rhskcdn

N00b question: is there a trick to determining which air bag has a small leak? The usual symptoms... If I leave it sitting at level 3 it stays there but if I leave it at 2 or 1 then it leaks down in a few hours.

I was told when I bought the AR that the right rear airbag has a pinhole leak but I would like to confirm. Yes, I realize Arnott bags can be had for $800/pair and that is probably what I'll use for a repair. Nevertheless, I figure this is a good time to learn the tricks for finding leaks

amiram

the situation you are describing is a sign to a leak from the airbag itself. when the air spring bag is loaded with pressure it makes a turn of 360 degrees and it creates a U in the bag. since most of the time you are in position 2 (normal) the main wear is in the rubber in this position. it creates small cracs in the rubber (but not in the fiber screen reinforcment), when rizing the car to mode "high level 1" or "2" the cracs are seald and it stops the leak (or slows it down). do not use the "generation 2 " air bags! you will read alot about it in the forum. good luck.

Teutonix

You can use the usual method of soapy water for finding air leaks.

Beyond that, park the car in "jack mode" by holding the up and down buttons on the dash for ~10 sec before shutting down. You'll know when it's engaged. This will prevent the car from transferring air to try to level itself, and the leaky corner will be obvious. Use the same procedure, or just drive away to get out of jack mode.

rhskcdn

Thanks Teutonix, that was the info I was looking for. I've been following the discussion regarding the GenII flaw but I'm not completely conviniced by this thread and still undecided if they will be GenI or GenII replacements. Roads here are a bit crap so I may go with GenI for that reason. That being said, I do find the OEM ride a little bouncy. For what it is worth, I have new(ish) Bilstein dampers.

Teutonix

Fact:
- Springs (including airsprings) won't affect that bouncy ride nearly as much as the dampers.

Opinions:
- I think the OEM shocks on the allroad are almost always the best choice.
- I haven't seen any compelling evidence that the Arnott gen II is significantly better or worse than Gen I. I'm running OEM replacements, but wouldn't hesitate to buy Gen I replacements if the need arose.

JustMtnB44

If you frequently drive on rough roads, then I would stay with Gen I springs. I have Gen II springs and the ride is still much firmer but still fairly bouncy; that is more of a damping issue.


Gen II springs are 30% stiffer in all settings than Gen I springs. So my advice is if you like the OEM ride quality, than stick with Gen I's. If you want slightly better handling at the expense of a much harsher ride on rough roads, then go with Gen II.

rhskcdn

Thanks everyone. Beyond the price, is there a big difference between Arnott Gen I and OEM? I figure it is only a matter of time before my '01 is going to need all 4 corners replaced.

JustMtnB44

Arnott Gen I and OEM springs are functionally the same, so since Arnott is cheaper and has lifetime warranty it doesn't really make sense to buy OEM...