Mercedes W126 self-levelling rear suspension flush

I’m about to take my 560SEC on a road trip. I’ve been making sure I had appropriate spares for this road trip, especially things that would he hard to get by the side of the road. One thing on my list was some spare ZH-M. ZH-M is the hydraulic fluid used in the self-levelling rear suspension. Since I was ordering ZH-M I got enough to flush the 300TE and 560SEC, as well a a new filter for the 300TE. The ZH-M was available from Sparesbox.

The fluid in the 560SEC looked fairly dark. I last flushed it in 2019. […]

Mercedes self-leveling rear suspension flush

A common feature of Mercedes cars from the mid 70s through the mid 2000s is the self-leveling rear suspension. This system is standard on the wagons, but was commonly specified on the higher end sedans too. Mercedes-Benz Australia was particularly keen on the system fitting it to coupes and even mid size saloons.

The system ensures that even with a heavy load in the rear of the car, the suspension remains level. Keeping the car level improves handling and safety. It is actually quite a simple system, derived from the more complex system on the 6.9. This system, in turn […]