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Ok guys checked the car this morning in lift/jack mode and the front passenger side of the 05 4.2 is definitely lower than the front driver side. So I'm guessing the front passenger side strut is slowly leaking.
When I turned the ignition on, (but did not start the engine), I deactivated the jack mode and it seems as if the car took itself out of lift and down to automatic. It also greyed the lift mode out. Checked again for codes and there are none. I did hear a long hiss from the front passenger strut at one point in the process. So I guess it's off to Arnott re manufactured struts. I found some online from eBay for $400 a piece and a new compressor for $550.
Now that the OP has told us that he has the green lowering light in comfort or automatic, we know he has a problem.
BUT,
I have to say that you are incorrect with your stating that the green lowered light stays on full time if the vehicle is set to dynamic level, it DOES NOT, I have had a 04 A8l 4.2, 07 A8l 4.2, 08 A8l 4.2, and still have my 05 A8l 6.0 W12, and ALL of them showed the green lowered light for 8-10 seconds when vehicle was first started IF parked in dynamic level, the only time one of them showed the green light the whole time was when I picked up the 04, and it was on all the way from South Miami to New Jersey as it had a worn out compressor, after replacing said compressor the green light only illuminated for brief moment like the rest did and still do.
Also Please see your own picture at high speed in which the vehicle automatically drops into dynamic level, where is your green light...
As I type this it came to me that I think you are the person ( I could be wrong ) that never updated the MMI software, so that could be why you see the light, but then why is it not on in your picture at over 170MPH.
Originally Posted by Mister Bally
What I replied to above was the statement that implied the green light coming on for 10 seconds upon start up with the suspension set to Dynamic mode is normal. That's not normal as the green indicator should be on and stay on when the suspension is set to "Dynamic".
JohnnyJ A6Q, my green light is not on all the time in comfort/automatic mode, it just comes on intermittently throughout the drive cycle, and for only a couple seconds each. Again this is in comfort/automatic mode only. I'm just surprised there are no codes.
Also Please see your own picture at high speed in which the vehicle automatically drops into dynamic level, where is your green light...
FWIW, this one part isn't right. On a non-Sport, unless you have it in Dynamic it never somehow magically switches there. Specifically in the Automatic mode, once it goes above 75MPH it will do the 20mm drop, and then come back up once you fall below 45 for a couple of minutes, or comes up right away at slightly above 20MPH. IF you are in Dynamic, then it already starts 20mm down at rest or regular city or suburban driving, and then does a final 5mm drop at 75MPH.
The purpose off the light being on initial start up when in Dynamic is to alert you to the fact car is dropped lower than "normal," so watch out for low curbs, parking blocks, street swale dips, etc. Owner's manual confirms/says that, including that purpose.
I don't have a Sport suspension set up in mine, but also manual says the light does not come on at start up for A8's w/ sport suspension option. I can guess it would be the same in all S8's too--my manual is a 2006 so pre S8. It goes on to say that is because the owner is already supposed to know in every day driving he is sitting lower so no light reminder. That info about Sport suspension being different is not w/ the suspension mode description I think, but is up toward the front where the manual describes each light.
Net, if Mr. Bally either has Sport suspension (which as a 2004 maybe not) [I]or[[I] had it in any mode but Dynamic, no nanny light would ever be on. That's also ignoring that unless he got the special flux conductor option along side his Unitronic governor removal to reach warp speed in like 1 second, the light would have turn off miles before--a few seconds after he started his run, and then only if he had a flagger saying Bally, start your engine.
MP,
Did you miss my points entirely, or are you just BB, Mister Bally is stating that when ever the vehicle is driven in dynamic level that the light will remain lit the whole time the vehicle is driven in dynamic level, I repeat it DOES NOT remain lit the entire time the vehicle is driven in that state, and as far as the vehicle not dropping into dynamic level from automatic level, then explain to me how my 05 A8l W12 dropped from "Auto" to "Dynamic" without any interaction from me, I had it set at "Auto" and while on my way to 135MPH I looked at the MMI screen and it was on dynamic, and during reaching this speed the green lowering light came on for a few seconds to inform me of lowering and went out after it reached it's lowest level, later after slowing it was back at automatic, as far as the light coming on at startup when shutdown and left in dynamic, of course it's a warning, I have already said it was normal at startup in lowered state, I can be in comfort or automatic and when ever I reach certain speeds the light comes on briefly to show me or warn me that it is lowering.
That was the whole point of me asking Mister Bally why is light was not on at 170 + MPH, was he not in dynamic for best handling and aerodynamics, or did he drive 172MPH in comfort mode ?
