Mister Bally

If it's J & L Edwards, tell Mal & Glenn Bruce from the States says hello. If it's A B C o A, say Hi to Greg.

mishar

Yes, but problem is still the same. By stiffening dumpers you can`t prevent body roll unless it goes completely stiff.

Regarding Bose suspension, I saw that video. It is interesting but I think it is still in development stage. I would say that it can perform only one "miracle" at the time. That`s why you don`t see them in the sequence. One think I must admit - Dr. Bose is very good in marketing and presentation.

Blubyu12

I'm watching this thread closely..I'm currently deployed overseas and my wife called and told me the front of our 2004 A8 was sitting real low. She took it to our mechanic who specializes in Audis. He's a little dated but he's meticulous. He told her the air bag was leaking and quoted a price of $1500 just for parts! I'm not there to do any checks but I'm concerned because my wife says the front of the car as a whole, not just the right front or the left front is low. I need to call back to the states and talk with the mechanic.. what questions should I be asking to make sure he's checked the right things. If the compressor is out, would it cause just the front to be low, or is that a manifold thing. I heard slime in a few post, it that really doable? He's recommending I do both sides..I'm starting to get tire of throwing money in this car.. I love it but damn...I'd rather throw money in a boat!!

williebone

Ok, 2 cents in because I've actually had first hand experience with this very same issue, I will repeat what MisterBally once said! These Air Ride Compressors do not have infinite life! I'll repeat that again, These Air Ride Compressors Do Not Have Infinite Life and on the older D3s '04 and even up to '06, it is getting to be the dreaded Time Of Death. The only thing that will slow this down is to set MMI to Comfort or Dynamic and Leave It Alone then pray you don't get a leak. Automatic Mode will only speed up the Process and if there is any leaks at all in the System then Hello it's only a Matter Of Time! When it goes out, you can have a number of things happen: Front Slammed Down, Rear Slammed Down, Entire Vehicle Slammed Down, or Up On All 4s SUV Style.

When mine reached the Dreaded Death, I was sitting up like an SUV untill I Vagged it down to the Bump Stops which just released the Air in the System! Not a good Idea to Drive It This Way, but that what I get for Playing arournd with VCDS in the begining of using it. After learning how to use VCDS I then saw the Fault Codes regarding the Air Ride System and it is a must have. Working with my Audi Techs both Online and Dealership, I was given the First Step to Take which was to Drop the Belly Pan, Remove the 2 Screws at the Front of the Wheel Well Liner, Unplug the Compressor, and Direct Connect it to a 12V Source.

If it starts and runs then it is Ok, I will assume that anyone has already checked the Fuse Panel on the Passenger Side Door before hand. The next step was to Drop the Driver's Side Knee Panel and remove Bracket with 2 Bolts to remove and check 40amp Fuse. The last thing was the Relay, but of course with my situation it was the Air Ride Compressor which BTW did not Start Up/Run. So, I ordered a Compressor, but that's not all! At the Advice of my Techs, I was told that for Safe Measures, it would be wise to replace the Relay, Plus because the Air Control Valve Unit developes Leaks, it should be replaced too! So, News Flash is leaks don't just happen at the Struts, but upline at the Control Valve. I had to play it safe since Leaks of any kind will cause Premature Death of the Compressor. It took a little over 2 Hours for myself and a Local Indy to complete everything. I hope my experience helps. Laters,

AusA8

Williebone - your thread rings true to me indeed.

Even without the VAGCom, I used the SSP292, this forum and wider internet to work out what the most likely issues are and will be. The compressor is dead, as is the relay.

The Audi tech thinks that a leak is the most likely the issue caused from a hit to the suspension. But where the leak is is unknown. The valve block sounds logical due to the fact that both the front are down equally. Interestingly, the rear is actually dropping to, but because the storage tank is still charged, it's a lot slower to drop.

Appreciate your input mate.

Cheers

williebone

I wished, hoped and prayed that it was anything but the Compressor when the quickest thing to do is just connect a 12V source to it. It would've saved me a ton of time and research because it's a simple test to perform. Takes the guess work out of problem solving which I will know how to until I'm no longer an A8 owner if that ever happens. One Quick Note: the compressor out of Germany may have a Fitting on its End that Does Not Allow the Unit to Mount its Bracket. It's more of a Stem L Shaped Configuration! Remove It and Replace it with your Old End from Your Existing Compressor! It's a Simple Swap Out and take about 2 minutes to Change/Swap Electrical Fittings. Ask me how do I know? Been there Done That! Laters,

roace

I just saw this thread and reminded me of last year's ordeal. I had the yellow light with the car and up and down arrows lit intermittently. When it happened the suspension would stiffen up and the suspension selection on the MMI would be grayed out with the exception of the mode it was already in when the light came on. So I VCDS it and found three codes related to the suspension (can't remember the exact ones). It called for the relay and the air control valve unit, and the compressor was overheating. So since I have an extended warranty, I took it to the dealership here in South FL. The culprit was the relay. It was going in and out, and was causing the compressor to pump air aimlessly, which let to it overheating and it would shut off. According to the Audi techs, it has a fail-safe switch to prevent damage to itself. So after the relay replacement the stiff ride was gone. They also replaced my air control valve at my "request", since it was under extended warranty.

I wish I could select it from time to time. It was really planted in the corners, more like a "Super Dynamic". Hope this helps.

jrl

I bought the compressor from the seller in Germany. Fits directly and works fine. So there was no problem fitting it. I have 2003 4.2 D3.

Second time the compressor was changed. First on 50' km an now on 145' km.

AusA8

And now I have all the answers...

After 7.5 weeks at the dealership, replacement of compressor, relay and a strut - she's fixed! Yep - the hit to the suspension caused one of the struts to leak... Strut leaked, compressor failed, relay cooked.

Gotta say, great experience with the dealer and problem solved.

The adaption for the leveling is out slightly but I'm seeing the dealer again tomorrow to hopefully have that sorted.

My lady is finally normal again and I'm one happy chappy!

So, from the Aus dude, thanks once again for all of your help guys.