09mehashaw

I know you are looking for the one and only Paulroad, but here you go bro.
Check out the many tech articles on here.

https://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel57.shtml

Not sure if this is EXACTLY what you are looking for, but it's better than nothing.

ricam78

audiction.com has the best IMO:
http://www.audiction.com/audi-mainte...g-replacement/

Here are some more:
http://forums.quattroworld.com/allroad/msgs/42702.phtml

allenst

I have a system leak.

Question is, where to start to identify the location of leak ????
pretty sure its front left as it sags
compressor runs, and nothing.

Todd Beaulieu

Yup. Easy peasy .... spritz soapy water all over it look for the bubbling.

SeeksAR

Wow! old dead thread form 2009-2011 sprung back to life in 2014...

Find leaks by spraying soapy water and checking for bubbles at different ride heights. Beware you don't pinch your noggin in the wheel well as the car sags down.
Replace airbag with suitable alternative.

I do NOT recommend using Slime.

I tried Slime 8 years ago. It bought me some time before I could get replacement parts. Jack mode, raise car (which takes some pressure off the bag) and then carefully open the 10mm airline nut, pausing to let the air leak out so it doesn't pop you in the eye. Then remove the air fitting, squirt a bottle of Slime into the hole, clean the hole thoroughly. Wait 30 minutes for all the slime to dribble lower, replace airline, put wheel back on and lower car to the ride height you suspect causes the leak. Turn on the car, turn off Jack mode so it will refill the shock with air at the suspect ride height.

Once the air pressure has filled that corner, remove jack and cycle the car through a few up downs and then back to the correct ride height.

Did it work? Sure for a few K miles. The bits of rubber suspended in the slime plug up the small holes where it is able to leak out under pressure. But I felt totally paranoid that the bag would burst every time I hit a bump on the highway. The bag was weak enough to leak, so it was weak enough to burst.

I stored that old bag/shock on a shelf for 8 years. I recently took it down to reuse the OE shock (only) with a new replacement Arnott Gen 1 bag (version 2). There was still a half cup of slime oozing around as I yanked the old shock out. It doesn't harden like glue.

So if you put too much in and it somehow builds up high enough to coat the airline, I can see how it would create some problems back in the valve body.

I don't recommend using Slime!

allenst

Thanks. I guess if you want a couple K out of it this might be a solution.

My 04 A8L
is driving in 'fail mose', so all related air suspension systems are shut down.
I do hear the air compressor (click click clicking away for about 20 secs.
wondering if it's 'half'fried' or still good ?? guess I'll have to remove it and repair/clean/test ??

If suspension is in fail mode, big question is:

How can I soap the struts and system if the sytem is running in fail mode ? will it not even attempt to pressurize given it's running in this mode = no bubbles cus of no air pressure ?


and I imagine I'd have to hoist while keeping suspension under weight of vehicle.



suspensions errors from vcds:

Address 34: Level Control Labels: 4E0-910-553.lbl
Part No SW: 4E0 910 553 E HW: 4E0 907 553 E
Component: LUFTFDR.-CDC H05 4290
Coding: 0015510
Shop #: WSC 93250 999 80931
VCID: 2541D66CECA1F036C8B-8070

3 Faults Found:
01577 - Turn-Off due to Over-Temp
001 - Upper Limit Exceeded - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00100001
Fault Priority: 4
Fault Frequency: 30
Reset counter: 37
Mileage: 159683 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2004.04.06
Time: 18:19:59

01583 - Leak in System Detected
000 - -
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 11100000
Fault Priority: 3
Fault Frequency: 237
Reset counter: 11
Mileage: 154942 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2004.02.23
Time: 20:31:51

01400 - Suspension Level Control
002 - Lower Limit Exceeded - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00100010
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 249
Reset counter: 51
Mileage: 161914 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2004.05.13
Time: 16:50:30

SeeksAR

At what level is the car riding right now? Can you fit underneath the vehicle? Maybe try driving the car up on to ramps for all 4 wheels to get some access to the underside at the current ride height. Put Rhino ramps in front of each wheel and drive up. If you don't have rhino ramps, you can stack ascending layers of boards in front of each wheel then drive up.

Otherwise, go to a service station that has a drive-on platform lift that picks up all 4 wheels. Instead of the kind of lift that picks up the body of the car and where the wheels hang down.

Sounds like you have some massive leak somewhere if you don't even get the system to turn on. Maybe you have a leak at the compressor. Start by spraying soap around the compressor and the 4 colored air lines. Maybe one or 2 air lines are leaking. Also trace back to the air tank and spray around the I/Os.

If the pump has failed and simply can't create enough pressure, you can look for the pump refurbishment kit that's being sold by a guy around here somewhere ( aha! I believe it is BagpipinAndy) or on the "other forum that includes Quattro and World in the title".

The kit includes a new ring that gets installed on the piston in the compressor. Fortunately for us, the compressor is installed in such a way that you can remove the cover and the cylinder cap to access said piston and put the new ring on, without having to take the whole compressor out of the vehicle. Not sure about how the compressor is oriented in the A8.

kcall5

question. my wheel is off (front passenger side) and I need to find a leak in the air suspension. (It has been acting up a lot- very loud hissing, front is dipped down, etc now after I got my entire system and compressor replaced when the compressor blew a few months ago)… But how can I find the leak when the car is in jack mode and the car stays in place? When I lifted it on my jack, more air would come out each time. (perhaps the leak is emptied now?) so no matter how much soap I spray Im getting no results. I noticed somewhere under the front right tire that a liquid was leaking out significantly one day, towed it home and now I’m at a crossroads.

kcall5

update- found that there is leaking coming out of the top of the strut. Is it possible the air bag is bad/ needs replacing?

amiram

Yes, It is an option but first check if it does not leak from the upper O-ring