Major suspension problem
 

So, as most of you know my 2004 D3 has hardly been used for quiet a while now as I have been doing a minimum wage job and simply cannot afford to run it.

I've been using it as a daily driver this week, and last weekend with no problems wharsoever, until today.

So, I decided to demonstrate the air suspension to some work colleagues and now wish I hadn't.

whilst in the car park at work, I selected dynamic and everything was ok and the car dropped down and settled as it always had in the past and then the fun started.

I selected automatic, air compressor kicked in and not a lot happened. Eventually the orange light came on. I switched the engine off, waited a while and started it again and the car returned to normal height.

This morning everything was ok, but this evening whilst driving home the green warning light kept on coming on and going off. Now back at home it looks like one whole side of the car is lower than the other.

Next mistake I think, I thought I would try lift mode. Compressor kicks in and nothing happens until the orange light came on again. Left it for an hour and now cannot get out of lift mode, so everytime I start the car it tries to lift up.

If I select automatic, the down arrow comes on, but compressor continues running until orange light comes on. Selecting jack mode switches off the compressor but obviously disables controls.

Everything was ok until I decided to show off dynamic mode, keeping in mind the car has not been down that low for several years.

I have zero spare money to fix this, so sadly I fear the end maybe nigh for the car which I have been trying to unsuccessfully sell for months. This could be anything from a leaky strut to busted compressor, or simply a height sensor.

I'll stew on it for a few days, but may well remove the AMI and DVB-T tuner. Not sure I could even successfully drive to A8parts given the suspension problem.

For now she is sitting outside with battery disconnected.

Not sure if it helps but these repair kits have some very good reviews on other forums

http://www.bagpipingandy.com/

I had one of those kits fitted just over 5 years ago, been trouble free until yesterday.

This morning, after sitting overnight the car height has not changed despite sitting there with battery disconnected.

You can see in the pictures what I was talking about, the passenger side rear wheel is has much greater clearance in the arches compared to the other three.

This is either because, I think.

a) there is a sensor problem and the car simply cannot level or,
b) the compressor cannot provide enough output to lift the other three wheels to the same height.

The compressor could well be overheating - there is a cut out that switches it off if it overheats, also the relay under the passenger footwell area can also play up and/or cause the 30A fuse there to blow

Been looking at this today, I think the drivers front strut has a leak.

I've been away all weekend, and the car was as I left it. However when you start the car the compressor starts and does not stop until the orange light comes on.

I left it a while and then restarted the car, and put the car in dynamic mode, the car appeared level but compressor still running.

I moved the car to flatter ground with Jack mode enabled, when trying to get back to auto mode the rear comes up fine but the front will not rise.

Looking at these pictures I think the front drivers side is low, does it look like it's on the deck. Compared to passenger side.

The first picture is passenger side, second is drivers.

My front right is going down when parked >8 hours.
The rear left goes high.
When I start the car, it rises back and the green light comes on to say the car is lowering! I think this is because the rear is lowering.
I never get a yellow light, also never hear the compressor at all in 9 years of ownership. I have no idea when it is on or off, is that because it's a diesel?

I was thinking of getting this valve where you connect it to the strut instead of the pipe and blow it up like a tyre, and then can see if the strut is leaking by leaving it overnight and see if it sinks.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schrader-...r/192687349732
trouble is, not sure exactly what is required for the A8 D3, the seller has other similar items.

Also, two front struts can be quite cheap now - £450 a pair delivered...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pc-...33a619cdRhJLVv

I've done some logging with VCDS,

I've got 7 bar coming out of the compressor, but the front of the car stays low and does not rise.

I've attached the log to this post in excel format.

Is 7 bar sufficent to raise the front.

Would you be putting money into compressor or damper, are the front dampers sided, can I get one and use it on either side.

7 Bar is very poor Manny - a good compressor should put out 16 bar when new and 12-16 Bar when its functioning well so thats not helping!
I've got an unused new aftermarket compressor in my barn at the moment which just has a small part broken on it (which you could transfer from your old one when changing) if youre interested, just pm me +++
Alternatively you could try a Bagpiping Andy kit from ebay but if youve done it before once then theres a chance that the cylinder is also worn.

Thanks Neil

I've done some messing about this afternoon, I have I think confirmed the drivers side front strut is leaking very badly.

I've basically been fooling the system by using a jack under each front corner and raising each front wheel so that the car tries to level the other one and then enabling jack mode and then removing the jack and watching what happens.

I now have air in three of the four struts, but the drivers front drops to the floor every time and I cannot get that one to rise when I place the jack under the passenger front.

Pictures of how the car sits now will follow, obviously as soon as I drive off and jack mode disengages the other front drops to the floor to match the drivers side.