vtraudt

Need to check the air lines going to the valve block.
Does someone have the color chart for the 6 connections?

MYD-WGN

Should be blue/black/green then maybe yellow/red/green
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1315001067

finiki

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...php?p=18072516

vtraudt

Thanks. Double checked, seems right.
Have huge problems leveling the car in 402 mod. All kinds of weire stuff (lost sessions, errors in channels, not taking the new values). Nightmare.

Keith J Paris

Been auto shopping, was just about to buy a 2002 VW Passat W8 wagon for $6995, yet found at the same dealer a 2002 Audi Allroad Quattro that needs a "block valve" I'm told. It shows the car suspension bottomed out and the dealer says the AR needs block-valve. will sell "as is" for $4995. Great price! So no issue for me to invest some money into it...
I did some research this am and found it sound like a simple fix or replacement, (I have been a mechanic since 1985.) Yet I would like to refer to the forum for comments and suggestions as to you guys & gals are the more experienced with the AR's....

Can the AR be driven bottomed out or will the bags chaffe. pinch, or puncture ?
Anything else I should look for when I go to check out the AR ?
like the obvious, is the compressor working, or evident air leaks etc ?!

Please Advise !!

vtraudt

- Can the AR be driven bottomed out: yes, but you are riding on bump stops. VERY bouncy. Would not recommend long distance (I do NOT know what might get damaged driven long distance) or high speed (unsafe).

- why is dealer saying valve block? Most common with the AR are leaking bags. And those leaks can be 'tricky', as I experienced myself. Mine were holding air FOR DAYS. Then flat. Took them out, tested them on the BENCH: no leak. Installed again. Flat. Turns out, the leak only occurred AT A CERTAIN POSITION (leak only when hole in the fold at a certain height). I DID change the valve block (since the erratic behavior seemed to point at a bad valve block)

- failure of the valve block is MUCH rarer than air bag leak (they WILL fail, sooner or later. Guaranteed) and compressor (wears out, as indicated by longer and longer run times to go from one level to the next).

- the usual (forum recommended) 'spray with soapy water to check for leaks' does NOT always detects the leak. I first tried by raising the car so I can better reach (and spray and 'see' the bags). In THAT position, there was no leak. Ditto car on hoist with 'wheels up'. But with wheels on ground and bags loaded (say on level 2), it is difficult to check for leaks.

- in my leak finding quest, i changed around the 4 air lines going to the 4 bags at the valve block (very easy to do) to see if the behavior follows the switch (if front left is down and front lines are switched around, front left should still be down after the switch if the bag is leaking). If front right is down: its not the bag, but the connector, line or valve.

- I rigged myself a 'manual inflator' that allows me to manually inflate each air bag right through the connector nipple on the bag (completely independent of the compressor, valves, lines, height sensors, computers). It is basically a screw in nipple that goes into the air bag and a standard compressed air fitting (with gauge and pressure regulator). Hooked up to any compressor, I can put that air bag to any height (and if sealed/closed properly after inflation, can be let sit over night for check of slow leaks). Pretty ghetto, but ultimately the test that finally confirm it IS a leak in the air bag and NOT anything else. If someone needs it, I can either loan or rig up another one (ca. $20 in material).