HeavyBreathing

Hi all,

I've been looking around and want to once and for all have a definitive informational thread on Sport Adaptive Damping Suspension for B9 S4.

So, basically, I have questions regarding:
1. How does it work under Comfort and Dynamic modes?
2. What is the ride height (specifically for B9 S4) with the sports package bundle (SADS is bundled with it) versus without the sports package?
3. I read that S-Line for A4 has sports suspension and it's 23mm lowered, whereas the ADS on the A4 only lowers it by 10 mm. Does this mean an S-Line A4 rides lower than an S4 with sports package SADS? That would be upsetting...

ibu11et

Why would this be disappointing? Is it your belief that the lower you go, the better it handles?

Glisse

There has been a lot of information previously posted. This is not an Audi help line with paid employees to meet your wants, once and for all, LOL!

But here you go anyway...

1. The CDC dampers used in S adaptive suspension are not binary, meaning there is not just a Soft and Hard setting, or Comfort and Dynamic. They make use of sensors in the vehicle's chassis, linked into the B9's chassis ECU, to then control the valving of the (ZF Sachs) dampers numerous times per second. If you use the search function, you will find links to OEM manufacturer videos describing this in detail.

2. The ride height is the same for both fixed and adaptive suspensions on the S4, which is 23mm lower than an A4 on standard suspension. Note it is the springs, and not the dampers, that determine ride height.

3. The "ADS" you refer to for the A4 is a comfort based adaptive damping suspension, and not the S adaptive suspension used on the S4. This suspension uses taller springs than the S adaptive suspension, and fixed suspension, in the S4. It is, as you noted, 10mm lower than an A4 on standard suspension. Audi AG do make two different versions of the adaptive suspension for the A4, a comfort version and a sport version. The US only gets the comfort version. An S/line A4 with sport suspension is 20mm lower than an A4 on standard suspension, according to Audi AG. Which is the best source. So no need to be upset, although good luck picking a 3mm ride height difference

Audi publish a lot of material, in English as well as German. Go to their global sites not just whatever Audi USA bother to publish, and look around:

Audi Media: S4 Handling

suspension-with-damper-control


Audi S4 suspension, Audi Media site

And screen shots from the current German configurator for the B9 A4 suspension options:


A4 comfort adaptive suspension (as per US market option)


A4 sport adaptive suspension (not available in US market)



A4 fixed sport suspension

markcincinnati

I have a suggestion -- go to your dealer and test drive, back to back, two S4's (with the same wheels and tires) one with the SADS and one that simply has the S4 standard suspension.

Take both cars over an identical route. Since there will be no settings that will impact the "shocks" drive the S4 on a route as aggressively as possible, note everything you can: speed, steering wheel angle, the "lean" of the car (roll) and anything else that is important to you.

Next take a test drive of the S4 with the adaptive suspension.

Make sure the Audi Drive Select settings for engine/transmission, steering and even exhaust sound are the same.

Drive your test drive route 3 times, changing the suspension settings from comfort to dynamic and auto. Note your findings.

If both cars are not very, very similar (that is to say if one has the dynamic steering and the other one doesn't -- which is possible only for the car equipped with the Sport Adaptive Suspension), you will not get the read you are looking for.

Even if one is equipped with 18" all-season tires and the other with 19" summer shoes, you won't get the read you're looking for.

Hopefully such a back to back test drive scenario is possible.

The written descriptions are very helpful, there is no reason not to consider them, too -- but the test drives will be the MOST revealing.

If you are doing this for $ reasons, that is one thing; if you're doing this for "performance" reasons, please remember that the car equipped with the Sport Adaptive Suspension will also have the torque vectoring rear differential. In the scenario I have suggested, you ought to notice that you can corner at a higher speed in the car equipped with the Sport Diff. The Adaptive Sport setup, in the US cannot be separated from the sport diff. The one without this set up will rely on brake based torque vectoring, which is very good, but not as good as the sport diff equipped car.

You need to ask yourself if you will track the car, if your customary choice of roads and highways will routinely allow aggressive drives, etc.

You may conclude that the Sport Package is a great addition to a great car and go for it; conversely, you may conclude after the back to back test that despite the improvements afforded by the setup that you won't be able to "let it out" with any reasonable frequency.

My bet is you will be impressed with the "sport shocks" and the sport diff, sufficiently that you will go ahead and order your S4 with it/them even if you will only be able to appreciate the features rarely.

On the other hand, if you can "let the horses run" regularly, you will really appreciate the option of having the sport diff and the sport adaptive suspension.

The test I have suggested above will probably be the best thing you can do, even though these AW boards are great for GENERAL info.

And, even though the dealer wants to sell you the most possible, it is my experience that the dealer would rather make you happy and re-buy than up sell you something that will just be an ego or vanity purchase (not that there is anything wrong with buying the option for "bragging rights.")

HeavyBreathing

I actually have a fully loaded Prestige in Navarra Blue and totally digging everything that comes with the sports package. My reason for asking questions is that the person at the dealership who sold me the car didn't know detailed answers to my questions. So I tried googling around myself and I find very, very little details on the AudiUSA website. But the other gentlemen pointed me to websites with more technical details so I'll definitely look into them!

I have a sense that, hey, if I pay 60k before tax for a car, I better get a highly detailed / descriptive manual with it; thus my inquisitive posts.

James Cole

I though adaptive shocks had no variable valving and were magnetic.

stanj

You thought correctly.

Glisse

No, he didn't. Magnetorheological dampers are fitted to the S3/RS3 range, not the S4/S5.

ZF Sachs: CDC Dampers

Audi-Media:
A4 suspension

To save looking at the last link:

This has all been posted before.