The SLS Valve controls the height at which the rear of the car sits. The lever arm position tells the valve to raise or lower the rear. The lever arm is moved by way of the sway bar. Which get rotated when the rear of the height of the rear end it changed. With the car running and unloaded the lever arm should be in the neutral position, which is parallel to the ground.

Before you get started be aware that moving the lever arm of the valve with the car running will raise and lower the rear end. If it's not lifted and securely supported by the wheels with ample working room you could squish yourself under the car. Now that I've scared you away, lets get to it.
It is a simple job, only a couple tools are required. You'll want two 10mm end wrenches, a 4mm diameter locking rod to lock the valve in it's neutral position, which is now available as part of my SLS Valve O-ring kits. This is best done with wheel ramps. The weight of the car needs to be sitting on the rear wheels as if it were on the ground.

1. With the engine off, remove the adjusting rod from the lever arm. You'll need two 10mm end wrenches. Don't just twist the nut off, you need to hold the other side or you'll break the ball joint.
2. Once the adjusting rod is off. Move the lever arm into the neutral position and insert the locking rod through the lever arm and and into the hole in the valve (As seen in the pic). You've now locked the the car into the proper neutral unloaded height.
3. Start the car and let the SLS system adjust itself to the height.
4. Then adjust the length of the adjustment rod if needed, then reattach. Remove the locking rod, and you're done.

There are a couple reasons your ride height when set to the proper height could still be too low or too high. If your springs are tired they aren't doing their job to the fullest and will allow the rear to sag a little lower than it should despite the valve being set at the proper height. Or if the valve has been rebuilt and the lever arm wasn't put back on in the proper orientation you could have the rear sitting too high or too low, depending on how the lever arm was put on. Stay tune for the proper alignment of the lever arm and rod.

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Very nice Andrew. You are truly becoming the SLS "Go-To" guy.
Now get to work on that o-ring that seals the two SLS pump halves together!!

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Thanks.

I need to find a spare one to take apart.

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Wow, I didn't even notice that the ball joint rod was adjustable.

Hey Andrew, I still have a complete o-ring kit. I could measure the large o-ring with my calipers and give you the measurements if you want.

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Chad
2013 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL

You have an o-ring kit for the pump?

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I have one already apart with a toasted o-ring if you want me to send it for examination purposes.....
And of course, this o-ring is NOT supplied with the o-ring kit that seals the two halves together. {at least that is what several MB parts guys have told me}

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

No. I read Jimmy's post as SLS valve, not SLS pump.

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Chad
2013 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL

Once you've done steps one through three above, do you turn off the engine to reattach the rod or do you have to leave it running while you reattach it?

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I would think either would work. If your SLS is all tight and not leaking when you shut the engine off it should maintain the height. I'd probably leave the engine running, but that's jsut me.

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I wasn't sure if it remained pressurized once the engine was off. Now that I think about it, I guess it would have to. Actually, mine has a leak in it somewhere, too.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

The most common leak is in the valve. I have o-ring kits available to seal up the valve. Let me know if your interested. There is a link in my signature, or at the top of this page.

Have a read through these if you haven't already -

Self-Leveling-System - How it works, and troubleshooting the system -
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=271570

w123 Self-Leveling-System O-ring replacement DIY -
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=271457

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Okay. Thanks.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Does anyone have a photo with the car sitting with the (working) SLS adjusted all the way down or close to it?

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91 MBZ 300TE 4M 91 Jag XJS V12 94 Alfa Romeo 164 LS 80 BMW 320i 85 BMW 528e 86 BMW 325e 88 BMW 325e 88 BMW 325i 89 BMW 325ix 95 BMW 525i 96 BMW M3 78 Fiat Spyder 124 98 Land Rover D1 LSE 98 Range Rover HSE 4.6 93 MBZ 190E 2.6 96 MBZ C280 93 MBZ 400E 90 MBZ 300ce 71 MGB-GT 91 VW Corrado G60 97 328i 99 E320 Wagon 97 E320

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t...r+sig+copy.jpg

which car? 123 or 124?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!