560 SEC 91/self leveling susp. problem

[Lebc888]

Hi,

First of all, I did my homework by reading the informations in the DIY section. I learned a lot but did not find my answer.

I have been investing big money in fixing my self leveling. After changing most of the hoses, It didn't leak anymore but I suspected that my spheres were broken because the rear suspension felt like it was made of hard wood. No problem, I did order 2 new spheres few days ago...

Before i received the spheres, the driver side "shock" started to leak very bad and all the hydrolic oil ended up on the street within minutes. The leak is comming from the top of the chock, from the cylinder itself.

QUESTION: what will happened to my hydrolic pump if the car is driven while there is no hydrolic fluid in the suspension system?

Thanks in advance

Christian
(english is not my first langage...so please be forgiving on the spelling!)

[karmabitch]

yOU WOULD THEN DESTROY THE PUMP MY FRIEND,YOU NEED oe fluid in there asap...
check for a pump seal rebuild kit and oe febi fluid asap,hope this helps

[Lebc888]

Thanks, message received!

Since I wont have the car fixed before few days (while waiting for the parts to arrive...remember that I live far away in northern Quebec), would it be a way to connect somehow the hydrolic lines so that they bypass the rear leveling valve and run in a loop with the pump..connecting the "in" and the "out" line together?

Thanks again, you saved the life of my pump!

Christian

[Lebc888]

...by the way, can a leaking "chock" be fixed ou rebuilt (with a kit or something) or do I have to buy a new one (thoses chocks were replaced in 2004 according to the documents I have)?

[karmabitch]

Im not an expert but i wouldnt try to fix the shock,it is odd that they are so new yet it broke,look for a good used one otherwise fork out some moola and buy the oe nw ones,im a fan of the SLS so i dont spare when it comes to fixing it.
Good luck to you

[hey_allen]

As far as repairing the hydropneumatic shocks, I've seen it pointed out elsewhere that they are just hydraulic cylinders with mounts on them to attach to a car.
Since they are just that, you can often take them to a hydraulic repair shop and have them rebuilt, where you couldn't do the same for a "normal" shock absorber.

All that being said, I've never worked on hydraulic suspension, as there is none on either of my cars, even though the 500 claims to have it front and rear if you believe the VIN!

Best of luck, and happy wrenching!

[Lebc888]

thank you guys,
I feel a bit depressed right now (my wallet too), but reading all the good comments about the confort quality of the SLS, I guess that I will cure when it will work! With my truck at the paint shop and my 420 in search of an engine, this week would have been a good time for the 560 to be drivable!

thanks again and bests regards

Christian

[WoodyK]

YES, you can get a kit to seal the struts- email me for the source if Fastlane doesn't sell it. It's very inexpensive. Contrary to public opinion, these systems are not much trouble if you have basic understanding and know where to access parts reasonable.

I have 6 liters of proper MB fluid made by Bilstein you can have at my cost. Didn't mean to do an infomercial but help and cheap parts are hard to come by in my experience so glad to help.

Also, if you wish to email me, I can give you expert advice on hydraulic suspension since I've worked on mine for 8+ years. ( I even have a manual translated from German to help in diagnosing if needed).

[BMG]

Are you sure the strut is leaking and not the hose fitting attached to the shock?

As others noted, the struts are rebuildable and a hydraulic repair shop should be able to do the repair(assuming it is leaking) at a reasonable price.

[Lebc888]

thank you guys,

I'm sure that it is not the hose that is leaking because I could clearly see the oil comming from few inches over the hose attachement.

Woodyk: I didn't find anything at Fastlane. You could e-mail me at appcp@cableamos.com for the information about a repair kit.

Thanks

Christian