A dirty, restricted inlet filter will cause slow pumping and high discharge temperature. Make sure the air intake is unrestricted. Also check discharge valves. Leaking discharge valves will give the same symptoms.
Air suspension is an option on this car. It's an option on many luxury brands, including Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln, and some trucks. It's a problem for every brand as the systems get old.
Coil springs aren't even reliable on modern cars, I've had broken springs on 4 different cars. They're built thin, light and highly-stressed now, so after a few years of road salt and bumpy roads, they break.
Man Ivan, you and Eric are the absolute best on your video presentations. At the same time you are talking about what is going on, you are doing something. Instead of the talking about what you are going to do and then telling us again while you are doing it. Thanks Ivan! 🇺🇸
Yeah, I agree.. The "pre-explanation in videos prevents me from subscribing to those channels. lol.. Unless you're at the white board of knowledge and dropping facts, just explain it while you're doing it.
that compressor sounds like the typical small 12 volt DC powered cheap portable air compressor you can buy off the shelf at any auto parts store. i bet Audi charges over a couple hundred bucks for that $25 air compressor
Best advice for a customer with serious air suspension problems . . . remove the bags/pump/module, and install a nice set of Audi struts and springs. It'll ride great!
Germans don't make cars any more they make cars for rich people, they drive in garranty and change for new series... And then that old car finish like this one. All problems are passed to another poor man.
Mind boggling Audi???? How you held your ground was amazing. Take 2 shots of your favorite drink. If that doesn’t work just drink the whole bottle!!! 😂
Open the module up and take a look at it Ivan. You probably won't be able to program it but at least you can see if there's something else that failed inside the module. Thanks for the video.
There are many great repair technicians on RUclips that could possibly repair that module. It might be worth it just to have as a spare, the owner can even call it Harry. 😂
the module had invalid values, he should have done the REPLACED MODULE procedure copying the used ones values to the bad one. or if he asked on the VCSD forum someone maybe could have told the value locations on the module memory and to manually fix them. thats the power of VCSD
Thought the same. Sounds like a bag of nails. But then it's hard to tell on video because the camera mic has a tendency to amplify certain noises so they sound way louder than they are IRL.
Ivan you don’t have to remove the seat to get to the battery. There are two bolts at the front of the seat low to the floor. Remove these and the seat tilts back exposing the battery. Good idea to first remove the plastic dust covers for the sliding tracks as these can become jammed and crack. These cars are a nightmare but not to mechanics that work on them regularly as to them they see it as common issues. The real nightmare is electrical gremlins and cost of parts. It’s fantastic that you purchased VCDS. Now you need to play with your new toy. Thanks for the documentary!! 😂😂😂
That goes for any air suspension really. If you buy it new and get rid of the car before 100k miles, then it's great (which is what rich people do). Otherwise stay away from air ride systems.
I had a Merc E-class wagon with air suspension. It was amazing, could drive on any surface at any speed, smooth like butter. Though the compressor indeed failed right at 100k miles… Was it worth, hard to say 😅
@@julienlaperrouza8846 You can buy air-bag suspension for quite cheap.. People like to add them onto off road tow trucks, etc. There is no denying that you're basically floating on a cloud. They perform well, they just don't last
@@stevewhite3424 When someone can buy a new car every few years and they just get rid of the old one at a huge loss at only 2 or 3 years old.. because it's just not worth the hassle to start messing with repairs and maintenance. That's what I call a "rich" person
The automotive industry has gone off the rails..it amazes me that after so many years computers don’t lead you to the problem In many cases….so hard to Make a living diagnosing things properly, no one wants to pay for it…
A really excellent analysis of the problem. So that's why the valve code kept popping up...self test for pressure vs time (annoying, but makes sense as the system knows it will be capable when called upon). I guess valve code is just an engineers interpretation of what might be wrong with the system when the PvsT curve is off. After watching the whole saga in it's entirety two words come to mind: Coil Springs.
I learned how bad Audi's were back in the 1980's. I worked with a guy who evidently was a glutton for punishment and loved to walk. He kept buying late 1970's Audi's and was constantly working on them and the cars would leave him on the side of the road several times a week it seemed. I believe he finally learned his lesson with an early 80's luxury version 4 door Audi that burnt itself to the ground in his driveway.
for the battery if you just replace it with the same power levels just change the serial number. that is all thats required. this lets the regulator module know to treat it as new. u do not need to remove the seat. the front bolts come out amd the seat tilts back on the back posts. if you try to find how it tilts back you will never see it LOL.... just trust us... take front bolts out and seat tilts back. I think this is the 2nd audi we all told you this....
Seriously, having to enter in a battery serial number, and 'adapt' the car to the new battery is crazy. Its not like it will make any real world difference, the battery will still need to be replaced at around the same interval, or any time it suffers a few deep discharges. Complexity to deliver negligible tangible benefits to the motorist. Great watching your channel and diagnostics. It reminds me not to step back into the workshop.
With all this experience under your belt, you will now be seen as the Audi "expert" in the area (meaning all USA). What a "great" name to have. I am 72 yrs old and a retired mechanic/machinist in Land Down Under. Happy that my newest car is a 2008 V6 RAV 4. Other one is 2002 Landcruiser V8 petrol. I have enough "fun" with them. Electronics is not my strong point. But I know other much younger techs who have the knowledge and the ability to think sideways. I call on them when needed. But will stick with older (meaning much simpler) electronics. Also will give these Euro cars a wide berth. I enjoy your videos and have learnt heaps from them. Glad you still have some hair as well as some good colleagues who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with these challenging jobs. However, after no doubt watching these videos, they may/may not answer your calls/SMS/emails when they see your name on the screen.
Excellent 4 part series. I like your tenacity on solving problems. Hope everyone learned something from this. I watch all of your videos, and love them. I actually fixed my Chevy truck under hood fuse block based on your videos. Thanks for your effort , and this channel.
What a crusade, Ivan! I completely agree with you - that car is a money pit and some parts are no longer available. Best thing is to get rid of it, before it empties your bank account.
That's a big problem with these electronic cars when parts are no longer available you can't do much. Modules are vin specific on this cars. No sure how tesla will handle all these older cars when they stop making parts for them.
Audi videos are always music to my ears! Best part was the Tornado Red 200 20v wagon at the end, which was part of your Christmas special! New cars are unfortunately electrically ridden with all sorts of crap, which is just how it is. I always tell folks to keep the older cars on the road if possible. The VAG-COM investment is good though! Awesome tool for VAG vehicles, so I hope you get continued use out of that. Another awesome video series!
Ivan, I have learned at a ripe ole age of 67 yrs. To remember your advice. And your last comment you made was maybe the best I have heard. And for the record. I have been giving the same advice for over 40 years. Thank you for this informative series.
Ivan, we repair car electronics modules and can confirm that module corruption is not uncommon where the supply voltage is spiked. These units utilise non-volatile EEPROM memory to store a ton of parameters. It only takes a small amount of corruption in the wrong place and they are done for. Using a programmer to over-write the EEPROM with a known good dataset can recover the module. However this can be a protracted process and (depending on the module) may subsequently require adaption / coding.
Ivan, i had many of these cars here with the same issues like this Audi here. I can say for 100%, the compressor fails because the control relay sometimes stuck and the compressor doesn't turn off as it should. this is intermittent, but the compressor runs too long in this situation and overheats internally and decreases the performance more and more. I saw melted air outlet also because of the hot air that comes out from the compressor when it runs way too long. The alternator issue i know too. Threre are different LIN-Bus controllers installed during the production time, i suspect a wrong alternator in this car, because i had exact same issues too. after unplug the LIB-Wire, the alternator will charge in default mode, but after some time, it stops charging for whatever reason. Replacing the alternator with the correct type was always the long term solution. BR From Switzerland!
