Seperation Question
 

My bride is an 03 2.7 w/120k on her carriage.

This is my business/personal car & I sure love driving it, however, being a realist I need some input on a decision.

The facts are:
-new front air springs installed @ 80k
-timing belt & water pump @ same time
-routine maintance @ foreign specialty shop

Issues now:
-compressor failure imminent...can't pump past 1...very weak sound...
-rear air springs are shot
-struts are all original & need replaced
-engine warning lite on - shop says emissions issue, no worries..however, $700 remedy to make lite go away.

So, do I...knowing this car has a value of $5-7k or less in it's current condition:

1) invest in arnott rear air springs ($800) / compressor ($400) / Bilsteins F&R ($800)....so far $2000 w/out labor....knowing that the front air springs now have 40K on them or:

2)say the hell with the air suspension...take a practical approach and put on the Arnott coil spring conversion kit @ $1200 + labor and have no future worries? - Anyone tried these...how do they ride/handle? It's not like I need the additional clearance of settings 3 & 4.

3) unload..pretty tuff sell in current condition

4)some other solution.

Should I be expecting other significant issues at this mileage?

Thoughts appreciated.

All I can tell you is what I did.
I replaced the suspension with Arnott Gen II + Bilsteins all around. You can save some bucks by getting Arnott Gen I's instead and the ride will be less stiff and more like stock.
Good luck.
:)

Arnott says its coilovers rest the car at 382 mm. That is 20mm less than the stock ride height, which is a drop of nearly an inch.

I probably would like that, since I'm not a fan of riding high looks.

Your #'s are a little high. It's more like $1500 for everything if you go Gen I's, less expensive Mercedes pump, and then take off %10 with the discount code. Still alot of money and more than the coilover conversion.

If you don't care about being able to raise and lower your ride height then that may be the way to go for you. I like the versatility of the air suspension and keeping what makes the AR unique compared to other wagons, but that is a personal choice you have to make.

This is a tough one I'd sort of but as other have stated, it's really all about what you want / like. I prefer the air suspension bits myself, so Arnott air springs (with lifetime replacement warranty IIRC) is the way I'd go. If they leak, they replace them (I do the labor, since swapping them is pretty straight forward). Also, if u get snow where u live, I'd think being able to raise/lower allroad would be plenty helpful for bad weather. However, if u don't get snow, dont go off road, etc and just need allroad to run around it etc, then Coilovers would be fine too. Either choice is a good choice, no wrong or right way; only the way best for u.

Greatly appreciate the feedback.

I live in NE Ohio & the car gets alot of backroad - farm/field lane driving (work)...sees plenty of snow and mud. The mechanic came out to see me at the last visit for boot replacements and said "you sure are hard on the rig". I probably should be driving a Tahoe type vehicle...my previous work vehicles...but, as you know the Allroad makes life soo much more enjoyable if you spend alot of time driving.

I think the question is if I invest the money for option 1 can I expect the car to stay out of my pocket for another 40-50k miles? I need to state that I am no mechanic...my best tools are a hammer & prybar. Guess i'll just go and have a discussion w/my mechanic.

Thanks fellas.

You can always build your own coilovers with your choice of shocks and ebay sleeved spring perches and cheap OEM A6 avant springs, super simple to build and super simple to install on an allroad.

I don't see any replies that address the engine light issue or the cheapest and most stock suspension fix. So here is my OPINION:

Problem #1 - Your compressor is slowly dying/tired.

Answer - Do this: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...eer+suspension . It will take 1.5 - 2.5 hours will little to moderate mechanical knowledge. This is a great way to boost the performance of your tired old compressor. Cost: a can of beer, which you probably already have.

Problem #2 - Rear air springs are shot. Join the club. Mine are too!

Answer - To do it cheap, check the classifieds on the forum. You should be able to find two rears, in good shape, for around $300. New they are running $500-550, not $800. The install is, as everyone mentioned, very straight forward.
With little to moderate mechanical knowledge, in addition to the countless write-ups and pics on this here site, job should take around 3-4 hours.

Problem #3 - You have 120k on your struts and you want/need to replace them.

Answer - In my opinion, and without seeing/driving your vehicle, your struts should still have a bit of life in them. In my experience (I lived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the last ten years, so dirt roads, national forest fire roads and various other poor excuses for driving surfaces have played a dominant means of travel) theses struts are exceptionally over-built and should last, even in your adverse conditions, through 140-150k. If they are in fact shot (driving still sucks after fixing pump and replacing rear bags), replace them with the Bilsteins unless you have an endless supply of income. The down side is that they do not have real-time valving adjustments like the stock shocks do.

Problem #4 - You have a warning light that is more than likely related to an O2 sensor/Secondary Air Intake system (most common cause).

Answer - Buy a Vag-Com from www.ross-tech. This is an invaluable tool for use on all VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat vehicles. It will allow you, in this case, to confirm and clear the fault code from the ECU. It is also able to read all faults, clear all fault codes, reset service interval reminders, and adjust countless measuring blocks throughout your vehicles systems.

