Brown Water

Morning all,

Apparently mine is bad (129k). Air suspension warning light came on and my Indy shop is telling me $1500 for the part and 2 1/2 hours of labor. Compressor not pumping air. So 2k for the repair and no guarantee they won't find anything else once the compressor is working again. The question is about the cost of the part. Is that a reasonable price and if not, where can I source the part. Also if you have any recommendations for a trustworthy Audi guy in Northern Virginia. I'm in the Haymarket/Gainseville/Manassas area but Reston works too.

Much appreciated.

Jack88

Okay, that is overpriced. Me, not having any directions and moving slow, removed the compressor, used a $35 kit to rebuild it, and reinstalled it in under 2 hours. Just a removal/install, I could do it in under an hour if I did it again. Their parts cost is accurate for a new one, if it's OEM. If you have any mechanical aptitude, it's an easy job, with a little bit of confined space for a bolt or two. Now, in my case, the compressor appeared to have blown a seal around the piston housing, but there are a couple other failures that can happen that are not repaired by a rebuild. Given the cost of the rebuild kit, it's worth a try.

Also worth noting is that usually the compressors fail after having been stressed from a system leak. Have you gotten in the car in the morning with any of it lower than when you parked it or with any yellow suspension light on?

Brown Water

I haven't noticed it any lower than normal, but it's in dynamic mode 99% of the time. The reason I noticed at all is because the compressor stays on after the engine is cut off. At first I though it might be the radiator fan but it's definitely the compressor. The light comes on after the car heats up. It doesn't come on initially, only after driving for a few minutes. The compressor stays on for maybe 5-10 minutes after engine shutoff.

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

Compressor stays on means the relay stuck close. Replace the relay, fuse before the new one is install or the new one will be gone too. Watch this, replace the relay and fuse, check the pump before getting the new one. You may be luck.
Cheers,
Louis

Brown Water

Thanks Louis, this'll give me something to do tonight. Any recommendation on where to source the compressor if/when I need one?

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

Sorry Brown I never have to replace mine so I don't know, let's just hope you're lucky. Remember the pump is disabled by the system when you're in JACK Mode. So make sure you're NOT in Jack mode when listening for the pump to work.
Cheers,
Louis

Jack88

If you have to replace the compressor, you can go the used route from a place that offers a warranty of at least 30 days, considering that if it works on install without undue noise, it's probably going to work for a while. I'd get the rebuild kit for it, just because it's cheap enough, easy, and saves you some trouble if you do it while the pump is already out of the car. I know the desiccant in mine was used up, so at the very least it's worth it for that. These compressors seem mostly to fail due to being overworked from a suspension leak or a failed relay burning them out. Otherwise, they seem to be quite reliable.