2013 Audi s8 lowering procedure?
#1
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Hi, Guys.
Finally sorted everything with my S8, and I am ready now to lower my car with VCDS. Some how I can not find a link for D4 specific procedure. Thanks
Finally sorted everything with my S8, and I am ready now to lower my car with VCDS. Some how I can not find a link for D4 specific procedure. Thanks
#2
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I followed this for my 2015 S8. 17mm on all four corners. There are reference links followed by the procedure I found in one of the links.
https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...everythin-else
Ross-Tech: VAG-COM: Suspension Level Control Calibration
https://www.stemei.de/pages/coding/a...eferlegung.php
I finally accomplished lowering the S6 with VCDS. Some said it can't be done, but it most definitely worked for me. It should be entirely reversible in case you decide to revert the settings. All research was done through Google and playing around with software settings, none of this information was provided by Audi or Audi dealers. This method is an alternative to Lowering Links (which are great if you don't have the electronic tools/would rather go the mechanical route), or H&R lowering module (which is also great, and allows for on-the fly adjustments vs. having to mess with car systems).
I figured that since all the tools and information required to do this have already been made public on the internet, it is just matter of time until someone posts a step-by-step guide, so here it is.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for anything that these changes may cause, or if your car breaks, or if dealership finds out and denies your warranty if something goes wrong... Try this at your own risk.
0) Set your car to "Auto" mode (not dynamic, comfort, etc.). Make sure car is on level ground. Close doors. If any doors are opened during the procedure, it will be interrupted. Make sure your car is NOT in a towing or tire changing mode.
1) Load up VCDS, go to Module 34 - Level Control
2) Go to "10 - Adaptation", take note of 4 values titled as "Body height front left wheel house edge" - mine were set to around 384 from factory.
3) Take the values you noted above, and ADD your desired drop in millimeters (mm) to each value, write it down... So if your left front wheel was 384.5, your new value will be 401.5. Repeat for the other wheels. It is not critical to be 100% precise here, rounding the values is fine. Note that maximum Audi-approved drop is 17mm from what I've gathered. You can go lower, but if you go lower, you're also affecting other systems, such as cameras, adaptive cruise, etc., so be careful.
Technically, if you want this procedure to be done properly, instead of taking existing values, you will measure all 4 wheels after completion of the step 7, and then add your drop value if desired. Suspension height values are measured from the center of the wheel to the edge of the fender.
4) Go to Security Access, enter code provided on the following website, under VCDS section, item #3 (I'm not posting this directly to avoid spreading sensitive data, although it's been posted on other forums in past) http://www.stemei.de/pages/coding/au...ng-des-aas.php
5) You should get a message stating that security code has been accepted - if you don't, something failed, stop doing what you're doing
6) Go to 04 - Basic Settings
*** IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT select "Reset All Adaptations" - this is not undoable, and will require a visit to the dealer. ***
7) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete (should only take a second, until it says "not running").
8) Select "Delete Calibration For Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete, your car will throw a fault code and you will see an error message stating Air Suspension Malfunction - this is normal.
7) Select "Start Up to Reference Level", hit "Go". This step will take about a minute, and your car will go up/down during the process (you'll hear hissing noises). Wait for it to complete, until it says "not running". DO NOT use the "start up to reference level production" option.
9) Select "Go Back", go to "10 - Adaptation" on the previous screen.
10) Next you will need to enter new adaptation values for all 4 wheels. Select "Body height front left wheel house edge", then enter new adaptation value, and hit "Do it", then repeat for the other 3 wheels. I did it in the order the menu was arranged (FL, RL, FR, RR) - not sure if the order matters, but just in case. Each time you enter a value, you should get a message stating that it has been accepted.
11) After you're done entering adaptation for all 4 wheels, select "Go Back", and return to "04 - Basic Settings" again.
12) In basic settings, select "Calibrate Level Control" and hit go, it will take a few seconds. Wait for it to say "not running". If you get an error during this step, you either missed a step, or something went horribly wrong.
13) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go"
14) You're done, now go to "02 - Fault Codes" and Reset codes.
If this did or didn't work - please share your experience with the rest of us here.
UPDATE:
There is an additional setting that will prevent your car from auto-lowering at ~30 mph, as well as allow you to raise the suspension while driving at any speed. Standard settings gray out the "raise" button over a certain speed, and are particularly annoying if your car is lowered via the steps above and you would like to keep it raised for an extended period of time (such as city driving with a lot of dips, bumps, ramps, sloped driveways, etc.)