You are a patient man Ivan, my own European car with BMS has not let me down and everything works. I have a cellular interface to the OBD so my phone gets notifications when DTCs appear. None of them bring on warning lights, I look after the car, it just seems to be an attention seeker. Today's new DTC is for a fault in something the car is not even equipped with....
I'll keep my 351,000 mile 2003 Volvo s60. Not a spec of body rot, engine doesn't burn oil, tranny shifts when it's supposed to, the AC still works and I know where everything is, I'm the only one that's worked on this car. No unexpected repairs through 20+ years- just wear and tear items. Never left me stranded. I also have a 2006 Volvo s60; once I change out that stupid PCV banjo bolt- I'll actually sleep better :) Anyway Ivan- I STILL think you should fight for the $620. The Stealership said the pump was totally bad as in- couldn't even get it to lift the car. They don't need to know about the fault code after driving for a while. They didn't do due diligence otherwise they would have fully seated the compressor plug. They don't deserve to get paid.
Congrats on your presentational and editing skills. I love the way your multi-parters keep me wanting more. Hitchcock had nothing on you - Hollywood beckons!
Pretty interesting. I thought from the get go that the pump was slow at least compared to my Equus. Suspect that could have been the root of all the problems. Hindsight 20/20. Hey if it wasn't for all these fancy electronics, diagnostics would be pretty boring and most anybody could do it. Keep up the good work, your skills will become more and more valuable as most people don't want old cars no matter how easy they are to keep going. Remember, most people can't even (and don't want to) put air in their own tires much less change the oil.
VW Touareg Air Suspension adaptation Found this elsewhere. Worked for me. 0) Set your car to "Auto" mode (not dynamic, comfort, etc.). Make sure car is on level ground. Close doors. If any doors are opened during the procedure, it will be interrupted. Make sure your car is NOT in a towing or tire changing mode. 1) Load up VCDS, go to Module 34 - Level Control 2) Go to "10 - Adaptation", take note of 4 values titled as "Body height front left wheel house edge" - mine were set to around 384 from factory. 3) Take the values you noted above, and ADD your desired drop in millimeters (mm) to each value, write it down... So if your left front wheel was 384.5, your new value will be 401.5. Repeat for the other wheels. It is not critical to be 100% precise here, rounding the values is fine. Note that maximum Audi-approved drop is 17mm from what I've gathered. You can go lower, but if you go lower, you're also affecting other systems, such as cameras, adaptive cruise, etc., so be careful. Technically, if you want this procedure to be done properly, instead of taking existing values, you will measure all 4 wheels after completion of the step 7, and then add your drop value if desired. Suspension height values are measured from the center of the wheel to the edge of the fender. 4) Go to Security Access, enter code provided on the following website, under VCDS section, item #3 (I'm not posting this directly to avoid spreading sensitive data, although it's been posted on other forums in past) www.stemei.de/pages/coding/au...ng-des-aas.php 20103 5) You should get a message stating that security code has been accepted - if you don't, something failed, stop doing what you're doing 6) Go to 04 - Basic Settings *** IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT select "Reset All Adaptations" - this is not undoable, and will require a visit to the dealer. *** 7) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete (should only take a second, until it says "not running"). 8) Select "Delete Calibration For Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete, your car will throw a fault code and you will see an error message stating Air Suspension Malfunction - this is normal. 7) Select "Start Up to Reference Level", hit "Go". This step will take about a minute, and your car will go up/down during the process (you'll hear hissing noises). Wait for it to complete, until it says "not running". DO NOT use the "start up to reference level production" option. 9) Select "Go Back", go to "10 - Adaptation" on the previous screen. 10) Next you will need to enter new adaptation values for all 4 wheels. Select "Body height front left wheel house edge", then enter new adaptation value, and hit "Do it", then repeat for the other 3 wheels. I did it in the order the menu was arranged (FL, RL, FR, RR) - not sure if the order matters, but just in case. Each time you enter a value, you should get a message stating that it has been accepted. 11) After you're done entering adaptation for all 4 wheels, select "Go Back", and return to "04 - Basic Settings" again. 12) In basic settings, select "Calibrate Level Control" and hit go, it will take a few seconds. Wait for it to say "not running". If you get an error during this step, you either missed a step, or something went horribly wrong. 13) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go" 14) You're done, now go to "02 - Fault Codes" and Reset codes. If this did or didn't work - please share your experience with the rest of us here.
Hi, I have one of these audi q7 cars, in uk. I had a few issues with my suspension, the car was fitted with side steps from stealership, the brackets for steps had slowly rubbed a hole into the accumulator, causing a small leak, thisbin tern set the pump running a lot more often, and for longer, eventually the pump failed, and also corrupted the module. After extensive testing I found all these problems, I firstly replaced the accumulator, then the pump as it was turning slower than needed, I replaced the valve block, relay, pump, and fuse under seat, after replacing everything I recalibrated the suspension levels, and road tested it, all was great. It has been perfect for the last 2 years now. These pumps are a common problem, I have changed several, and always with fuse and valve block, and relay. None have failed since. I purchased non genuine, but from a reputable air suspension pump manufacturer, who make kits for air ride systems for trick cars that bounce etc. Their pumps are much stronger, and are a perfect fit as they have been made to match, my suspension is faster to react than a standard car, so much better in auto mode to adapt to rough terrain, and smooth road surfaces. Excellent diagnostic process, shame the stealer took the wrong road with diagnostics. I also had a battery fail, and the replacement never worked correctly, until I had performed a replacement battery update on bms, battery management system. Since then never a problem with charging. Complicated systems, but when they work are brilliant. I love my audi ride comfort, and off road capability, good luck with this audi from hell, and keep up the videos.. Brion.
My current and last car have both been Volo V70's. Part way into ownership of the first one, i purchased a laptop with V.I.D.A. (Volvo Diagnostics) pre installed and a DICE connector for about £200. it's been invaluable and without it I don't think I could have afforded to run them. My current V70 is a 2010, but even back then these cars had a lot of modules. The forums have also been invaluable in helping me track down a few weird problems. I will say that the P2 facelift D5 was a dream to work on. Everything was extremely well engineered and relatively easy to access. For example, I replaced a powered door mirror in 25mins, and alternator in 45mins and the AC pump in a similar time. The only hard job was replacing a headlamp bulb. they've taken me over an hour due to the lack of space
I Ivan, there have been huge ongoing legal disputes with Audi and suppliers / manufacturers of their Starter/Generator units. Perhaps that is partially the prob with that particular fault. BTW, You have the most riveting channel on YT, thank you for increadable content. Regards from South Africa
In uk do mots and brakedowns have Audi in and fix air suspension as you say a pain even in the UK. Fit new pump relay and test everything for voltage current. As we have lots of sait on roads fill and seal all connections with electric grease. None conductive do lexis and rang rover land-rover all have the same problems just in different situations. Your videos are fantastic this one had on full 4 hours. All your other videos very interesting 40 years of this same thing from electronics. Bring back springs .
Great job Ivan I understand everyone lost on this episode but the dealer. We as followers are still the wiser for your efforts. I believe the dealer is or should be somewhat responsible to be fair to you. If nothing else the dealer can learn from this diag and be willing to pay for the information. Just saying, the old school guy.
The education I get from Ivan far outweighs any 4-year degrees. Real world experience and knowledge on troublshooting modern vehicles. The best part is the wisdom to avoid Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and VW at any and all costs. I value my money instead of throwing it into an endless pit.
