Woe is my air suspension. Here's the latest update and it's really starting to piss me off.
11-13-2007, 05:36 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Woe is my air suspension. Here's the latest update and it's really starting to **** me off.
Backstory:
One day the suspension warning light comes on and the car starts wandering around to all sorts of bizarre settings, often different on each wheel. I take it to my mechanic and it scares the hell out of him. I take it to the stealership and they tell me it's a bad suspension controller and that's $1500 to replace. I buy a new controller from Carson and install it myself. Very easy.
Now I try to calibrate the car and it gives me lots of grief. Does the VAG-COM ever say anything but "WAIT" during these steps? Mine doesn't until it errors out. When I enter and save all the values, the car thinks its on level 1 even though the driver's rear tire never goes below 420mm. I raise up to level 4 and all four wheels are the same height around 435mm. When I start to go down however, the passenger side drops more than the driver's side. Front and back on each side stay equal at level 3, and then the driver's rear gets stuck at 420 when I try to go to level 2. At level two, the passenger sides are at 385mm and the drier's front is 402. If I go level one, the passenger side drops to 365 and then the car gives an error of "adaptation limit surpassed".
From this point, if I drive, the compressor runs nearly all the time and every time I stop, the car adjusts a lot up and down almost like it's breathing. If I go back to level 4, then all wheels are equal again. It won't throw a code unless I go to level 1. I never get any other codes.
Does anybody have any idea what's up here? I'm at the end of my rope.
One day the suspension warning light comes on and the car starts wandering around to all sorts of bizarre settings, often different on each wheel. I take it to my mechanic and it scares the hell out of him. I take it to the stealership and they tell me it's a bad suspension controller and that's $1500 to replace. I buy a new controller from Carson and install it myself. Very easy.
Now I try to calibrate the car and it gives me lots of grief. Does the VAG-COM ever say anything but "WAIT" during these steps? Mine doesn't until it errors out. When I enter and save all the values, the car thinks its on level 1 even though the driver's rear tire never goes below 420mm. I raise up to level 4 and all four wheels are the same height around 435mm. When I start to go down however, the passenger side drops more than the driver's side. Front and back on each side stay equal at level 3, and then the driver's rear gets stuck at 420 when I try to go to level 2. At level two, the passenger sides are at 385mm and the drier's front is 402. If I go level one, the passenger side drops to 365 and then the car gives an error of "adaptation limit surpassed".
From this point, if I drive, the compressor runs nearly all the time and every time I stop, the car adjusts a lot up and down almost like it's breathing. If I go back to level 4, then all wheels are equal again. It won't throw a code unless I go to level 1. I never get any other codes.
Does anybody have any idea what's up here? I'm at the end of my rope.
11-13-2007, 05:46 PM
#3
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
Maybe. I'm pretty suspicious of that one wheel that doesn't like to come down
I think the other wheels go to odd values because they are trying to compensate and level the car.
11-13-2007, 05:59 PM
#4
First, take a deep breath,..........it is annoying and very time consuming to fix the setting
You installed the new module and it has no idea where the settings are, just like a dumb terminal that needs specific guidance.
Besides the VAG, you'll also need a ruler, preferably in millimeter, that's easier. Or cut 4 equally long pieces of masking tape and tape it on each corner/plastic fender for better visualization.
First things first, does it engage in Jack mode if you hold the buttons? If so, what is the position/measurement for jack mode? Note these distances for each wheel so you'll get a feel where everything stands.
Take her out of jack mode, turn off the engine and disconnect the module for about 30 minutes to clear its headaches.
Plug in the VAG, start the car and enter the 402mod. Once the car has itself leveled out then go around and note the distance.
Go through each channel/corner with a maximum of 5mm per setting. If a channel doesn't require change then enter 0 and "do it".
Remember, to lower a corner you'll need add, to raise it - subtract.
It will require to do this a few times because your setting seems a bit far off. Also ensure to finish each round by adapting channel 05, the module. It is also advisable to disconnect the laptop and restart the car after each round, this will ensure that any kind of Cache memory is cleared up.
Don't get frustrated, I've been through this nightmare a few times but it always worked out at the end.
Worst case scenario was a totally dropped driver side, I used a jack to slightly raise the car to L1, went through the 402 while on the jack, saved the changes and redone it 4 more times to match all corners.
Besides the VAG, you'll also need a ruler, preferably in millimeter, that's easier. Or cut 4 equally long pieces of masking tape and tape it on each corner/plastic fender for better visualization.
