Serious rear suspension problem

[carreauchompeur]

I have a 1998, pre-facelift Audi A8 4.2 Quattro- The non-Sport version.

Today, when I left work, it was fine down the driveway but as soon as I got onto the road it started literally bouncing all over the place. Even small bumps were extremely uncomfortable. Managed to nurse it home, but it's basically undrivable. Both rear suspension arms are jacked right up- Looks like both are at the top of their travel, the rear is far, far higher than normal.

AFAIK the D2 doesn't have air suspension, therefore does anyone have any ideas on why on earth this has happened? No clues beforehand, no funny noises, just suddenly went. I did haul some reasonably heavy stuff in the boot last week, but certainly not enough to cause concern.

Is this expensive?!?

[Tame Technician]

Not really sure how thats posible with coil springs, Can you see anything when you look under the car.

You say the rear arms are up high, but the car is higher than normal. This is confusing me, the suspension arm would normally be horizontal, if the ride hight was high the arms would be lower at the wheel side of the pivot.

If you look at this pic of one with the suspention hanging down (cos its on a ramp) you see how the suspension arms are down, lower than horizontal.



Do you in fact mean the arms are up high and the car is really low, if its that I would suggest you have a broken spring.

Yes its going to be expensive, (its an A8, every thing is) and it sounds quite dangerous too.

[carreauchompeur]

They don't look like coil springs, tbh- more relatively thin arms with gaiters on. But everything I've heard says that the D2 doesn't have air suspension. The back of the car is very high, the suspension struts appear to be at their fullest extension and the back has no give whatsoever. Is there anything which links both sides? Car is very odd to drive and it certainly won't go any further than the garage at very low speed!

[carreauchompeur]

Eta- haven't managed to get under the car yet as I had my suit on yesterday! Nothing obviously broken under the wheelarches.

[Tame Technician]

I thought D2's were coil sprung too.

IF you look over the top of the tyre, you will see the damper, that will have a thin gaitor on it, the spring is lower down and a bit forward of that, best seen through the spokes of the wheel, 3 olcock ish.

[carreauchompeur]

I've checked the option codes and it appears to have 1BN- self-levelling rear suspension, which would account for both sides being out of kilter. Is a fault here something my local Indy could diagnose via vagcom or is it an expensive trip to audi? Or alternatively could I just replace the lot with standard springs??

[Tame Technician]

That'll do it.

Probably just the level sensor playing up, car thinks its low, so its lifting its self up.

Good VAG indy with a VAG COM should be fine.

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks TT for all the assistance so far. In true Colombo style, "Just one more thing"...

I have had Vagcom out today and the car is not throwing any fault codes. However, from a further physical inspection it looks like one of the suspension legs has "Popped out" of the top of it's travel.

In that case, could it be that the car thinks one side is very high, so is raising the other to compensate? I'm hoping that replacement of the offending leg may do the trick. Are they megabucks?

Have it booked into the Indy, just need to get it recovered there now!

[Tame Technician]

carreauchompeur said:

Thanks TT for all the assistance so far. In true Colombo style, "Just one more thing"...

I have had Vagcom out today and the car is not throwing any fault codes. However, from a further physical inspection it looks like one of the suspension legs has "Popped out" of the top of it's travel.

In that case, could it be that the car thinks one side is very high, so is raising the other to compensate? I'm hoping that replacement of the offending leg may do the trick. Are they megabucks?

Have it booked into the Indy, just need to get it recovered there now!

TBH without looking at the car, I dont really understand whats happened to it, But anything that influences the arm that the level sensor attaches too, will have a result of ride hight being wrong. Typicaly the litle link that attaches the sensor brakes off and then the car keeps trying to lift itself up, could be a similar thing only with a more dramtic cause of the sensor mis reading. Its sounding a bit more expensive again sadly.

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks TT, I have heard back from the garage and it is indeed the little link to the valve which has broken. He's now set the car at the right ride height, and doesn't reckon it's a big job (About an hour's labour), however Audi want £60 for the part (4DO 616241A)

According to the A8Parts forum it's an extremely rare option so I suspect not, however do you know where I might pick a secondhand one up?!? He did offer to put a bolt in the valve so that the car remained at the set ride height without the self-levelling function, however I am a little wary.

[Tame Technician]

If it was mine I'd jam it in one position for normal ride hight. It just wont lift its self up if the fill the boot or have 3 people across the back seat. I've actaully done just that on the same type of level sensor for the Xenon lights on my car.

If you want it right, buy the sensor.