Some takeaways after watching all four parts: 1.) The air ride module being wonky, the OE battery replaced with a cheap interstate, and the charging system "malfunction" are all probably related. Seems European vehicles really don't like electrical issues. My guess is a DIY gone wrong or maybe jumping it damaged the electronics. It's possible if the vehicle had been taken to an Audi specialist for the battery replacement none of this would have happened. 2.) Turns out the dealer was actually correct. Needed a compressor and the wiring fixed. Now whether they figured that out before or after they missed plugging it back in who knows. They aren't going to want a comeback which means you are getting a new compressor and a new wiring harness. Different class of people being served at these dealers whom want it fixed correctly the first time. 3.) You gotta pay to play. Fancy toys cost money.
@TheRetarp Cheap Interstate? How many automotive battery manufacturers do you really think are in the World? Audi specialist to replace a battery. LOL The Audi specialist diagnosed a compressor without even having it plugged in. Not sure which one is the bigger laugh!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics That is an assumption. That $4000 may include calibrating and reprogramming the "broken" module. The car could perhaps have been fixed in one day instead of weeks - we simply don't know. The costs of all those hours diagnosing, researching, fumbling around with two different scan tools, trying to trick computers with jacks. I'd wager your bill would be in excess of $4000. Lets see. $700 for the scan tool. $300 for the jacks. I'm going to guess $250 for the module. That leaves $2750 for labor which at $150/hr (should be charging $200+/hr) would only cover 18 hours. I'm betting there are far more than 18 hours in this Audi.
@@KStewart-th4sk Yes interstate branded batteries in my experience have been mostly junk that loves to vent excessive gasses and corrode everything around them. They have a good marketing department though. For about 20 years European cars have had systems fine tuned to match the exact battery installed (similar systems have been installed into the big three for the past decade). That's why you need the exact OE replacement battery and to follow the service manual to tell the car what exact battery is installed when it is installed. Parts stores like Autozone have stopped the free install on many models for just this very reason. The days of replacing the battery in your car at home with just a couple of wrenches are just about over.
Funnily here in germany we mostly try to keep away from US cars for low quality concerns, economy, size, useless dealers,... and I guess everybody is most happy with those cars where you've got the maximum knowledge at hand, too. Maybe we all can agree on japanese cars because they'll just never break down.. I personally like my small Audi RS3, it does really well on the Autobahn. Let's see how many years it'll last...
I knew you wouldn't give up. Makes me love springs and shocks/struts all the more. I had the same deal regarding the battery registration on a Tourag, (lol) and nothing changed but that 1 set a state of charge code before the relearn..maybe it just thought the battery was too old at the time, because it was indeed OE. And yeah, the seat had to come out to replace it, because you know, batteries never go bad...
lmao approximately 0% batteries fail under the warranty period, especially when placed in the best environment possible for battery life. It's a non-issue.
If you put one meter lead on line and one on load at the relay, load it up and see what your voltage measurement is. This is how you check the contacts for voltage drop. Not sure what is acceptable on 12 VDC, on AC I was taught 1 volt drop warrants replacement. I usually will replace a relay or contactor, etc. if the meter switches from mA to A scale.
Great video series again Ivan! I think a lot of Audi owners eventually give up on their failure prone air suspension system and convert them to standard coil over shocks, I know I would.
I have made a few comments on this series of videos this will be the last, Another page in the book of useless information that I will never need.Cheers Ivan patience is a virtue you have loads of it.
A lot of valuable info in this series! I would have loved to see a scope amperage capture of that pump, maybe not necessary but would have been cool. Take aways- a corrupt module is gonna make a diag harder I wonder if this is a future eeprom fix for those who are in the eeprom section? Rosstech forum once again proves as a handy resource. And as per usual Audis can be expensive but people love them so if we can learn the language it’s worth it for us and the customer
There's plenty of companies that manufacture custom coil overs for race, rally, road etc, all they basically need is the dimensions, load carrying capacity, GVM and whatever else to construct them.
You should have tested for leaks in the accumulators they tend to have cracks in the welding area or leak from the fittings because the module only monitors the time it takes to lift the shocks and the compressor should run shortly after the selected ride hight has been achieved. So in conclusion the only way that the module would set that code is either there is a leak in the accumulators, fittings,lines or if the compressor cannot achieve the targeted pressure until the temperature sensor cuts off the power. I’ve repaired so many of those Q7 and Cayennes all same VW crap. Anyway you did a great job and I’m 99.9 sure that the dealership didn’t even know how to properly diagnose the compressor problem because they didn’t even bother to clean the connectors to begin with. BTW sorry for my English it’s my 4th language so I hope that you would be able to get the point. Have a nice day
Yes, Audi's do become VERY expensive to service as they become older. I waited a bit too long (11 years and 128k miles) before I sold my A8, but I truly loved that car. I think that the secret is not to own an OLD Audi unless you can do most of the work yourself. If I had the time and equipment, I would have loved to have kept that A8 for another 50k miles.
Two things I learned from my stent at a Euro shop-1. There's no such thing as a small quick job on any Euro. 2. Double book time since they can't make plastic and there will be a lot more effort going into it than the book allows for.
Despite not having any charging issues, the alternator on my previous car ('06 Volvo V70) caused some really funky problems that seamed to be completely unrelated. All however were cured when it was replaced. It had a constant vibration at idle, that stopped and it became silky smooth. I didn't know the car had a glow plug pre-heat warning light as it only started to illuminate after the new alternator was fitted. The most concerning issue was the appearance of the ABS light accompanied by a warning in the message centre and a new DTC showing no signal from the front left ABS sensor. Further inspection revealed that it was unplugged and had been for sometime. I still have no idea how the old alternator was causing these problems, but I did discover that the manufacturer of the OEM pulley only gave it a 50k lifespan. Mine had covered 210k miles, but with no charging issues and nothing in the service plan I considered it to be working properly. After a little reading, I discovered this 'Ford' system would draw power from the battery during warm up to reduce engine load and improve the all important MPG figures. However, Fords new emission control system relied upon multiple electrical motors (TM/VGT/Swirl/EGR) working in unison with rapidly changing demands to generate a pressure drop across the EGR valve. Oddly, it was a replacement remanufactured alternator that proved my concerns when It failed to deliver sufficient power. It was then possible to observe the various motors struggling to operate against the high loads they were being placed under. These engines did fine cruising at 70mph on the motorway, but fell to pieces if they did too many stop/start urban miles.
The legendary Tom McCahill, road tested an Audi for Mechanics Illustrated Magazine, many moons ago. He commented, he didn't know what the four interlocking rings on the hood represented; but thought, they must be something between Ballantine beer, which had a logo with three rings and the International Olympics which has five. For my money, the Ballantine was a much better value; and the cans could be recycled to make something useful; like more beer cans. Thanks Ivan.
I watched a program years ago with experts on buying cars, their recommendation on buying an Audi was it it has less than six months maintenance plan left don't buy one as they become money pits once warranty expires. In my experience VW products do not age well. Great series
Reminds me of a Ford Windstar I owned. The dealer kept replacing modules and components for two weeks telling me how hard it was to isolate a problem. I didn't care, it was under extended warranty. I suggested they replace everything, but leave the steering wheel so I knew it was my vehicle ;-)
I loved this saga. We got to see a whole bunch of scan tools plus VCDS. The dealer's 'call' wasn't even diagnosis, just a guess based on a common problem with older air ride vehicles. The piston in the pump wears out.
