Are all W124 wagons equipped with this feature? I assumed they did so when I came home with mine I thought it had it. BUT, I cannot find anything in the owners manual index about "self leveling". Not sure where the reservoir is that holds the fluid.

Set me straight on this please!

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Dale

Reservoir should be left of the PS pump (combination pump), white plastic with a hydraulic line through the cap.

AFAIK it is standard on the T124 for US cars. Have you run the VIN on the Russian M-B site?

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

No I haven't. I'll try doing that...!

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Dale

You won't find any mention of SLS or the like in the Owner's Manual. It is the strangest thing one can imagine, but MB doesn't describe it at all.

The only clue is "Level control" in the fuels, coolants, lubricants section towards the back of the manual where they tell you to use MB hydraulic fluid.

Every USA TE has SLS.

The reservoir is near the LEFT fender.

Thanks Babymog and ds190 I have found the reservoir just behind the drivers side headlight unit.

I'm still a bit puzzled as to why there was no 'leveling' happen when my wife at about 145lb and son at 55-60lb and daughter at 50-55lb got into the rear seat compartment prior to starting it. The back end went down maybe 2" - isn't that enough for it to self-level when I start the car?

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Dale

Yes it should.

It's a simple system really, controlled by a constant flow of hydraulic fluid when the engine is running, and a leveling valve hooked to the rear suspension on the right side. If the suspension goes down far enough, the valve will direct hydraulic fluid into the system until it raises, enough to hit the neutral zone on the hydraulic valve and shut off flow. If the suspension raises enough, the valve will bleed fluid back out of the system into the return flow to the reservoir. Pretty much the same as an air suspension on a truck or bus except closed-loop hydraulic.

If loaded, and you unload the car with the engine off, it will lower without the key on. It will not however raise without the engine running.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Sorry, I wasn't very clear on this! I knew that it would not raise without the car running. I was told by someone that when I start the car (after the load was applied) that the leveling sys would do its thing. That sounds exactly like what you are saying!...

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Dale