1) Launch the green menu by holding Car + Menu buttons. (If you don't know how to enable or use the green menu, see the main VCDS thread)
2) Go to "car" then "carmenuoperation" menu
3) Scroll down to "suspension"
4) Change the value to "5"
5) Press the center menu **** to save
6) Reboot the MMI (Menu button +Center ****+Top Right soft button)
7) Turn the ignition on/off
https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...everythin-else
Ross-Tech: VAG-COM: Suspension Level Control Calibration
https://www.stemei.de/pages/coding/a...eferlegung.php
- Enter access code 20103
I finally accomplished lowering the S6 with VCDS. Some said it can't be done, but it most definitely worked for me. It should be entirely reversible in case you decide to revert the settings. All research was done through Google and playing around with software settings, none of this information was provided by Audi or Audi dealers. This method is an alternative to Lowering Links (which are great if you don't have the electronic tools/would rather go the mechanical route), or H&R lowering module (which is also great, and allows for on-the fly adjustments vs. having to mess with car systems).
I figured that since all the tools and information required to do this have already been made public on the internet, it is just matter of time until someone posts a step-by-step guide, so here it is.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for anything that these changes may cause, or if your car breaks, or if dealership finds out and denies your warranty if something goes wrong... Try this at your own risk.
0) Set your car to "Auto" mode (not dynamic, comfort, etc.). Make sure car is on level ground. Close doors. If any doors are opened during the procedure, it will be interrupted. Make sure your car is NOT in a towing or tire changing mode.
1) Load up VCDS, go to Module 34 - Level Control
2) Go to "10 - Adaptation", take note of 4 values titled as "Body height front left wheel house edge" - mine were set to around 384 from factory.
3) Take the values you noted above, and ADD your desired drop in millimeters (mm) to each value, write it down... So if your left front wheel was 384.5, your new value will be 401.5. Repeat for the other wheels. It is not critical to be 100% precise here, rounding the values is fine. Note that maximum Audi-approved drop is 17mm from what I've gathered. You can go lower, but if you go lower, you're also affecting other systems, such as cameras, adaptive cruise, etc., so be careful.
Technically, if you want this procedure to be done properly, instead of taking existing values, you will measure all 4 wheels after completion of the step 7, and then add your drop value if desired. Suspension height values are measured from the center of the wheel to the edge of the fender.
4) Go to Security Access, enter code provided on the following website, under VCDS section, item #3 (I'm not posting this directly to avoid spreading sensitive data, although it's been posted on other forums in past) http://www.stemei.de/pages/coding/au...ng-des-aas.php
5) You should get a message stating that security code has been accepted - if you don't, something failed, stop doing what you're doing
6) Go to 04 - Basic Settings
*** IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT select "Reset All Adaptations" - this is not undoable, and will require a visit to the dealer. ***
7) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete (should only take a second, until it says "not running").
8) Select "Delete Calibration For Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete, your car will throw a fault code and you will see an error message stating Air Suspension Malfunction - this is normal.
7) Select "Start Up to Reference Level", hit "Go". This step will take about a minute, and your car will go up/down during the process (you'll hear hissing noises). Wait for it to complete, until it says "not running". DO NOT use the "start up to reference level production" option.
9) Select "Go Back", go to "10 - Adaptation" on the previous screen.
10) Next you will need to enter new adaptation values for all 4 wheels. Select "Body height front left wheel house edge", then enter new adaptation value, and hit "Do it", then repeat for the other 3 wheels. I did it in the order the menu was arranged (FL, RL, FR, RR) - not sure if the order matters, but just in case. Each time you enter a value, you should get a message stating that it has been accepted.
11) After you're done entering adaptation for all 4 wheels, select "Go Back", and return to "04 - Basic Settings" again.
12) In basic settings, select "Calibrate Level Control" and hit go, it will take a few seconds. Wait for it to say "not running". If you get an error during this step, you either missed a step, or something went horribly wrong.
13) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go"
14) You're done, now go to "02 - Fault Codes" and Reset codes.
If this did or didn't work - please share your experience with the rest of us here.
UPDATE:
There is an additional setting that will prevent your car from auto-lowering at ~30 mph, as well as allow you to raise the suspension while driving at any speed. Standard settings gray out the "raise" button over a certain speed, and are particularly annoying if your car is lowered via the steps above and you would like to keep it raised for an extended period of time (such as city driving with a lot of dips, bumps, ramps, sloped driveways, etc.)
1) Launch the green menu by holding Car + Menu buttons. (If you don't know how to enable or use the green menu, see the main VCDS thread)
2) Go to "car" then "carmenuoperation" menu
3) Scroll down to "suspension"
4) Change the value to "5"
5) Press the center menu **** to save
6) Reboot the MMI (Menu button +Center ****+Top Right soft button)
7) Turn the ignition on/off
The following 2 users liked this post by dgbaudiphile:
KeithMillar (09-24-2020),
OberklasseA8 (05-22-2023)
#4
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Any one know if you can lower an a8l beyond the suggested 17mm I see for an S8 with OBD 11? I would like to do 25mm all around. But want to make sure that does not cause issues.