I owned two hydropneumatic Citroëns. To pump that system up, it takes a few seconds from low to high. I thought this Audi was too slow. OK completely different system, but still.
AUDI = All Unnecessary Devices Installed! Thanks Ivan for showing me I should never buy an Audi! My guess on the module is it had values stored and at some point the car lost voltage (battery replacement?) and Audi provides no means for resetting the values. P*ss poor programming! You're amazing sticking with this to the end!
For VW/Audi there are very useful documentation PDFs available online (training material published by VAG) called SSP or Self-Study Programme. Audi Q7 Air Suspension (so-called Adaptive Air Suspension, AAS) is covered in SSP 362. PDF is available via Google. EDIT: SSP 302 (for the Touareg, on which the system was first introduced) has more detail.
Sadly, cars like this Audi in complexity will be our future. There will likely be no way around it due to "regulations". Remember, they are meant to be "lease boxes". I will hang on to my 2002 car as long as I possibly can. So far not a single problem other than scheduled maintenance.
Politicians will make sure our old reliable vehicles are off the road. They are bigger scumbags than the engineers making these disposable high-tech vehicles.
Just bought an '07 a4 to get to work when the opel broke down. Had to replace the wheel bearing on it the first week and what a pain that was. Just looking at the suspension components pains me. Just got the opel up and running again with a junkyard engine ECU and what a relief that is.
Wow, what a series of sagas, I thought you were married to that thing!! I would avoid it like the plague! Lol. Nice slow fixes, but I absolutely hate the dealers, they charge so my h to fix things when they have weird mindset!! At least it's partially fixed, except for the voltage unplugged. Nice series video Ivan!! Great job!!
Between Part 3 and 4, I really thought you were ready to do the big no-no; to pull the trigger on the parts cannon. Thinking back to my working days as a shop owner/mechanic, Range Rover is the same way. these compressors are nothing more than single piston tire inflators.
These Q7s work best with Varta batteries(for that matter any Mercedes-benz/VAG/Fiat). If the owner is daily driving this piece of expensive garbage, it is recommended to change to coil springs. No point in salvaging a decade old air suspension system. A6/A8L/Q7 here in India are mostly converted back to the OE coil spring systems with shared parts or via the aftermarket(Monroe/Gabriel/KYB/Bilsteins). This series was a workout and a half for all our collective brains. Thmubs up for your tenacity.
My 96 2.3L (2wd) Ford Ranger has over 400,000 miles on it, doesn't burn a drop of oil, starts every time I turn the key, gets ~22mpg, and is a 5 speed which adds to the cool factor. Yes, I have replaced timing belt, fan belt and pulleys, water pump, clutch and drag link, etc..., but I don't need a Snap On tool account to get'er done! And even the OEM parts are cheap compared to the newer vehicles. I just stay on top of the maintenance. You couldn't give me one off those newer stealership - anchor headaches! Great video, Ivan! 👍
My Ex bought an Audi Q5 when her lease expired, she took the extended warranty which I thought was extravagant, a month later her transmission died and needed a new transmission $5k. She is not a young lady, does low mileage, all services at the dealer. Her warranty covered it. I wouldn't buy an Audi with your money. They are very pretty disasters on wheels ... which suited its owner quite well ; )
The dealer did not have a definitive reason to callout the compressor, you do Ivan. Great job. 👍👍👍👍👍 Does the Audi need a bespoke battery to perform....????
It's probably like a BMW where the new battery has to be registered to the vehicle because if it's not the alternator will fry the new battery so they've made it so that the owner can't just fit a new battery because the parameters need to be reset. I would want to find out why the PCM was detecting an over temperature fault as well,it sounds like the compressor was the culprit anyway !
Correct - the alternator charging logic depends on the battery parameters to charge it properly. As the battery ages, the charging rate will change to not over-charge the battery, but also to extend its life. I've owned several Audis, and the OEM batteries can last up to 8 yrs! The OEM battery replacement cost at the dealer actually isn't as bad as you would think.
I believe in VCDS the guidance gives you more information on the settings for the battery, including the type e.g AGM. Serial number you just need to change a digit so it knows it's not the same battery.
On the final test drive I thought for sure you were going to park it in the pond. Write off the insurance claim, customer gets a new car Ivan gets stress relief and a delightful swim.
This is one of the reasons I despise working on modern German cars you can simply tell the lengths they go to to make them dealer only repairable and how 'lightly' built they are, I'll swear they'd use plastic cranks if they could but nice work Ivan.
I wonder if the alternator being replaced requires registration just like the battery does for BMS. Remember in the thinktool you had 'generator vendor, type',etc.
The most amazing part of this whole series is that a module from ali baba actually worked.
😂😂
Why? It's a used OEM
That's what I thought. Ali Baba, Wish, Temu... Nope not me.
You can get plenty of OE Volkswagen/Audi parts from China new or used since many of these platforms are also manufactured there.
@@rkan2 Yep all stuff from SAIC/FAW cars.
Last time I heard an air pump like that I was blowing up a football with a Harbor Freight pump hooked to my cigarette lighter.
A dirty, restricted inlet filter will cause slow pumping and high discharge temperature. Make sure the air intake is unrestricted. Also check discharge valves. Leaking discharge valves will give the same symptoms.
Yeah.. I'm surprised it doesn't have a replaceable filter on it.
Compressor oil ?
@@wesliebegay828 No oil required.
How many Ah has the battery? What's the password? What is the installer's SSN? Submit DNA sample to continue.
Surprised they allowed the questions in engrish. Could be a fake answer. You Vill enter the data in german. Vee know where you live.
replacement battery procedure only requires the serial number be different the other stuff is not used by the voltage regulator module
Audi marketing team, "What is the most reliable part of our cars"? Mechanic "The springs" Audi marketing team "We can fix that"!
Air suspension is an option on this car. It's an option on many luxury brands, including Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln, and some trucks. It's a problem for every brand as the systems get old.
Coil springs aren't even reliable on modern cars, I've had broken springs on 4 different cars. They're built thin, light and highly-stressed now, so after a few years of road salt and bumpy roads, they break.
Man Ivan, you and Eric are the absolute best on your video presentations. At the same time you are talking about what is going on, you are doing something. Instead of the talking about what you are going to do and then telling us again while you are doing it. Thanks Ivan! 🇺🇸
Yeah, I agree.. The "pre-explanation in videos prevents me from subscribing to those channels. lol.. Unless you're at the white board of knowledge and dropping facts, just explain it while you're doing it.
Totally agree explanation is best from Ivan!
Diagnose Dan would have fixed it!
That pump sounds very loud! It sounds like it's wailing in pain! Way to stick with it Ivan. What a nightmare. Great series.
It normally has a cover over it that dampens the noise.
With the engine on you don't hear it
Sounds like someone is down there cutting off the catalytic converter.
that compressor sounds like the typical small 12 volt DC powered cheap portable air compressor you can buy off the shelf at any auto parts store. i bet Audi charges over a couple hundred bucks for that $25 air compressor
@@billbarney4937Probably more like $1k
Best advice for a customer with serious air suspension problems . . . remove the bags/pump/module, and install a nice set of Audi struts and springs. It'll ride great!
we used to replace the air ride on Lincoln town cars with a spring set up from a grand marquis. saved hundreds and worked every time..
Best advice is never waste your money on Germany cars.
Only own while in warranty. I had a 7 series BMW that broke me from sucking German eggs !
Germans don't make cars any more they make cars for rich people, they drive in garranty and change for new series... And then that old car finish like this one. All problems are passed to another poor man.
That would cause a whole bunch of error code and lights unless you could code the various modules to ignore the lack of suspension module.
