladder slowly grows. Leaving the leaking air spring in the car, whether you’ve noticed it or not, will cause issues for the rest of the air suspension system, especially the compressor. A slow leak will register to the AIRMATIC sensors and cause the air compressor to kick on to keep the spring at the right pressure. But the leak won’t allow that pressure to hold, forcing the compressor to cycle constantly, significantly shortening its lifespan. 

Replacing Your Mercedes Air Struts

Mercedes air strut replacements are typical jobs for any Mercedes with AIRMATIC suspension. Their lifespan is around 100,000 miles with typical driving, but owners have reported failures before that. Replacing your air struts is pretty straightforward, with many DIY guides on YouTube and the forums allowing you to tackle it yourself. However, that doesn’t save you from the cost of the struts themselves. 

Genuine Mercedes air struts aren’t inexpensive, costing upwards of $1000 per strut assembly. The alternative is using strut assemblies from Arnott. Arnott air suspension, although aftermarket, is the best non-Genuine replacement suspension you can find. Their entire business is dedicated to air suspension systems, and their products are very well respected in many automotive communities thanks to their more affordable pricing and comparative quality. 

Benefits of Arnott Air Suspension

• Roughly 60% of the cost of a Genuine Mercedes air strut

• Proven and reliable quality on par with Mercedes products

• Drop-in replacement without modification