Tuddie

Due to pick my new S8 up in March, anyone from Scotland able to do this for me?

Fez2013

Luckily I saved the values from before. I'm about to get new tires and don't want to prematurely wear them out. What I don't understand .. those values were all over the place for each corner. I mean the values were vastly different wondered how could the car possibly be level.

LexusLSguy

On my 2014 I just did the calibration as it was off. The calibration numbers on my front and back were not correct. The front was 410, both sides, and the back was 405 both sides. They were all wrong. Whoever put it in last did not measure correctly. If any of yours are exactly the same it's wrong.

I am probably going to go back and lower it a little more. Just wanted to mention that the procedure is not the same as Vag-Com list on the Wiki and Youtube video for my vehicle. Pre-refresh ECM 2013 built 14 model. I have no login option and the security code mentioned was not accepted. When lowering it makes sense to calibrate first anyway and not rely on whoever put in the last values. Use metric tape measure and do it yourself is the best way. Calibrate to factory then add your desired lowering amount to those numbers

I believe this is factory height, from the Ross Tech site - Mine is sitting very close to the standard suspension numbers right now. The numbers below are not the actual numbers I entered but the measured value after calibration.

Audi A8 (4E) standard suspension (PR-1BK): 416 mm (front) and 398 mm (rear)
Audi A8/S8 (4E) sport suspension (PR-2MA/2MB): 396 mm (front) and 378 mm (rear)

Anyway - for my car

Car in auto mode, doors closed, level surface

Go to module 34 - level control

Security - {basic suggested code by vcds)

Select Basic Settings

Select Activate Level Control (hit go and wait until says not running select stop. Car will spend about a min adjusting)

Select Delete Calibration Report For Level Control (hit go and wait until says not running select stop. Car will throw code. This is normal)

Select Startup To Reference Level (hit go and wait until says not running select stop. Do not use startup reference level production)

Select Go Back

Select Adaptation

Use the dropdown menu to select each wheel starting with the front left and measure in mm the distance from the center of the center cap to the fender edge. For each wheel enter the new value and select Do it to save the value.

After measuring all 4 wheels and entering the exact measured mm, select go back

Select Basic settings

Select Calibrate Level Control (hit go and wait until says not running select stop - this resets height to new values)

Select Activate Level Control (hit go and wait until says not running select stop) Yea, you are done! Exit out of your modules and enjoy.

The calibration code cleared with the procedure but if not then go to 02 clear codes.

MNDZA222

Awesome write up. Thank you very much!

MP4.2+6.0

All fine but...

Let me back up a step and ask/test an assumption as folks dial these settings in:

It is critical this be done on a flat floor, or at least a floor with no more than a slight slope and in one direction only. Thus, for those doing it recently, did you check level of the floor you were using, and with a level and/or straight edge long enough for the spans involved?

I point this out having tested our own garage floor, which has a modern slab replaced since we bought house. When I checked it with an 8 foot level I found it had a very slight slope front to back, as expected for drainage. BUT, it also had a varying slope left to right/side to side. That was on the side where I normally park and do my maintenance work since it is slightly deeper layout wise. Basically it runs a little higher as it approaches a corner where a rear outside door is. Meantime, the side my wife uses does not have the differential slope side to side. Thus, I do any VCDS height work only on that side of garage.

If the floor isn't in a single plane--like I found on one side--it is going to load the suspension in an odd way, basically forcing one or the other diagonal set of wheels up slightly and the other down. I can't imagine that will yield optimal VCDS leveling results.

I expect the factory floor or dealership floor and alignment rack do sit flat. Net, I would not assume the same at home (and certainly not outside) without some checking with a decent level and straight edge/ board sufficient to reach 8 or more feet. I would be especially careful about changing any left-right relative differences compared to the factory default settings without also checking the floor surface first.

LexusLSguy

When my rims were refurbished at the dealer they somehow broke a height sensor. I am not sure if they re-entered values or if the numbers were from the factory. The car was riding high when I got it back and not even. At least higher then I remember. I measured again today and the height is matching perfect. I'm at 414 in the front and 401 in the back. Before calibration LF was 412 RF was 428 and the back was over 12mm higher then it should be and did not match. Lazy and sloppy work.

SWelsch

I assume a new car from the dealer would have correct values. Adding 15mm to each would still provide a level/balanced set-up, correct?

LexusLSguy

This is a logical assumption but all it takes is a tape measure to find out.

jsilas

This was actually my assumption as well. Everyone suggested to use a measuring tape, but it seems to me that the thing was balanced from the factory, and any adjustment I make should be an offset from that factory balance. My results on an '16 S6 were quite nice following this approach.

No idea if the tape-measure would somehow yield better results, but I doubt it - my car looks great as-is.

LexusLSguy

Honestly, if the difference is only 5 or so mm then I would not worry about it. If one side was let's say 12+ mm higher or lower then the other I would calibrate and fix. This idea the factory has some perfect way of calibrating I doubt is accurate. I'm sure it's good when done properly but it does not take much to do it properly. Far too often human laziness is the biggest factor with why things get messed up. It's quite easy to fix either way.