Proprietary battery specs. Special serial numbers. Ridiculous! They really set themselves up for robbing you.
Has been a long time like that already. Thankfully you can put there any serial number you want if the battery style and size matches.
@@Syntappi Agreed. Highway robbery
Mind boggling Audi???? How you held your ground was amazing. Take 2 shots of your favorite drink. If that doesn’t work just drink the whole bottle!!! 😂
Open the module up and take a look at it Ivan. You probably won't be able to program it but at least you can see if there's something else that failed inside the module. Thanks for the video.
There are many great repair technicians on RUclips that could possibly repair that module. It might be worth it just to have as a spare, the owner can even call it Harry. 😂
the module had invalid values, he should have done the REPLACED MODULE procedure copying the used ones values to the bad one. or if he asked on the VCSD forum someone maybe could have told the value locations on the module memory and to manually fix them. thats the power of VCSD
No one else thought the pump was way too LOUD! in the first place.
If I owned an Audi id be complaining about the noise!
Thought the same. Sounds like a bag of nails. But then it's hard to tell on video because the camera mic has a tendency to amplify certain noises so they sound way louder than they are IRL.
@@chillybrit2334 audi pump should be silent. that one sounds like my crown vics when the case cracked.
So they can charge you '$6k
Ivan you don’t have to remove the seat to get to the battery. There are two bolts at the front of the seat low to the floor. Remove these and the seat tilts back exposing the battery. Good idea to first remove the plastic dust covers for the sliding tracks as these can become jammed and crack.
These cars are a nightmare but not to mechanics that work on them regularly as to them they see it as common issues. The real nightmare is electrical gremlins and cost of parts.
It’s fantastic that you purchased VCDS. Now you need to play with your new toy. Thanks for the documentary!! 😂😂😂
finally he acknowledged the fact the seat isnt removed! LOL. this is 2nd audi he has said this and i noted it was wrong...
Whatever benefit that was offered by this air suspension is not worth the price, or these headaches.
That goes for any air suspension really. If you buy it new and get rid of the car before 100k miles, then it's great (which is what rich people do). Otherwise stay away from air ride systems.
I've got to know what kind of annual income you say make someone rich.
I had a Merc E-class wagon with air suspension. It was amazing, could drive on any surface at any speed, smooth like butter. Though the compressor indeed failed right at 100k miles…
Was it worth, hard to say 😅
@@julienlaperrouza8846 You can buy air-bag suspension for quite cheap.. People like to add them onto off road tow trucks, etc. There is no denying that you're basically floating on a cloud. They perform well, they just don't last
@@stevewhite3424 When someone can buy a new car every few years and they just get rid of the old one at a huge loss at only 2 or 3 years old.. because it's just not worth the hassle to start messing with repairs and maintenance. That's what I call a "rich" person
The automotive industry has gone off the rails..it amazes me that after so many years computers don’t lead you to the problem In many cases….so hard to
Make a living diagnosing things properly, no one wants to pay for it…
A really excellent analysis of the problem. So that's why the valve code kept popping up...self test for pressure vs time (annoying, but makes sense as the system knows it will be capable when called upon). I guess valve code is just an engineers interpretation of what might be wrong with the system when the PvsT curve is off. After watching the whole saga in it's entirety two words come to mind: Coil Springs.
I learned how bad Audi's were back in the 1980's. I worked with a guy who evidently was a glutton for punishment and loved to walk. He kept buying late 1970's Audi's and was constantly working on them and the cars would leave him on the side of the road several times a week it seemed. I believe he finally learned his lesson with an early 80's luxury version 4 door Audi that burnt itself to the ground in his driveway.
for the battery if you just replace it with the same power levels just change the serial number. that is all thats required. this lets the regulator module know to treat it as new. u do not need to remove the seat. the front bolts come out amd the seat tilts back on the back posts. if you try to find how it tilts back you will never see it LOL.... just trust us... take front bolts out and seat tilts back. I think this is the 2nd audi we all told you this....
Two Audi from hell videos in one day? I think I died and went to heaven 😊
Seriously, having to enter in a battery serial number, and 'adapt' the car to the new battery is crazy. Its not like it will make any real world difference, the battery will still need to be replaced at around the same interval, or any time it suffers a few deep discharges. Complexity to deliver negligible tangible benefits to the motorist. Great watching your channel and diagnostics. It reminds me not to step back into the workshop.
With all this experience under your belt, you will now be seen as the Audi "expert" in the area (meaning all USA). What a "great" name to have. I am 72 yrs old and a retired mechanic/machinist in Land Down Under. Happy that my newest car is a 2008 V6 RAV 4. Other one is 2002 Landcruiser V8 petrol. I have enough "fun" with them. Electronics is not my strong point. But I know other much younger techs who have the knowledge and the ability to think sideways. I call on them when needed. But will stick with older (meaning much simpler) electronics. Also will give these Euro cars a wide berth. I enjoy your videos and have learnt heaps from them. Glad you still have some hair as well as some good colleagues who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with these challenging jobs. However, after no doubt watching these videos, they may/may not answer your calls/SMS/emails when they see your name on the screen.
Audi has four rings in their badge therefore it takes Ivan four videos to fix it ! Great videos - many thanks
Excellent 4 part series. I like your tenacity on solving problems. Hope everyone learned something from this. I watch all of your videos, and love them. I actually fixed my Chevy truck under hood fuse block based on your videos. Thanks for your effort , and this channel.
What a crusade, Ivan! I completely agree with you - that car is a money pit and some parts are no longer available. Best thing is to get rid of it, before it empties your bank account.
That's a big problem with these electronic cars when parts are no longer available you can't do much. Modules are vin specific on this cars. No sure how tesla will handle all these older cars when they stop making parts for them.
@@dcomputers 👍
Audi videos are always music to my ears! Best part was the Tornado Red 200 20v wagon at the end, which was part of your Christmas special! New cars are unfortunately electrically ridden with all sorts of crap, which is just how it is. I always tell folks to keep the older cars on the road if possible. The VAG-COM investment is good though! Awesome tool for VAG vehicles, so I hope you get continued use out of that. Another awesome video series!
Ivan, I have learned at a ripe ole age of 67 yrs. To remember your advice. And your last comment you made was maybe the best I have heard. And for the record. I have been giving the same advice for over 40 years. Thank you for this informative series.
Ivan, we repair car electronics modules and can confirm that module corruption is not uncommon where the supply voltage is spiked. These units utilise non-volatile EEPROM memory to store a ton of parameters. It only takes a small amount of corruption in the wrong place and they are done for. Using a programmer to over-write the EEPROM with a known good dataset can recover the module. However this can be a protracted process and (depending on the module) may subsequently require adaption / coding.
Hats off to you for fixing as much as possible on that POS! Thanks Ivan!
Ivan, i had many of these cars here with the same issues like this Audi here. I can say for 100%, the compressor fails because the control relay sometimes stuck and the compressor doesn't turn off as it should. this is intermittent, but the compressor runs too long in this situation and overheats internally and decreases the performance more and more. I saw melted air outlet also because of the hot air that comes out from the compressor when it runs way too long. The alternator issue i know too. Threre are different LIN-Bus controllers installed during the production time, i suspect a wrong alternator in this car, because i had exact same issues too. after unplug the LIB-Wire, the alternator will charge in default mode, but after some time, it stops charging for whatever reason. Replacing the alternator with the correct type was always the long term solution. BR From Switzerland!
