A6 Allroad Front Shock Absorber

[mhobson]

Hello,

Can anyone advise me about the difficulty of changing front shock absorbers on a 11/2006 3.0 tdi Allroad. There is also a little play on the upper front suspension arms. I have replaced suspension parts on a 2000 A6 but that did not have air suspension and if the suspension system has to be emptied first I have no way of repressurising the system.

Appreciate your help,

Regards,

Michael

[Crasher]

You release the pressure using the diagnostic system that also has to be used to set it back up later. Disconnect the air line at the small fitting under the residual pressure valve but this valve MUST not be removed or undone. If you want new struts, they are about £900 each. Make sure that the gas pressure level has been checked before it is supplied to you.

[mhobson]

Thank you for that Crasher, I think it may be a bit out of my league. I have read reports of owners complaining about the Allroad ride, I do not know if the problem is really the shock absorber but I suspect it is. The nearside especially tramps even in a straight line on roughish roads and worse on rough corners. I have never had a car with a tramping problem as bad since I owned a Messerschmitt KR200 in the 1960's. My normal test for the shock absorber while stationary is to push the car down and watch it return and see if it bounces at all but it does not seem obviously bad on this test. I have never had an air suspension car before and don't know what diffeences there are but I have driven many air suspension coaches and the ride is usually very smooth even if at times a bit wallowy.

Regards,

Michael

[Crasher]

It is a complex system.

[mhobson]

Hello again,

More help needed.

My passenger side air shock absorber (right hand side, I am in France so LHD car) strut is totally knackered, the car tramps in a straight line never mind when cornering. There are no noticeable problems with the left hand side strut, the roads over here are very bad especially the nearside so that side does get a real hammering.

My local VW dealer suggests that it is a common problem with the Allroads.

In France a new strut costs about 1100 Euros from Audi and in the UK I think about £900, but I found remanufactured struts advertised on the internet from Meissler in Germany for 500 Euros each, so I ordered a pair in January and have been waiting ever since.

Today I was told that the struts have arrived but all the left hand side ones are faulty and they are being sent back (I suspect China) and they are not dealing with the factory again. They do have a right hand side one in which they say is OK.

In the past I have always changed shock absorbers in pairs but have never had an air suspension car before. Do you think it would be OK in this instance to change just one side, I am not made of money, are these shock absorbers just pneumatic or a combination of pneumatic and hydraulic. I am sure the suspension and roadholding would be a whole lot better than it is now if I just changed the RH.

Can anyone suggest an alternative supplier, there is a company in Poland who sell them from time to time but they only have second hand ones available at the moment.

I look forward to your responses.

Regards,

Michael

[mhobson]

After a long delay I received the remanufactured struts from Germany and they were fitted along with new front suspension arms and what a difference, the car drives so well. As I do not cover a lot of miles hopefully they will last through my ownership along with the expensive inlet manifold replacement.

I do not know what other big costs are waiting around the corner and although it is now a great car to drive, I would not recommend them to others because of the expense of ongoing repairs.

Regards,

Michael