My ADS story
The first thing I have done in August 2018 was a replacement of pressure reservoirs. Front PN 1293200115, rear PN 1403280515. They cost something around 320€ altogether. The ride get a little bit better but still harsh.
Through the year 2019 I was still driving in "Sport mode" and I build a blinking code reader. When I erased all ADS related errors nothing appeared back. In June 2019 I sent ADS ECU to company Hitzing & Paetzold. This cost me 96€ including postage back. They found no issues and exchanged condensators for a prolonged lifetime. They transformed to HIS recently. Of course no change in behaviour. During wintertime 2019/20 I started to check everything in electronics. Also, I checked basic functionality of ADS ECU by pulling out reservoir level - it triggers ADS MIL, then after battery replacement again the ADS MIL was lit until I performed lock to lock steering procedure. Then the MIL dimmed. All that can be checked with the multimeter was OK. I hardwired one front damping valve and for the first time, I feel the difference. It is clearly recognisable when you push a fender down when there is soft or firm damping.
So I decided to connect all four damping valves to 12V and see how is the ride. The ride was much softer even on my low profile 18" tires. Front 245/40 and rear 275/35. I think with original 16" must be the real deal. I connected valves to lights relays, so I can switch it off for sporty ride. This is slightly against Czech road law, because we have mandatory daylights. Yes, the adaptive function was not included. Since I am not racing the car but mostly cruising below legal limits, I have never felt an issue. And I do not have experience of the ride with functional ADS.
During my holiday in the countryside I saw an R129 parked close to our stay. I checked that it has ADS via the rocker switch next to the light switch. Next day I catch the owner and chat with him. We went for a ride - it was manual! The ride was harsh. I checked the oil reservoir and was completely empty. I warned him about the danger of damaging tandem pump. Funny enough, I saw the very same car parked in one Prague street during my visit there...
So there were ugly wires in the engine compartment and I wanted to have switchable sport comfort settings. Also, I wanted to check why lifting is not working. I dismantled the main ADS valve and found no issues. All passages were clear, even sintered filter in the the lift valve inlet was clear, nice bronze colour and no sign of debris. I can blow through it easily. So I went my own way, which might not be liked by many, but maybe others find it interesting. See it in the electronics part.