Educate me... Pro's and Con's. I E-Level what I need?

[Doctor]

Small backstory, So I have always had low cars, mostly Vintage VW's, these are simple to get low and always draw a crowd, especially here in Oz. , but I wanted a change so I have sold my VW's and moved to a w108 280S Benz on Bags. Being a complete amateur when it comes to bags, i need some help. I did a search, but couldn't get a definitive answer to help me make a choice.

The car has a working bag setup, two compressors, tank, switches etc. But I want something that has computer controlled levelling and pre-set ride heights. The car won't be a daily, but will be driven by my girlfriend, and possibly other mates when I'm incapacitated (Drunk).

I was originally looking into the Accuir E-Level setup, but the guy I bought the car from, a good mate of mine, and experienced with bags, just not computer controlled setups, suggested I look into other setups that are available. From what my research tells me, Airlift offer a few options, Ridetech have one, and theres the aforementioned Accuair system.

Is there an distinct benefit to pressure leveling as opposed to height based leveling?

Is any system head and shoulders above the other?

The e-level system got my attention because the touch pad controller looks simple to use and understand, the plug and play ability of remote fobs for the bag system, and the ability to add app control on phones made sense to me. Do these have any inherent issues?

Does anyone have any of these systems on their w108?

Thanks in advance!!

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

Is there an distinct benefit to pressure leveling as opposed to height based leveling?

Height-based leveling is the superior system. The reason for this is that bag pressure depends on two main things: suspension extension and corner weight. Therefore, as the corner weight changes, your bag pressure will change for a given ride height. In other words, if someone gets in or out of the car, your ride height will change, and you'll have to switch to a different preset. Height-based systems solve the problem by monitoring ride height rather than (or in addition to) bag pressure, meaning the system can be relied upon to nail your ride height, no matter what the car's load or how it changes.

I drafted up a pair of charts a while back that illustrate how the interaction between vehicle load, ride height, and bag pressure works for both kinds of systems:




Pressure-based systems work, and many people like them very much, but they require more user interaction and produce a "close, but maybe not always perfect" ride height. In exchange, they're cheaper, simpler, and easier to install. How that all stacks up for you is up to you.

Is any system head and shoulders above the other?

For height-based systems, AccuAir's e-Level is the tried-and-true. For pressure-based systems, Airlift's Autopilot V2 is generally considered the best choice. Airlift recently announced their 3H height-based system and 3P pressure-based system, but as they are brand new on the market, I have not managed to play with them yet. They do look promising, however.

The e-level system got my attention because the touch pad controller looks simple to use and understand, the plug and play ability of remote fobs for the bag system, and the ability to add app control on phones made sense to me. Do these have any inherent issues?

I have the e-Level Rocker Switch version on my W124. I have waxed poetic about it many times, but suffice to say, it's an absolutely superb piece of equipment. I have had zero failures that are the system's fault (just me screwing up the installation) and, knock on wood, it has never once let me down. I am an extremely picky, notoriously difficult customer, and e-Level has exceeded every expectation I had of it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Doctor]

Dude, you nailed that response. The right information I was after, the charts helped too!

You've made the decision easy for me, E-Level it is. The user interaction stuff I'll keep for my VW Type 3 Notchback, and let a computer work the benz for me.

If you're ever in Oz, there's a beer waiting for you! Thanks man

[ultm8mind]

Good write up Sam, if you're usually riding solo or have a "normal" crew with you the V2 offers 8 presets opposed to the eLevels 3. I currently have eLevel as it came with the car, but I kind of liked my Airlift V2 better because to me it seemed simpler. Right now I am just having weird issues with my eLevel system, some of which is probably installation from the previous owner but I am not sure about that yet. Regardless, I think either one is a good choice.

[Ambo]

Yeah great response, e-level is the way to go and accuair have great customer service.

[Ambo]

Oh and if you are going to register it, it's a must have for engineering purposes.
Cheers