Excellent tips thank you! 😁
You are a patient man Ivan, my own European car with BMS has not let me down and everything works. I have a cellular interface to the OBD so my phone gets notifications when DTCs appear. None of them bring on warning lights, I look after the car, it just seems to be an attention seeker. Today's new DTC is for a fault in something the car is not even equipped with....
Fantastic case study, what a lucky customer to have this extensive research on, excellent job Ivan
I'll keep my 351,000 mile 2003 Volvo s60. Not a spec of body rot, engine doesn't burn oil, tranny shifts when it's supposed to, the AC still works and I know where everything is, I'm the only one that's worked on this car. No unexpected repairs through 20+ years- just wear and tear items. Never left me stranded. I also have a 2006 Volvo s60; once I change out that stupid PCV banjo bolt- I'll actually sleep better :)
Anyway Ivan- I STILL think you should fight for the $620. The Stealership said the pump was totally bad as in- couldn't even get it to lift the car. They don't need to know about the fault code after driving for a while. They didn't do due diligence otherwise they would have fully seated the compressor plug. They don't deserve to get paid.
Just bought fully lost front struts for my 2012 Ford Taurus for 147 $. Rides fantastic.
With every video you made on this vehicle, I'm so glad I got rid of mine.
Same here!
Sooo glad this is over, and with an actual fix !
Good Work!
You definitely pass the patience test on this one. I for sure would have lost it!
Congrats on your presentational and editing skills. I love the way your multi-parters keep me wanting more. Hitchcock had nothing on you - Hollywood beckons!
Thanks for 4 parts of saying stay away from air suspension
Pretty interesting. I thought from the get go that the pump was slow at least compared to my Equus. Suspect that could have been the root of all the problems. Hindsight 20/20. Hey if it wasn't for all these fancy electronics, diagnostics would be pretty boring and most anybody could do it. Keep up the good work, your skills will become more and more valuable as most people don't want old cars no matter how easy they are to keep going. Remember, most people can't even (and don't want to) put air in their own tires much less change the oil.
I have Eurpean cars Opel for 30 years. Good cars. Not all european cars are bad, but the expencive ones are usually money pits.
GM hasn't sold Opel in the US in 50 years though, so not an option here.
If you want a higher end European car, and they are sweet when running properly, lease it with maintenance and repair included.
VW Touareg Air Suspension adaptation
Found this elsewhere. Worked for me.
0) Set your car to "Auto" mode (not dynamic, comfort, etc.). Make sure car is on level ground. Close doors. If any doors are opened during the procedure, it will be interrupted. Make sure your car is NOT in a towing
or tire changing mode.
1) Load up VCDS, go to Module 34 - Level Control
2) Go to "10 - Adaptation", take note of 4 values titled as "Body height front left wheel house edge" - mine were set to around 384 from factory.
3) Take the values you noted above, and ADD your desired drop in millimeters (mm) to each value, write it down... So if your left front wheel was 384.5, your new value will be 401.5. Repeat for the other wheels. It is not critical to be 100% precise here, rounding the values is fine. Note that maximum Audi-approved drop is 17mm from what I've gathered. You can go lower, but if you go lower, you're also affecting other systems, such as cameras, adaptive cruise, etc., so be careful.
Technically, if you want this procedure to be done properly, instead of taking existing values, you will measure all 4 wheels after completion of the step 7, and then add your drop value if desired. Suspension height values are measured from the center of the wheel to the edge of the fender.
4) Go to Security Access, enter code provided on the following website, under VCDS section, item #3 (I'm not posting this directly to avoid spreading sensitive data, although it's been posted on other forums in past) www.stemei.de/pages/coding/au...ng-des-aas.php 20103
5) You should get a message stating that security code has been accepted - if you don't, something failed, stop doing what you're doing
6) Go to 04 - Basic Settings
*** IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT select "Reset All Adaptations" - this is not undoable, and will require a visit to the dealer. ***
7) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete (should only take a second, until it says "not running").
8) Select "Delete Calibration For Level Control", hit "Go", wait for it to complete, your car will throw a fault code and you will see an error message stating Air Suspension Malfunction - this is normal.
7) Select "Start Up to Reference Level", hit "Go". This step will take about a minute, and your car will go up/down during the process (you'll hear hissing noises). Wait for it to complete, until it says "not running". DO NOT use the "start up to reference level production" option.
9) Select "Go Back", go to "10 - Adaptation" on the previous screen.
10) Next you will need to enter new adaptation values for all 4 wheels. Select "Body height front left wheel house edge", then enter new adaptation value, and hit "Do it", then repeat for the other 3 wheels. I did it in the order the menu was arranged (FL, RL, FR, RR) - not sure if the order matters, but just in case. Each time you enter a value, you should get a message stating that it has been accepted.
11) After you're done entering adaptation for all 4 wheels, select "Go Back", and return to "04 - Basic Settings" again.
12) In basic settings, select "Calibrate Level Control" and hit go, it will take a few seconds. Wait for it to say "not running". If you get an error during this step, you either missed a step, or something went horribly wrong.
13) Select "Activate Level Control", hit "Go"
14) You're done, now go to "02 - Fault Codes" and Reset codes.
If this did or didn't work - please share your experience with the rest of us here.
Hi, I have one of these audi q7 cars, in uk.
I had a few issues with my suspension, the car was fitted with side steps from stealership, the brackets for steps had slowly rubbed a hole into the accumulator, causing a small leak, thisbin tern set the pump running a lot more often, and for longer, eventually the pump failed, and also corrupted the module.
After extensive testing I found all these problems, I firstly replaced the accumulator, then the pump as it was turning slower than needed, I replaced the valve block, relay, pump, and fuse under seat, after replacing everything I recalibrated the suspension levels, and road tested it, all was great.
It has been perfect for the last 2 years now.
These pumps are a common problem, I have changed several, and always with fuse and valve block, and relay. None have failed since.
I purchased non genuine, but from a reputable air suspension pump manufacturer, who make kits for air ride systems for trick cars that bounce etc.
Their pumps are much stronger, and are a perfect fit as they have been made to match, my suspension is faster to react than a standard car, so much better in auto mode to adapt to rough terrain, and smooth road surfaces.
Excellent diagnostic process, shame the stealer took the wrong road with diagnostics.
I also had a battery fail, and the replacement never worked correctly, until I had performed a replacement battery update on bms, battery management system. Since then never a problem with charging.
Complicated systems, but when they work are brilliant. I love my audi ride comfort, and off road capability, good luck with this audi from hell, and keep up the videos..
Brion.
My current and last car have both been Volo V70's. Part way into ownership of the first one, i purchased a laptop with V.I.D.A. (Volvo Diagnostics) pre installed and a DICE connector for about £200. it's been invaluable and without it I don't think I could have afforded to run them. My current V70 is a 2010, but even back then these cars had a lot of modules. The forums have also been invaluable in helping me track down a few weird problems. I will say that the P2 facelift D5 was a dream to work on. Everything was extremely well engineered and relatively easy to access. For example, I replaced a powered door mirror in 25mins, and alternator in 45mins and the AC pump in a similar time. The only hard job was replacing a headlamp bulb. they've taken me over an hour due to the lack of space
Blimey what a right headache you had on your hands there.
Bet you where well pleased to send it on its way 👍👍👍
Let's hope it does not return .
I Ivan, there have been huge ongoing legal disputes with Audi and suppliers / manufacturers of their Starter/Generator units. Perhaps that is partially the prob with that particular fault.
BTW, You have the most riveting channel on YT, thank you for increadable content.