Originally Posted by MP4.2+6.0
FWIW, this one part isn't right. On a non-Sport, unless you have it in Dynamic it never somehow magically switches there. Specifically in the Automatic mode, once it goes above 75MPH it will do the 20mm drop, and then come back up once you fall below 45 for a couple of minutes, or comes up right away at slightly above 20MPH. IF you are in Dynamic, then it already starts 20mm down at rest or regular city or suburban driving, and then does a final 5mm drop at 75MPH.
The purpose off the light being on initial start up when in Dynamic is to alert you to the fact car is dropped lower than "normal," so watch out for low curbs, parking blocks, street swale dips, etc. Owner's manual confirms/says that, including that purpose.
I don't have a Sport suspension set up in mine, but also manual says the light does not come on at start up for A8's w/ sport suspension option. I can guess it would be the same in all S8's too--my manual is a 2006 so pre S8. It goes on to say that is because the owner is already supposed to know in every day driving he is sitting lower so no light reminder. That info about Sport suspension being different is not w/ the suspension mode description I think, but is up toward the front where the manual describes each light.
Net, if Mr. Bally either has Sport suspension (which as a 2004 maybe not) [I]or[[I] had it in any mode but Dynamic, no nanny light would ever be on. That's also ignoring that unless he got the special flux conductor option along side his Unitronic governor removal to reach warp speed in like 1 second, the light would have turn off miles before--a few seconds after he started his run, and then only if he had a flagger saying Bally, start your engine.
Last edited by JohnnyJ A6Q; 11-23-2015 at 01:24 PM.
Now that the OP has told us that he has the green lowering light in comfort or automatic, we know he has a problem.
BUT, I have to say that you are incorrect with your stating that the green lowered light stays on full time if the vehicle is set to dynamic level, it DOES NOT, I have had a 04 A8l 4.2, 07 A8l 4.2, 08 A8l 4.2, and still have my 05 A8l 6.0 W12, and ALL of them showed the green lowered light for 8-10 seconds when vehicle was first started IF parked in dynamic level, the only time one of them showed the green light the whole time was when I picked up the 04, and it was on all the way from South Miami to New Jersey as it had a worn out compressor, after replacing said compressor the green light only illuminated for brief moment like the rest did and still do.
Also Please see your own picture at high speed in which the vehicle automatically drops into dynamic level, where is your green light...
As I type this it came to me that I think you are the person ( I could be wrong ) that never updated the MMI software, so that could be why you see the light, but then why is it not on in your picture at over 170MPH.
How sure are you about this?
The reason I am asking is mine does stay on (green light) only in dynamic mode.
I have put almost 10k miles on it, the longest trip was about 1300 miles in two days. I drive it mostly in dynamic mode now with snow on the ground I'm in comfort mode and haven't noticed anything wrong with it, the ride is great.
I had the car parked in garage for two days in lift mode, and little over 12 hrs in dynamic mode and there wasn't any change in height.
I think if there was something wrong it would have developed into bigger problem by now.
and as far as the vehicle not dropping into dynamic level from automatic level, then explain to me how my 05 A8l W12 dropped from "Auto" to "Dynamic" without any interaction from me, I had it set at "Auto"
Mine does it too. when in auto mode anything over 80-85 it will switch to dynamic mode.
The reason I am asking is mine does stay on (green light) only in dynamic mode.
and as far as the vehicle not dropping into dynamic level from automatic level, then explain to me how my 05 A8l W12 dropped from "Auto" to "Dynamic" without any interaction from me, I had it set at "Auto"
Mine does it too. when in auto mode anything over 80-85 it will switch to dynamic mode.
Hello 2004A8L,
As to how sure I am, I am 100% sure as to how my 04,07,08 acted, and how my 05 still does, and none of them ever had a problem except as I posted earlier the 04 needed a compressor.
Now being that you have a 04 also just like Mister Bally, the light being on constantly in dynamic level may be related to a lack of a MMI update being preformed, I do remember talking to a German man who specialized in German cars of course, and he was telling me how the MMI updates do a lot more then we think, not just Bose surround, Blu-Tooth, and Battery meter, so I think it could be possible that said update would remove the light from being on constantly, as maybe too many customers thought it was a fault, just like the MMI update got rid of the not so accurate battery meter, BUT that's just my thinking, I do know for a fact that my 04 stayed lit when the compressor could not pump up to required level, BUT I replaced the compressor, battery, MMI update, and NAV update all in the same week or so, and never after that did my green light remain lit in dynamic.
11-23-2015, 06:54 AM
