GottaAllroad

Searched the archives but couldn't find a post tat addressed this particular issue. Thanks in advance for the help!


This is my first winter with my new/used '01 AR, and I seem to notice the following pattern:

1. park car overnight on cold night

2. in the morning, front suspension is low

3. start car; air suspension light in console blinks; car appears to be tyring to raise the suspension to normal position

4. turn car off; try again; this time the car adjusts correctly and the air suspension adjusts to normal position. Normal behaviour from there...

It must be the air suspension controller having an electrical signal connection during cold weather? I'm worried what might happen when I go to Tahoe and it's REALLY cold!?

If it is the sensor, what's the cost to replace. Unfortunately, I don't have an extended warranty...

Votch

I was in Tahoe the last week of December and did have a few suspension problems especially when the outside temperature was around 30F. For the most part the issues were exactly as you explained. But I did have a couple of times when the lowest position led would blink and the dashboard suspension light would blink. On visual inspection the car didn't seem to be sagging or even lower then normal ride height. I drove all day with the lights blinking fully loaded with 5 adults/gear and everything was fine. Once we got down the mountain and the outside temp rose above 40F everything started working normally again.

Thankfully it didn't snow really hard that week, but unfortunately it rained the whole time I was there.

uber_ar

My common error is contoller thermal shutdown presumably running too long the electronics heat up. Do you have access to vagcom to see if it stored codes?

GottaAllroad

No vagcom to read codes (yet); could ask dealer to check for codes?

CTallroad

They leak more when its cold outside because the airbag/bladder is rubber and it shrinks and is less supple in the cold. This makes small cracks open up and leak.

CTallroad

The car would have driven until the compressor died, then given a code.

want

It should be normal. Because the front is much hotter than the rear, and the air pressure is dependent on the air temperature. To check this. You could park the car. After about 2 or 3 hours when the car is totally cool down, you could check if the ride height of the front and the rear are equal. And then start the car, let the suspension to settle dowm by itself, turn off the car. To see if anything happen next morning.

If the front is totally sagging, there should be some where leaking.

brbutler

My '02 with 90,000 miles settles to the bump stops overnight (front, both sides). It was occasional at first, but every night now that it is cold here in New England. Once the car is started, it returns to the proper height, the lights go out, and drives fine. Car was at the dealer today for diag, and found both front air springs are leaking. They had to order the parts, so it is back next week for the install. Dealers better start stocking these!

GottaAllroad

Can anyone give me a cost estimate to repair both front air bags? I'm not under warranty

brbutler

Boston MA area dealer cost, both front air springs replacement:
Parts - $858
Labor - $600
Posted labor rate - $99/hr

I am sure an independant shop would be cheaper.