#5
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17mm is the understood maximum the mod permits. Came from D3 era and a lot more experience on that board than here so far. Not tied to OBD11. Same understanding for VCDS where mod originates, and first for D3 about a dozen years ago now.
No, do not assume the mod (or likewise lowering links or modules) is without consequences. Look at the D3 board honestly for how riddled it is with suspension issues, to the point I find the board half unreadable these days as the single largest post/reply contributor to it. Many just stock, various others probably modded at some point. That is, the engineers designed the system of course with the stock running heights in mind, not 5mm down, not 10, especially not 17, and not at all 25. The sport suspension and S8 ones are designed with parts for a lower running height in general, the A8 standard ones aren't. It is understood that typically sport or S8 type set ups are on the order of 30% stiffer. That stiffness helps avoid bottoming a shock since it now has less total travel available. Figure the part # specific sport or S8 ones are likely shorter tubes too, so probably half the drop height they use stock is made up for by shortening the unit which then improves the permitted travel length. Not so if you software, link mod or module lower mod a non sport/S8 strut unit to ride lower. I really can't imagine bottoming an air shock is a pretty thing internally. Even running it meaningfully off the design spec is probably not a great recipe for long term max service life either. Again, read the D3 board and realize these air shocks are on the order of $1500 a pop EACH from dealers now, and the rebuilt ones have invariably been somewhere between mediocre reliability and outright prone to fail multiple times. Best solution I think when (not if, when...) they crap out (starts by 10 years) is probably find lowest mileage junkyard one you can when car gets to later years and its value isn't worth the parts price new. Fearless forecast is the mod posts will drift more to the "my car is broke and I also burned my thousand dollar compressor and relay when I ignored it for a year" style ones like half the D3 ones are these days it seems.
Separately, I can also report from working through the mod on the D3 with A8 non sport OE air struts that beyond about 5-10mm down, it started to make the ride more ragged at freeway speeds in the Sport/Dynamic mode on anything beyond glass smooth pavement. Noticeable when I did A:B tests of different mod heights with same vehicle, same (35 series) tires, same road. Caused me ultimately to back off the setting. Plus the D bodies have the way long front overhang anyway that makes a too aggressive front drop a real front bumper cover/nose scraper when using any speed on driveways or similar entrances.
Sorry to rain on the lowering parade, but I have both BTDT and watched the movie slow roll out over the whole D3 era from new to well worn and tired.
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; 05-09-2019 at 07:57 PM.
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09S5 (07-22-2019)
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09S5 (07-22-2019)
#7
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Just did this to my A8l using the OBD11. Went exactly as long as listed above. I went with 20mm. Looks perfect, one finger gap all around in sport mode.
Super happy with the results and with the OBD11. For under $100 it's the best mod I have made yet.
Super happy with the results and with the OBD11. For under $100 it's the best mod I have made yet.
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09S5 (04-05-2021)
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#8
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Which OBD11 version did you get? I need iOS and it is supposed to be available in Q3.
#9
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Or you could get a cheap android device to use with it (and still be ahead of the game from a cost perspective from a VCDS option)? Better still you could just go whole hog, join the dark side and realize what you have been missing all these years by enjoying the fruit variety electronics 😉😂
I highly recommend OBDeleven, and while I have not used VCDS I don't believe there are many, if any at all, differences between them, well except the price....
I highly recommend OBDeleven, and while I have not used VCDS I don't believe there are many, if any at all, differences between them, well except the price....
#10
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Realize some of us are quite comfortable w/ VCDS and probably have little incremental interest in OBD Eleven. The usual--the value is as much or more in the surrounding support. If you are comfortable w/ OBD11 information, mod documentation and support, great. But FWIW, I and perhaps others probably often sort of skip over those posts or screen shots. Also FWIW, while they try hard not to talk about it in any form, realize they are well offshore in Central Europe. I don't think they will have the practical support Ross-Tech does for registered owners. Rather, I think it is more piggybacking VCDS information, and those who know VCDS who want to be shills for them. Thus, I have yet to see a post where anyone is working from an OBD11 reference point trying to get to how to on VCDS, but certainly have seen the other direction for the various "app" ones. OBD11 does seem further along though than some others, and ties to app/phone instead of Windows laptop approach.
BTW, three Audi's later on my same VCDS cable, I think I am getting my money's worth. No incremental fees, no subscription model, huge practical database of accumulated posts around codes, mods, etc.
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; 07-02-2019 at 09:27 AM.
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bswartz (07-08-2019)