SLS repair

190e16vsoulja · **SLS repair -** 11-06-2008, 04:13 AM

well i have noticed that there is alot about the sls in the threads dating all the way back to the first one. but never really answered my question. my SLS is not operating. the back of my car is sittin lower then the front and i need to now what could cause the sls not to work and how to fix it . if you guys could help that would be awsome thanks much

*The Benz Master* · 05:57 AM

Could be:

1:front pump not making enough pressure (blown seals inside and or worn but it's most likely just the seals unless the pump ran without oil cuz they are well built) Or just no more oil.

2: bad valve: Not sure about this, i never got mine appart, my rear is just 1" lower than it should be so i just leaved it like that and dropped the front 1" too, it works fine otherwise. But my guess is that this small valve can also have some "blow by"... which means thet the pressure could leak to the oil return line, preventing pressure to build up in the rear shocks and getting the car leveled.

3: Worn/slack valve linkage could also make suspension lower than it should... the excess play would prevent the valve of functionning properly.

4: heavily leaking shock, but that would most likely make a pool of oil under the car.

5: SLS valve "adjustment"... i think the valve does not have a fixed bracket on the swaybar (bracket could be rotated on swaybar, affecting ride height)

Otherwise, bad "ballons" will most likely create weird suspension feel but i dont think height will be affected.

I'd test the sls with the valve at first to see if system is working properly. (remove valve linkage and move the valve arm while engine running to see if suspension raises and lowers). If it's ok, it's most likely worn linkage or misplaced bracket on swaybar. Or broken sway-bar link or excessive play in swaybar bushings, etc. Thinking about it, i'm not sure if oem suspension bushing sagging with time could cause enough difference to cause this kind of problem up to the valve. In this case, i'd simply adjust the valve bracket on swaybar.

If you move the valve arm and nothing hapens is because hte valve or the pump is faulty. I'm not sure exactly how to test these separately so you'd have to remove and inspect for abnormal wear/worn seals and o-rings, etc. Note: parts are not available from MB to rebuild these, but they are most likely available (seals and o-rings) from the industrial market, hydraulic shops and such.

anyone correct me if i got something wrong here.

Hope it helps.

87badbenzman · 11-06-2008, 07:15 AM

i have a sls that i nolonger have in my car the olny thing that i do not have the shocks as thay where leaking i would thake $200.00 for the set up plus shiping if you would want it

190e16vsoulja · 11-06-2008, 03:23 PM

well i like both comments and depending on if its actually broke i would buy that for 200 bucks if you could wait a few months im still in iraq at the moment ill be back in like march ish april. and 2. the person i bought the 85 190 16v from said the system was un pluged or somethin like that long time ago so with that how do you "plug" it back in thanks for the help guys

*The Benz Master* · 11-06-2008, 05:56 PM

he probably removed the oil pump drive plate... like a washer with 2 slots in it which connects the exhaust cam to the pump. Of course the rear wont rise if the pump is disconnected.

tracyhagen · 11-07-2008, 03:16 AM

Hi 190e16vsoulja,

The SLS on one of my 16Vs failed after the line rusted thru and oil ran out. My other 16V had a SLS failure when the link from the height value to the rear sway bar broke (a common problem).

The easy fix is to install 2.6 190E rear springs and regular shocks, and remove the SLS system. If money are no object, new shocks, bushings, links, etc. and the re-freshed SLS system is wonderful.

Regards,

Tracy

190e16vsoulja · 11-07-2008, 04:19 AM

well ill take a look when i get a chance at the drive shaft for the pump and i dont really wanna get ride of the sls because i wanna keep it as close to stock as i can

chrisfball12 · 11-07-2008, 07:14 AM

Yeah I drove a 16V with SLS and I love the way the rear feels planted to ground. But to replace the shocks alone would run you about $350 for new shocks only. For that price you could replace the rear shocks with top of the line normal shocks.

tracyhagen · 11-07-2008, 06:17 PM

I bought my new SLS rear shocks from Autohaus Arizona and paid about $350 each. I also bought new nitrogen thingies, new rear lower control arms, and new hub bushings (all the other control links were replaced not so long ago, as well as the EVO II sway bar install and metal control links). I paid over $1000 on parts and did the labor myself. Honestly, the suspension on my 1987 16V with 120K miles feels much better than Spouse's 2004 C320 with 30K miles. No comparison.

The labor isn't too bad, but I would never try it without a spring compressor. Never ever. Removing and installing the hub bushings was a pain, but I made a cheap-o puller out of stuff I found at the hardware store for about ten bucks (really). No hammers or torches were needed. The threads on the lines going into the nitrogen thingies needed cleaning up (a lot of crud from twenty years behind the rear tires). The nuts that hold the rear shocks on (inside the car) had the same thread, thus I took an old one, made cuts in it with my Dremel, and then used it to remove the crud.

I made the ten buck bushing puller from a variety of big grade 8 bolts, hardened washers, hardened nuts, and short pieces of iron pipe from the plumbing department. You'll need two iron pipe bits: one having the right diameter to fit on the OD of the bushing, and another that fits over the OD of the bushing. Some bring your bushings with to the hardware store. You'll need grade 8 bolts long enough to get through the iron pipe bit and the bushing, and washers that are smaller than the OD of the bushing and bigger than the OD of the iron pipe. I bought a bunch and stayed under the ten buck budget. You'll use the big iron pipe bit when you pull the old bushing out, and the small one when you pull the new bushing in (you may need the big iron pipe bit for the final millmeter or two of pulling during install). The rear spalsh shield is in the way during the removal and install, but since it is made out of sheet metal and nobody sees it, I just bent it out of the way and bent it back after I was all done. Use a bit of grease on the threads on the bolt, because the torque needed to pull the damn bushings out is a lot. The threads will wear and the iron pipe will buckle a bit, but so what; this puller is cheaper than the bushing so throw it away when you're done. Sure beats using the propane torch and a BFH.

You can do all this in a day, but you need to start pretty early in the morning, have another car to use, and live close to your local hardware store and the MB dealer.

Best regards,

Tracy Hagen

carlo168 · 11-08-2008, 07:27 PM

not to hijack the thread but i own a 86 16v that i plan on converting to regular shocks/springs. can someone tell me which bilstein shocks i should use and what other parts i should get to remove/disable the sls properly. i already have h&r springs all i need to know is which rear and front shocks to buy. i saw the wheeler dealers video but they didnt get into the details on which parts they used to disable the sls. thanks in advance for your help!