Regards from South Africa
In uk do mots and brakedowns have Audi in and fix air suspension as you say a pain even in the UK. Fit new pump relay and test everything for voltage current. As we have lots of sait on roads fill and seal all connections with electric grease. None conductive do lexis and rang rover land-rover all have the same problems just in different situations. Your videos are fantastic this one had on full 4 hours. All your other videos very interesting 40 years of this same thing from electronics. Bring back springs .
Great job Ivan I understand everyone lost on this episode but the dealer. We as followers are still the wiser for your efforts. I believe the dealer is or should be somewhat responsible to be fair to you. If nothing else the dealer can learn from this diag and be willing to pay for the information. Just saying, the old school guy.
The education I get from Ivan far outweighs any 4-year degrees. Real world experience and knowledge on troublshooting modern vehicles. The best part is the wisdom to avoid Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and VW at any and all costs. I value my money instead of throwing it into an endless pit.
Some takeaways after watching all four parts:
1.) The air ride module being wonky, the OE battery replaced with a cheap interstate, and the charging system "malfunction" are all probably related. Seems European vehicles really don't like electrical issues. My guess is a DIY gone wrong or maybe jumping it damaged the electronics. It's possible if the vehicle had been taken to an Audi specialist for the battery replacement none of this would have happened.
2.) Turns out the dealer was actually correct. Needed a compressor and the wiring fixed. Now whether they figured that out before or after they missed plugging it back in who knows. They aren't going to want a comeback which means you are getting a new compressor and a new wiring harness. Different class of people being served at these dealers whom want it fixed correctly the first time.
3.) You gotta pay to play. Fancy toys cost money.
@TheRetarp Cheap Interstate? How many automotive battery manufacturers do you really think are in the World? Audi specialist to replace a battery. LOL The Audi specialist diagnosed a compressor without even having it plugged in. Not sure which one is the bigger laugh!
So you pay dealer 5 GRAND for new compressor and wiring harness... Car is still broken. "We need 4 MORE hours of diagnistics"... How would you feel? 😆
@ Retarp is correct. … You have to PAY to play this game!! Count me out!!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics That is an assumption. That $4000 may include calibrating and reprogramming the "broken" module. The car could perhaps have been fixed in one day instead of weeks - we simply don't know.
The costs of all those hours diagnosing, researching, fumbling around with two different scan tools, trying to trick computers with jacks. I'd wager your bill would be in excess of $4000. Lets see. $700 for the scan tool. $300 for the jacks. I'm going to guess $250 for the module. That leaves $2750 for labor which at $150/hr (should be charging $200+/hr) would only cover 18 hours. I'm betting there are far more than 18 hours in this Audi.
@@KStewart-th4sk Yes interstate branded batteries in my experience have been mostly junk that loves to vent excessive gasses and corrode everything around them. They have a good marketing department though. For about 20 years European cars have had systems fine tuned to match the exact battery installed (similar systems have been installed into the big three for the past decade). That's why you need the exact OE replacement battery and to follow the service manual to tell the car what exact battery is installed when it is installed. Parts stores like Autozone have stopped the free install on many models for just this very reason. The days of replacing the battery in your car at home with just a couple of wrenches are just about over.
Funnily here in germany we mostly try to keep away from US cars for low quality concerns, economy, size, useless dealers,... and I guess everybody is most happy with those cars where you've got the maximum knowledge at hand, too. Maybe we all can agree on japanese cars because they'll just never break down.. I personally like my small Audi RS3, it does really well on the Autobahn. Let's see how many years it'll last...
The way I see it is over complex computer system with lack of manufacturers information. Great vid....
I knew you wouldn't give up. Makes me love springs and shocks/struts all the more. I had the same deal regarding the battery registration on a Tourag, (lol) and nothing changed but that 1 set a state of charge code before the relearn..maybe it just thought the battery was too old at the time, because it was indeed OE. And yeah, the seat had to come out to replace it, because you know, batteries never go bad...
lmao approximately 0% batteries fail under the warranty period, especially when placed in the best environment possible for battery life. It's a non-issue.
Good to know that everyone struggles sometimes! Great job.
I like your determination i would have burnt it cars r crap almost unfixable these days as someone who has had unsolvable problems
If you put one meter lead on line and one on load at the relay, load it up and see what your voltage measurement is. This is how you check the contacts for voltage drop. Not sure what is acceptable on 12 VDC, on AC I was taught 1 volt drop warrants replacement. I usually will replace a relay or contactor, etc. if the meter switches from mA to A scale.
Great video series again Ivan! I think a lot of Audi owners eventually give up on their failure prone air suspension system and convert them to standard coil over shocks, I know I would.
I have made a few comments on this series of videos this will be the last, Another page in the book of useless information that I will never need.Cheers Ivan patience is a virtue you have loads of it.
A lot of valuable info in this series!
I would have loved to see a scope amperage capture of that pump, maybe not necessary but would have been cool.
Take aways- a corrupt module is gonna make a diag harder
I wonder if this is a future eeprom fix for those who are in the eeprom section?
Rosstech forum once again proves as a handy resource.
And as per usual Audis can be expensive but people love them so if we can learn the language it’s worth it for us and the customer
This is the most informative video yet. I know it was tough but you wouldn't give up.
There's gotta be some kind of aftermarket coilover spring kit out there to eliminate this system altogether. Way too much hassle for me.
Bags are good for towing. But having the on all 4 seems like a marketing gimmick.
Americanairsuspension makes conversion kits, but only for two models that I could see.
There's plenty of companies that manufacture custom coil overs for race, rally, road etc, all they basically need is the dimensions, load carrying capacity, GVM and whatever else to construct them.
@@josholsen6985 it's for comfort
You should have tested for leaks in the accumulators they tend to have cracks in the welding area or leak from the fittings because the module only monitors the time it takes to lift the shocks and the compressor should run shortly after the selected ride hight has been achieved. So in conclusion the only way that the module would set that code is either there is a leak in the accumulators, fittings,lines or if the compressor cannot achieve the targeted pressure until the temperature sensor cuts off the power. I’ve repaired so many of those Q7 and Cayennes all same VW crap. Anyway you did a great job and I’m 99.9 sure that the dealership didn’t even know how to properly diagnose the compressor problem because they didn’t even bother to clean the connectors to begin with.
BTW sorry for my English it’s my 4th language so I hope that you would be able to get the point. Have a nice day
Yes, Audi's do become VERY expensive to service as they become older. I waited a bit too long (11 years and 128k miles) before I sold my A8, but I truly loved that car. I think that the secret is not to own an OLD Audi unless you can do most of the work yourself. If I had the time and equipment, I would have loved to have kept that A8 for another 50k miles.
Two things I learned from my stent at a Euro shop-1. There's no such thing as a small quick job on any Euro. 2. Double book time since they can't make plastic and there will be a lot more effort going into it than the book allows for.
Despite not having any charging issues, the alternator on my previous car ('06 Volvo V70) caused some really funky problems that seamed to be completely unrelated. All however were cured when it was replaced. It had a constant vibration at idle, that stopped and it became silky smooth. I didn't know the car had a glow plug pre-heat warning light as it only started to illuminate after the new alternator was fitted. The most concerning issue was the appearance of the ABS light accompanied by a warning in the message centre and a new DTC showing no signal from the front left ABS sensor. Further inspection revealed that it was unplugged and had been for sometime. I still have no idea how the old alternator was causing these problems, but I did discover that the manufacturer of the OEM pulley only gave it a 50k lifespan. Mine had covered 210k miles, but with no charging issues and nothing in the service plan I considered it to be working properly. After a little reading, I discovered this 'Ford' system would draw power from the battery during warm up to reduce engine load and improve the all important MPG figures. However, Fords new emission control system relied upon multiple electrical motors (TM/VGT/Swirl/EGR) working in unison with rapidly changing demands to generate a pressure drop across the EGR valve. Oddly, it was a replacement remanufactured alternator that proved my concerns when It failed to deliver sufficient power. It was then possible to observe the various motors struggling to operate against the high loads they were being placed under. These engines did fine cruising at 70mph on the motorway, but fell to pieces if they did too many stop/start urban miles.
