hydropneumatic suspension

First thing you need to do is learn all about it. That's so you can diagnose it and fix it or tell a shop what to fix. Many shops, knowing that you're over a barrel, take the "replace everything" approach; that's good for them but not so good for your wallet. That's what you need to avoid.

Basically, there's a hydraulic pump, a mechanical height sensor valve in the rear and a couple of nitrogen / hydraulic chambers (like shock absorbers) in the rear.

You don't state the problem so:

1. check the fluid level of the hydraulic system. This hydraulic oil is quite expensive, don't dump any old oil into the system (although someone may have by now).

1. slide under the back of the car and look up at the chambers - are they leaking hydraulic oil? look at the height adjustment valve - is it leaking? is its linkage intact and connected?

You should know that the M-B station wagons 300TD, 300TE and the 560SEL / 560SEC also have this hydropneumatic rear suspension so it's not unknown here, just costly to have repaired.

Hi T.G.

Do you know anything about the electrics in the 126 series? Or do you know of a site where there are knowledgeable people on this?

Thanks, cp

Those ohms and amps always eluded me, sorry.

:-) For me it's that hellish tangle of wires

Thanks anyways! cp

You'll get more helpful replies if you state the problem. Is it leaking, sagging, riding rough?

The most common failure is the diaphragm inside the accumulators. When it ruptures, the fluid gets on the side that should be filled with air, and no damping can take place, making the car ride very rough. The accumulators are fairly easy to replace.

Bill Balmer

Actually, the Euro suspension isn't all that similar to these vehicles (at least all of the parts are different), but it's virtually identical to that of a 6.9.

Ron