First things first, does it engage in Jack mode if you hold the buttons? If so, what is the position/measurement for jack mode? Note these distances for each wheel so you'll get a feel where everything stands.
Take her out of jack mode, turn off the engine and disconnect the module for about 30 minutes to clear its headaches.
Plug in the VAG, start the car and enter the 402mod. Once the car has itself leveled out then go around and note the distance.
Go through each channel/corner with a maximum of 5mm per setting. If a channel doesn't require change then enter 0 and "do it".
Remember, to lower a corner you'll need add, to raise it - subtract.
It will require to do this a few times because your setting seems a bit far off. Also ensure to finish each round by adapting channel 05, the module. It is also advisable to disconnect the laptop and restart the car after each round, this will ensure that any kind of Cache memory is cleared up.
Don't get frustrated, I've been through this nightmare a few times but it always worked out at the end.
Worst case scenario was a totally dropped driver side, I used a jack to slightly raise the car to L1, went through the 402 while on the jack, saved the changes and redone it 4 more times to match all corners.
11-13-2007, 06:19 PM
#5
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Bobby, I'm having similar problems. Indy did an Ohms test on the sensors...
(something the audi techs seem to not know know how to do) and he found that my right rear level sensor was bad and reading 16mm !!!! lower than it should have been. I have it on order and am paying for it out of pocket because Audi doesn't know ****. (I hope he and I end up being right).
here are my symptoms.
1. suspension adjusts at every acceleration from a stop sign/ light, causing the compressor to run at almost every acceleration from stop - certainly every long acceleration, and even most accelerations while moving.
What I think is happening, is that the squat pushes one sensor out of parameters, and the distribution block lets out air to balance and then the pump needs to run.
2. For a while I had my LEFT rear corner was jacked all the way up. If I put it in level three or four, my car would "Bounced off the top" about ten times in a row and then eventually stop. This is what is sounded like - pump running.... huge gush of air.... pump running....etc.
This is when they found the bad sensor. The tech that workes for the indy did something to get the car to sit level - I don't know what - I assume he dialed the LEFT REAR sensor down 16mm to match the right.
Car is sitting level, and has for a while, but I still get the constant adjustment on acceleration, and now my head lights are slammed down (makes sense if car thinks it's *** heavy).
What i suggest is having an indy (or yourself) do an OHMS test on all four sensors. They're just resistors after all. I bet you have one or two bad ones, and I'd also bet your controller was never bad.
Good luck. I'll post my results when I get the new sensor in.
Nick.
here are my symptoms.
1. suspension adjusts at every acceleration from a stop sign/ light, causing the compressor to run at almost every acceleration from stop - certainly every long acceleration, and even most accelerations while moving.
What I think is happening, is that the squat pushes one sensor out of parameters, and the distribution block lets out air to balance and then the pump needs to run.
2. For a while I had my LEFT rear corner was jacked all the way up. If I put it in level three or four, my car would "Bounced off the top" about ten times in a row and then eventually stop. This is what is sounded like - pump running.... huge gush of air.... pump running....etc.
This is when they found the bad sensor. The tech that workes for the indy did something to get the car to sit level - I don't know what - I assume he dialed the LEFT REAR sensor down 16mm to match the right.
Car is sitting level, and has for a while, but I still get the constant adjustment on acceleration, and now my head lights are slammed down (makes sense if car thinks it's *** heavy).
What i suggest is having an indy (or yourself) do an OHMS test on all four sensors. They're just resistors after all. I bet you have one or two bad ones, and I'd also bet your controller was never bad.
Good luck. I'll post my results when I get the new sensor in.
Nick.
11-13-2007, 06:20 PM
#6
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
I'm not trying to change the factory default settings.
I'm trying to set them as the 402 function was meant to do and calibrate the new controller. I've gone through the full programming routine three times successfully and I get the same results each time.
11-13-2007, 06:21 PM
#7
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
Wow, that's EXACTLY the same symptoms I have.
It's even the same wheel. OK I'll replace that sensor.
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11-13-2007, 06:23 PM
#8
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It's not necessarily the wheel that's Jacked up that had the bad sensor... Mine was the...
opposite side... You need to get someone to do an electrical test on all four, or you could replace all four.
I'm actually glad we're having the same problems. I got sick of audi telling me I was crazy.
I'm actually glad we're having the same problems. I got sick of audi telling me I was crazy.
11-13-2007, 06:29 PM
#10
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
Do you know the proper ohm values?
I can easily perform the measurement myself.
Our cars are even the same color
Our cars are even the same color