The legendary Tom McCahill, road tested an Audi for Mechanics Illustrated Magazine, many moons ago. He commented, he didn't know what the four interlocking rings on the hood represented; but thought, they must be something between Ballantine beer, which had a logo with three rings and the International Olympics which has five. For my money, the Ballantine was a much better value; and the cans could be recycled to make something useful; like more beer cans. Thanks Ivan.
I watched a program years ago with experts on buying cars, their recommendation on buying an Audi was it it has less than six months maintenance plan left don't buy one as they become money pits once warranty expires.
In my experience VW products do not age well.
Great series
Reminds me of a Ford Windstar I owned. The dealer kept replacing modules and components for two weeks telling me how hard it was to isolate a problem. I didn't care, it was under extended warranty. I suggested they replace everything, but leave the steering wheel so I knew it was my vehicle ;-)
I loved this saga. We got to see a whole bunch of scan tools plus VCDS. The dealer's 'call' wasn't even diagnosis, just a guess based on a common problem with older air ride vehicles. The piston in the pump wears out.
Thank you for calling a spade a spade... I was thinking it from part 1.
Thanks for this case study Ivan... I'll be here on my end on the lookout for these Audi's Q Series... "Cheers... "
I owned two hydropneumatic Citroëns. To pump that system up, it takes a few seconds from low to high. I thought this Audi was too slow. OK completely different system, but still.
AUDI = All Unnecessary Devices Installed! Thanks Ivan for showing me I should never buy an Audi! My guess on the module is it had values stored and at some point the car lost voltage (battery replacement?) and Audi provides no means for resetting the values. P*ss poor programming! You're amazing sticking with this to the end!
Thanks Ivan. "Dirty/Inconsistent Power Source" = "Corrupted data and/or bizarre firmware damage"
Ivan's brain has melted so much we are just going with #1 I feel you. OEM needs to do better that right to repair is pushing forward.
As someone wrote already,the system need 19 bar to work properly, the compressor is weak!
For VW/Audi there are very useful documentation PDFs available online (training material published by VAG) called SSP or Self-Study Programme.
Audi Q7 Air Suspension (so-called Adaptive Air Suspension, AAS) is covered in SSP 362. PDF is available via Google.
EDIT: SSP 302 (for the Touareg, on which the system was first introduced) has more detail.
Sadly, cars like this Audi in complexity will be our future. There will likely be no way around it due to "regulations".
Remember, they are meant to be "lease boxes". I will hang on to my 2002 car as long as I possibly can. So far not a single problem other than scheduled maintenance.
Politicians will make sure our old reliable vehicles are off the road. They are bigger scumbags than the engineers making these disposable high-tech vehicles.
@@KStewart-th4sk That IS coming, yes....
Just bought an '07 a4 to get to work when the opel broke down. Had to replace the wheel bearing on it the first week and what a pain that was. Just looking at the suspension components pains me.
Just got the opel up and running again with a junkyard engine ECU and what a relief that is.
Wow, what a series of sagas, I thought you were married to that thing!! I would avoid it like the plague! Lol. Nice slow fixes, but I absolutely hate the dealers, they charge so my h to fix things when they have weird mindset!! At least it's partially fixed, except for the voltage unplugged. Nice series video Ivan!! Great job!!
As always, an awesome set of troubleshooting by you. Do you think it makes to simply do a standard strut conversion on these vehicles?
Thanks Ivan
I am really happier now with my 07 Lexus es350 and my 17 Rav4😅😅
Between Part 3 and 4, I really thought you were ready to do the big no-no; to pull the trigger on the parts cannon. Thinking back to my working days as a shop owner/mechanic, Range Rover is the same way. these compressors are nothing more than single piston tire inflators.
The compressor sounds exactly like the $40 battery-operated air compressor I got from Amazon to pump up my bicycle tires.
These Q7s work best with Varta batteries(for that matter any Mercedes-benz/VAG/Fiat).
If the owner is daily driving this piece of expensive garbage, it is recommended to change to coil springs. No point in salvaging a decade old air suspension system. A6/A8L/Q7 here in India are mostly converted back to the OE coil spring systems with shared parts or via the aftermarket(Monroe/Gabriel/KYB/Bilsteins).
This series was a workout and a half for all our collective brains. Thmubs up for your tenacity.
My 96 2.3L (2wd) Ford Ranger has over 400,000 miles on it, doesn't burn a drop of oil, starts every time I turn the key, gets ~22mpg, and is a 5 speed which adds to the cool factor. Yes, I have replaced timing belt, fan belt and pulleys, water pump, clutch and drag link, etc..., but I don't need a Snap On tool account to get'er done! And even the OEM parts are cheap compared to the newer vehicles. I just stay on top of the maintenance. You couldn't give me one off those newer stealership - anchor headaches! Great video, Ivan! 👍
96 was an amazing year in many ways 😊
My Ex bought an Audi Q5 when her lease expired, she took the extended warranty which I thought was extravagant, a month later her transmission died and needed a new transmission $5k. She is not a young lady, does low mileage, all services at the dealer. Her warranty covered it. I wouldn't buy an Audi with your money. They are very pretty disasters on wheels ... which suited its owner quite well ; )
The dealer did not have a definitive reason to callout the compressor, you do Ivan.
Great job.
👍👍👍👍👍
Does the Audi need a bespoke battery to perform....????
Great case study. Thanks for sharing.
It's probably like a BMW where the new battery has to be registered to the vehicle because if it's not the alternator will fry the new battery so they've made it so that the owner can't just fit a new battery because the parameters need to be reset.
I would want to find out why the PCM was detecting an over temperature fault as well,it sounds like the compressor was the culprit anyway !
Correct - the alternator charging logic depends on the battery parameters to charge it properly. As the battery ages, the charging rate will change to not over-charge the battery, but also to extend its life. I've owned several Audis, and the OEM batteries can last up to 8 yrs! The OEM battery replacement cost at the dealer actually isn't as bad as you would think.
Even on old cars, I've always thought electronic/air suspension was a bad idea.
What a nightmare job
I believe in VCDS the guidance gives you more information on the settings for the battery, including the type e.g AGM. Serial number you just need to change a digit so it knows it's not the same battery.
On the final test drive I thought for sure you were going to park it in the pond. Write off the insurance claim, customer gets a new car Ivan gets stress relief and a delightful swim.
I been down this road before ..replace pump ....good call
Perfect 🎯 👌 Example why not to buy a Car with adjustable suspension if you keep it past warranty and it's of German design 😉
This is one of the reasons I despise working on modern German cars you can simply tell the lengths they go to to make them dealer only repairable and how 'lightly' built they are, I'll swear they'd use plastic cranks if they could but nice work Ivan.
You deserve combat pay for that one.
Hey Ivan, I heard the owner is interested in selling you the Q7! Come on come on You know you want it! Lol lol
I wonder if the alternator being replaced requires registration just like the battery does for BMS. Remember in the thinktool you had 'generator vendor, type',etc.
The compressor sounds like a cheap tire inflator. 16.6 bar! (240 PSI) .. insane. If the accumulator blows out .. oof.
Yes...flat bed tow truck to the nearest stealership.