tdawg183

Guys i know this is a bit of a long shot but I atleast wanted to pose this question just in case anybody knows of a possible cause/reason for this.

I was hit straight on in the front driver side wheel of my car recently, got the car back from the body shop and heard a noticeable issue with the compressor immediately after. The body shop took the car to the dealer and found there was an issue with the compressor in the area that was hit. The dealer replaced the compressor and checked for any additional issues and it checked out fine.

I soon noticed after taking the car home that there was still a noise that I had never heard before the accident. I generally only notice the noise right after turning the car on in the morning, driving 10-15 mph to the end of the street and when i'm slowing down there is what sounds to be a slight pressure release from the area of the accident (Imagine filling a balloon with a little air and releasing the end). I've also noticed just a slight amount of vibration through the steering wheel prior to the "pressure" being released. All of this goes away once I've gone over 25mph and won't come back until the car is turned off for a while and restarted.

Again, I know this is a long shot but i'm hearing and feeling something that I'm not accustomed to. Maybe something was wrong prior to the crash? It's just that the dealership says everything is fine and I don't feel like it is.

Thoughts?

Jack88

If it doesn't feel right, it isn't. The problem may not be immediately obvious. Aside from damaged parts, it could also be the mounting points that were damaged. Hard to say.

tdawg183

I agree. At this point though I feel like i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place in telling the experts at the dealership there's something there that they are just not finding. My logical deduction was that maybe I'm wrong, thus the post here.

Observations aside, is there any system (suspension or steering) that may disengage and release pressure when coming to a stop?

Jack88

Not that I am aware. Only the air suspension vents periodically, as far as I know. Even so, that should not produce the symptoms you describe, faulty or not.

SaltyIrishman

The only time I hear my compressor doing anything is after I have locked the car occasionally it will "resettle" the suspension. Have never heard anything else running while driving

Greg5OH

from when i start the car to the end of my street to get onto the main road takes me about 1 minutes. right when i am coming to the end of my street i heard the compressor and then hear the relay click and it turns off. I dont get above 15 mph during thsi time.
However, there is no tactile feel, only audible. So yes something it is wrong.
Hard for an outsider that is not intricate with this exact car or know what to feel for. Alot of people are also just plain numb when it comes to any vibrations in a vehicle while i feel i am hyper sensitive to the point where every car annoys me slightly..

91quattro

Your symptoms sound familiar....I had vibration through my steering wheel and brake pedal, there are 3 rubber suspension mounts that attach the compressor to its frame. They isolate the compressor vibration and movement when it turns on and off. Mine had worn out, and after I replaced them the vibration went away. Now I only hear the click of the relay when the compressor turns on or off. It's possible the dealer only replaced the compressor and not the suspension mounts, and if the mounts are worn or old, and the compressor is new, that might be your problem, especially if that mounting frame got bent at all in the accident. If the compressor is replaced, you might as well replace the 3 rubber mounts at the same time.

gaber6

I just made a similar post about the sound that's like an air brake venting on decel near stop. I recently replaced my compressor with an eBay version. Theres a slow leak on my front right if I park wrong. It hasn't leaked lately.
sounds the same as yours.. relay click, pssht.
my ride height wasnt quite level for a couple weeks after the installn, even after calibrating, and maybe it was trying to compensate. Seems level now and might do it less?

tdawg183

Bringing this one back to life for a quick second.

I had to take the car back to the dealership for an unrelated issue and had them circle back on this issue since it has become quite colder and the issue thus amplified. They said they did find the issue this time and that the pressure relief (or regulating) valve of the air suspension wasn't working correctly. With parts and installation it was around $600 to fix. From experience I feel like most fixes at this price point I've been able to do myself, maybe not, but I was wondering if anybody familiar with the system had replaced this part before. And if so, can somebody advise on where and how to replace this?

...or any other thoughts on the matter?

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

As I understand, there are 2 pressure relief valves, one in the pump and one in the valve block. You should hear the pressure released every time you lock your car after a drive.
$600 is not the pump replacement with labor, they must replace the valve block.
I don't think the noise caused by pressure relief valves, but I'm not the dealer.
Cheers and good luck,
Louis