Driving back from Abu Dhabi yesterday on Sheikh Zayed Road and suddenly this red suspension message pops up on the dash of my 2018 E300, saying "Airmatic malfunction" or something like that. Scared me a bit because the car started feeling a little floaty and I noticed the rear seemed lower than usual when I parked at home. This morning I checked and the right side is definitely sitting lower, looks almost like someone let the air out of that corner. I've got a road trip planned to Ras Al Khaimah next weekend and now I'm stressing about whether it's safe to drive or if I'm going to cause more damage. I've read a bit about these Airmatic systems and how sensitive they can be to Dubai's heat and all the speed bumps around the Marina and JLT areas. Been looking online for someone who really knows these cars and came across some details about Mercedes vehicle shock assistance Dubai, seems like there are specialists who can diagnose whether it's just a leaking bag or something more serious with the valve block or compressor. Has anyone had this specific issue on their W213 or similar? I'm trying to figure out if I should just take it somewhere local in Al Quoz or if it's worth going to a dedicated Mercedes indie who might have the proper diagnostic tools to reset everything properly after the fix. Also curious if anyone knows roughly what I'm looking at cost-wise for a rear air spring replacement on these, just so I don't get completely taken for a ride. Appreciate any insights from people who've been through this.
