Mzg

I could use some help here.. Yesterday, my '02 allroad suddenly decided that front suspension was overrated, and it's now sitting on the bump stops at both wheels. One of the rear springs have been leaking for a while, but I've never noticed issues in the front before.

I think it started when I drove over a speed bump last night, as I suddenly heard a loud bang. This could have been the car scraping the ground due to the lower ride height, but I'm not sure. Just a few seconds earlier I drove over a similar speed bump with no problems. And there were no error lights before or after the incident. I checked the car for damage afterwards, but saw nothing obvious. I did not check the ride height, as it didn't cross my mind, so I don't know if it was already low then. Car was at level 1 so it would be low anyway.

This morning the suspension error light came on flashing, and the car was unable to adjust itself up (light went solid). I stepped out of the car and saw that both front wheels were at the bump stops.

So my questions are as follows: Could this be the traditional bag leak? On both sides this sudden? And also, can I drive short distances like this? Or do I need a tow truck?

Car is on OEM springs (though supposedly replaced once), not lowered.

Irish1004

I had a similar issue a while back and it obviously sounds like you had a catastrophic failure of some sort. Also it appears that your compressor is not running.
I would check the following:

1. The wiring to the compressor under the car for broken wires or shorts. One common failure point is broken wires on the connectors and shorted wires due to the wires chaffing on the metal compressor guard. The compressor is located in the rear of the car on the underside next to the spare tire well.

2. The compressor fuse and relay. The Relay (40 amp) is located behind the panel under the steering wheel. It's in the extreme upper left hand side and is labeled as 373. As I recall the fuse is also 40 amps and is located in a box with the ECU which is located in the engine compartment directly in front of the drivers side windshield under the cowl panel.

Assuming that you resolve the issue(s) and are able to get the compressor running I would then check the following:

3. All of the airlines to each shock at both the shock and valve block for air leaks. The valve block is near the compressor.

4. The airbags (shocks) for air leaks in the folds. Use soapy water and raise and lower the level which should expose the
leak(s). If the bags have leaks they'll need to be replaced.

Once that's resolved I would rebuild the compressor using a rebuild kit from forum member "bagpipingandy" who sells the kit on eBay. He includes detailed instructions and also has a YouTube video. The rebuild is super easy and should restore the compressor to like new condition enabling the compressor to raise to each level in a matter of 20-30 seconds.
Unresolved the air leaks will eventually kill the compressor due to it cycling on and off too frequently. Hopefully all of this doesn't seem too daunting as it's actually pretty straight forward and the forum has a number of posts and procedures on this. Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.

PaperToast

the real step 1
go get a vagcom scan done
since the suspension light came on, there is a code stored
report back after you get that then we can be in a better position to help instead of speculating

bagpipingandy

Does the error light flash or on solid?

if its on solid constantly, get the fault codes,

if it flashes that is good and the car is trying to lift, can you hear the compressor running while the error light flashes?

the compressor should run for 120 seconds then the light goes solid, if it does this air is escaping from somewhere, if you heard a bang, im thinking burst airbag , remove wheels and thoroughly inspect airbladders

regards

Andy

Mzg

Thanks for the replies everyone!

The compressor sounds like it's running, and there is a fairly clear "air blowing" noise from the front left wheel well when it does. Nothing from the right side.

Light flashes, then goes solid after 2 minutes as you mentioned.

Getting a fault code reading could prove a bit difficult, but I'll definitely try to jack the car up and inspect for air leaks as soon as I have time. Should I put it in jacking mode for this?

snagitseven

FYI, don't allow the compressor to keep running continuously until you find the issue (failed air springs, etc.) and resolve it. It will overheat and completely fail resulting in a greater expense.

Mzg

Wow, so I took the front left wheel off and found this:





So looks like a completely torn air spring? Wonder how this could have happened... And I'm also a bit relieved that it didn't occur at high speeds.

I guess I'll be ordering 4 new springs from Arnott.

snagitseven

The allroad air spring bladders have a long history of just wearing out. It's not a question of if but when. Interestingly, it's usually the fronts that fail first but in my case, it was a rear leaker. Replaced the rears with Arnotts and after a year, so far, so good. At least until the fronts go south.