Allroad air spring gone west - is it safe to drive?

**Phutters** · 31-10-2011,07:30 PM

Rats. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. The nearside front air spring has had it, and the car is in the drive looking as if an invisible and extraordinarily fat person is sitting on the wing.

I'm getting a pair of Arnotts on Wednesday. I'm getting two on the basis that two Arnotts don't cost much more than one OEM spring, and although it'll cost more to fit two when only one has died, the original offside front is bound to pack in at the most inconvenient moment possible. And I get to keep it as a spare while it's still okay.

Regrettably I can't do the job myself, but I wonder if it's safe to drive it the couple of miles to the garage that's going to fit them for me.

I've read as much as I can on here (bagpipingandy's invaluable contributions in particular), and get the impression that while the compressor is going to be busting a gusset to keep up, it'll be okay to drive it that short distance with the suspension on level 3.

Is that right?

I don't want to damage anything else.

Cheers

Pete

**bagpipingandy** · 31-10-2011,08:37 PM

Assuming the leak is small then its ok to drive small journeys, you can drive it more but then risk the compressor working harder. if you park at level 3 does it sink? if not then the leak is only slight, ussually due the the rubber bag perrishing.
I changed the passanger front 3 years ago on my 2000 model and all others are original. not to say the others will not fail soon but hopefull they last longer. bet all mine now give in soon now I have posted this boast!!
Regards
Andy

**Phutters** · 31-10-2011,11:29 PM

Originally Posted by bagpipingandy

Assuming the leak is small...

Big enough for me to hear it hissing, sadly. That corner sank right down in no more than a few minutes.

I must admit that I haven't tried parking it at level 3. Since the bag has clearly sprung a leak good and proper, all I want to do now is get it on to the operating table as soon as I can and work the compressor as little as possible in doing so.

So I should be okay to run it down there on 3, you reckon.

Thanks, mate.

**adamss24** · 01-11-2011,10:40 AM

Get it to the garage on a trailer as you can damage the air compressor as well which is not cheap either !

**Phutters** · 01-11-2011,10:42 AM

Not even three minutes down the road?

**Eshrules** · 01-11-2011,11:18 AM

I personally wouldn't chance it.

cost of a trailer/recovery vs cost of air compressor = ?

**bagpipingandy** · 01-11-2011,01:35 PM

what does it do, parked at level 3 when left for 10-20 mins?

if it stays up drive it less than 50MPH, if it sinks just as quick you have a bigger leak, have you checked it is the air bag and not just a loose connection?? best to do this before changing parts at random

once up at level 3 (if it can make it) spray soapy water on it to see where it leaks,

I've also had a level sensor come off the lower suspension arm and extend which made the car think the height was too high and so it emptied the airbag on that corner trying to lower!!,

cheap fix but same symptoms.

regards

Andy

**All-rod** · 01-11-2011,10:37 PM

It should be safe enough for short time.
If one corner can't keep pressure compressor is switched off automatically untill you restart car and it has cooled down.
On other hand you might damage underside of car trying to trail it as its so low.

Are you 100% sure is the bag, not hose or connection?

**Phutters** · 02-11-2011,08:45 AM

Originally Posted by All-rod

Are you 100% sure is the bag, not hose or connection?

No, I'm not. Not sure at all.

The replacement bags are on hold pending further investigations. There's something odd going on.

The corner that sank down to the bump stop on Monday afternoon to the accompaniment of a prolonged and mournful hiss has now recovered to something approximating position two, and this miracle was prompted by nothing more than opening the passenger door briefly yesterday morning.

No sooner had I closed the door than it rose majestically back to where it was before it went down.

I haven't even turned the engine over since Monday lunchtime.

That the suspension setting hasn't been changed at all since the apparent bag failure would suggest that maybe there isn't one after all, because - presumably - if the bag had gone flat at position 2 on Monday because of a bladder failure, it wouldn't have re-inflated itself and stayed up.

I'm about to tuck in to a large portion of humble pie as a result of having leapt to a conclusion regarding the bag itself, and I'm now off to spray some Fairy Liquid solution on it and check for any other obvious things.

For what it's worth - and it may be nothing at all - this whole episode began after having been down to the tyre place to have the fronts rebalanced and having put the car into and out of jacking mode as per usual.

Probably a coincidence, but who knows?

**cpeace** · 02-11-2011,10:26 AM

nooo ya cant finish the thread there! lol what was the conclusion? I'm having the same problem right now. hello to you all too by the way, sorry i know this is over a year old.

Originally Posted by Phutters

No, I'm not. Not sure at all.

The replacement bags are on hold pending further investigations. There's something odd going on.

The corner that sank down to the bump stop on Monday afternoon to the accompaniment of a prolonged and mournful hiss has now recovered to something approximating position two, and this miracle was prompted by nothing more than opening the passenger door briefly yesterday morning.

No sooner had I closed the door than it rose majestically back to where it was before it went down.

I haven't even turned the engine over since Monday lunchtime.

That the suspension setting hasn't been changed at all since the apparent bag failure would suggest that maybe there isn't one after all, because - presumably - if the bag had gone flat at position 2 on Monday because of a bladder failure, it wouldn't have re-inflated itself and stayed up.

I'm about to tuck in to a large portion of humble pie as a result of having leapt to a conclusion regarding the bag itself, and I'm now off to spray some Fairy Liquid solution on it and check for any other obvious things.

For what it's worth - and it may be nothing at all - this whole episode began after having been down to the tyre place to have the fronts rebalanced and having put the car into and out of jacking mode as per usual.

Probably a coincidence, but who knows?