Recap - Don't spend $400 on compressor, spend $0.60 on a can of beer. Buy used rear bags ($300ish) or new ($500). Do those before going at the struts unless you're sure the struts are shot. If they are, Bilsteins for the rear run $385 at Amazon.com. Get a Vag-Com diagnostics tool (because it will save you $$$$ very quickly) and confirm and clear your emission fault code.

Anyone agree/disagree? Again, this in utilizing my experience with my car, as well as probably 100+ hours reading countless posts on AW/QW and allroadFAQ.com

That is interesting, didn't realize eBay sold such hardware. Very tempting to purchase a set of H&R coilovers and throw at the Allroad. Love how they handle my A6.

I don't understand ruining an Allroad by taking away its most distinctive feature. If you want coilovers, get an A6 avant.

Agreed! Get a 'pavedroad' badge for it then:) Audi opted for A6, but I like my idea more.

Also, previously I did not address your question about whether or not your car would "stay out of you pocket" for the next 45-50k. In short; NO. You will have to spend more money on it. This is a fact. It is a car with low tolerances, a severely nuanced build, and many redundancies. It is also a wonderful car to drive. There are trade-offs. It's not like a Taurus where if your steering wheel turns 180* and your wheels don't, it's still within tolerance. I have realized that the allroad, amung many other Audi lines, is not a 'point A to point B' vehicle; it's everything in between.

Side note- I budget $2k/yr for maintenance, but I also do all the work:)

You mean get a castrated wagon with the 2.8L?

I don't get you guys that object to any modification. If you want wider tires/rims, or more boost, or better handling, what'll your answer be? Import RS6 from Europe?

A proper set of adjustable coilovers will be just fine - raise it for the winter, lower for the summer, and you get a much better ride in terms of dampening and general sportiness. H&R on my A6 are very balanced - not harsh, and the car doesn't bounce like a boat when going over speed humps.

As far as 99% of the people are concerned, the most distinctive feature of the Allroad is the way it looks, not the air suspension which hardly anyone knows about.

+1

As far as 99% of <b><i>allroad owners</i></b> are concerned, the air suspension is the most distinctive feature of the allroad.
:)

Surely you meant to say a "bug" in place of "feature"?

Personally, I doubt I will go with the coilover setup, probably Gen II + Bilsteins (because I like everything to work as designed from the factory), but there are definitely advantages to doing it.

Like Jeremy Clarkson's affection for Lancias is based on their tendency to break down, if your affection for allroads is because of a horrible design flaw like the airbag setup, and that adds some romance, some je ne sais quoi, to your experience, so be it. Enjoy!

As an engineer before a romantic, I'll take function over form ... that means I want all the bang my buck can get me: a wagon, with turbos, conventional stick shift, and coilovers. Fun as a sports car, practical as a van.

To each his own, and there's nothing wrong with that. :D

Kudos 12V...great responses all around.

The air suspension is unique, and I have used it quite a bit touring tree farms and looking over timber, I take the allroad where my competitors are driving trucks. But I am practical...and the damn things are are costly to maintain. I like pretty & smart women who move well and don't bite often, same with horses and hunting dogs....however, when things become high maintenance I start reavaluating our realtionship....looking at the longterm prospects. I knew this day would come...I researched the allroad before jumping in...but..I just couldn't help myself.....having owned several vw's and an 86 quattro that was the most satisfying and reliable car I have ever owned(I sure was infatuated with a 16Valve scirrocco).

I think I am going to have beer and try 12v's approach.

I just can't see myself walking away yet.

Thanks fellas.

If the looks you are talking about are the fender flares and oddball colored bumpers and roof, I have to assume that to a non-audiphile or car geek, those nuances are far more minuscule than the adjustable suspension. What is the difference between an A6 Avant w/2.7T and manual trans compared to the allroad?
Also, the great majority of us are very into improving our cars all the way around: handling, performance, breaking, wider tires, etc. What most of us are not about is turning the allroad into something it is not. That is to say, an A6, or Corvette, or Gremlin. It's got on-the-fly adjustable suspension!!! And if it didn't, most of us would have sold ours by now or never owned one in the first place. Not worth the headaches otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the looks as well. And the fact that they opted for an aluminum hood and roof (except when I want to use my magnetic trouble light while working on the engine).

Jamotom - Thanks for the completely unnecessary kudos. Just my opinions, and I tend to over think, and perhaps over research most of what I do to my cars. Hope everything works out for you. Its a car I can't see getting rid of until brake a little too late and bail her off of a cliff:) Due to your job, you are a perfect owner for this heavy, stubborn, gold-digging bitch of a car!! Its actually so perfect that its not.

If you live in the US and want a 2.7T 6spd in an Avant, it's either B5 S4, RS6, swap it in, or grab an allroad.