I'm cross posting this in hopes of maximizing the odds of a solution:

1. allroad (2001, 6MT, SolarSR, ColdWeather, Premium, 115K, 3rd owner) has sagged somewhat on the left for at least a year, but levels were operable, and the car didn't noticeably settle overnight.

2. Except in winter (7100' New Mexico mountains), I keep the car at level 2, but daily highway stints take it to level 1. Two or three weeks ago, it never recovered from level 1 after I left the highway and would not go higher, but was drivable.

3. I've read nearly every post on the web regarding allroad suspension problems.

4. I have an appointment with my indie shop on August 31st.

5. I don't have Vag-Com.

6. After reading everything I could get my hands on, I decided to try the slime. After locking the suspension, I administered 12 oz to each front bladder via syringe.

7. I removed the wheels to do this and started with the left. When I removed the air line on the left, the wheel and suspension did not retract upward as some had reported it would. I don't have a floor jack, so was doing one side at a time.

8. When I let the left side down, it went all the way to the bump stop, with distorted camber.

9. When I removed the right side air line, the wheel and suspension retracted upward about five inches (unlike the left).

10. Now that the car is off the jacks, rear end is level and at a reasonable height. Front end is level and bottomed out -- undrivable.

11. Unlocked the suspension. Green light between the height adjustments blinks continuously. Pressing the up button gets no response. If I hold it for a few seconds it prompts the yellow lock light without pressing the down button. Don't know if that's supposed to happen.

12. I have been assuming that the loud vacuum cleaner sound upon starting the car cold was the compressor, but that sound clearly comes from the front of the car. After learning that the compressor is just forward and to the left of the spare tire, I believe I have never heard the compressor.

13. I had planned to try 10 oz. of oil down the air intake of the compressor (via removal of the air filter next to the spare) in hopes of momentarily reviving compressor function while it was running (as suggested as a successful ploy by one post), but I have never heard anything from the area of the compressor -- just the vacuum cleaner sound from the front. In frustration, I squirted the oil in anyway.

14. So, my car is grounded, and other than towing, I don't know how I'll get it to or from the shop which is 35 miles and 2500' lower than my garage. I'd like to do this work myself, if possible, but I'm stuck at diagnosis.

I'm a newbie at working on the allroad, but I love the car, so I'm highly motivated. I bought it knowing that it would be expensive to continually maintain, but I didn't plan on the recession. I'd really appreciate some perspective and suggestions if anyone is still reading...

Thanks for your expertise and wisdom!

 

Bottom Line - You need new front bags. Go to Arnott and use this discount code worth 10% and is valid until 02/15/2011. During ck out use 74V4-W7D and you'll be credited the 10%.

If you can afford the GEN II bags get those especially because of where you live. If not then get what you need. I got a mobile mech to come out and R&R and paid him $100 per bag so the total cost to me was $800 as opposed to the $2k I would have paid at the dealer. Its easy to do if you have the tools. Either way be sure to spray BP Blaster on all the bolts so they will be easy to take off. If your guy uses book time its 1.8hrs per bag. Go to CraigsList and you'll be able to find a guy who can come to you to R&R. If he comes out be sure to have the car up on jacks, tires removed. Remember you're paying by the hour. I agreed to actual time so I made sure to make it as smooth as possible.

#8 distorted camber, this may have been caused by you during fix.
#12 is common and is no big deal (At least it isn't for mine) only happens if the car has been sitting for a very long time. Usually AM start up.
#13 Don't even think about it.

Now the next thing you need to do is go to Amazon and buy a code reader and the repair guide. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846

Along with the BP Blaster purchase CRC Mass Air Flow Cleaner. When its time for the timing belt to be replaced go here http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-All_Ro...Timing/ES6168/ or

http://www.034motorsport.com/engine-...t-p-19505.html

Try to buy as many parts as possible and find a shop who will put'em in with no markup on labor for you using your own parts. The'll give you some long story that they won't warranty the parts and if you bought the wrong parts you could incur additional fees. blah blah blah. Hey if they do their job it won't be an issue.

Anyway good luck.

 

Thanks, AustinGuy, for your thorough evaluation. I really appreciate your suggestions, and I'll let you know how it all turns out!

 

Hi Stubborn, but Happy,
I hope your project is going well. I've been reading the advice from AustinGuy. Sounds like good stuff. I think I'm in the same boat with my '04 Roadyn at 70K and I'm still a big fan of this car. For the last few months I'd go to the garage wondering what might be waiting for me. Like yours, bottom out front wheels or no problem at all and it would be in the second position where I left it.
I've prevously read about the Arnott bags and found a great DIY posts in this forum. Like you, I'm pretty capable of handling this project but what might take a pro 2 hrs is likely going to take me 4+. How have you made out with the parts? Any information would be appreciated! Thanks

 

Yesterday afternoon, after a 30 hour ordeal, I returned home in my VW Beetle rental car, to find an email from 'the team' at audiforums asking me why I haven't kept up with my posts here. The short answer is that the saga is far from over.

I could write at least ONE book on what has happened since my last post, but I'll do my best to bring you up to date in a concise fashion.

I was unable to locate a 'mobile' mechanic with whom I felt comfortable in bringing out here to do what AustinGuy suggested. More importantly for me, all the pieces simply did not add up to AustinGuy's conclusion. I did not believe the air bladders were the problem.

So I sent the car off to my Audi guy with a very competent and conscientious towing company to see what he could discover. My indie Audi guy is not an "Audi genius", but he is a genuine, trustworthy, second generation caretaker of German automobiles and his own car is an Audi allroad.

I waited nearly three weeks for an answer, and I had told him to call me before he ordered any parts. When he called, he explained that the bladders were fine, and that they had decided the likely culprit was the suspension control unit. To verify this, they had removed the unit from Andreas' personal car, installed it in mine, and that indeed was the problem. I consider this to be service far beyond the standard of good care.

He told me he had made perhaps 20 calls in an unsuccessful effort to locate a used unit for me, since he knew I was trying to keep costs down. If he only made ten calls, I would still be impressed.

I told him to go ahead and order the new unit, which he did. They were unable to completely sort out the nuances of recalibrating the unit, with the effect that the car now consistently rides higher in front than it should, at all levels other than #4. And the car does not automatically change to level 1 at highway speeds.

Meanwhile, a previous condition of my allroad began making itself more difficult to ignore. Primarily on acceleration, and especially on uphill grades, the car shudders. Merely letting off on the gas allows the car to return to normal, so I assume that the problem is in the drivetrain and not the balance of the wheels. It's done this for quite some time, but it reached an unacceptable level. Andreas told me it was probably an inner axle joint.

So, following the advice of axle joint threads, I ordered both front axles from Raxles, and they are due to arrive tomorrow.

But there's more. After beginning my day at 4:30 AM on Friday, my wife and I drove to Santa Fe and spent an combative 12 hours in a state board meeting with individuals who are illegally attempting to contract the scope of practice of the handful of doctors of Oriental medicine doing the most advanced medical work in the country. Having seen that to its conclusion at 9PM, we set off on the journey home across the Galisteo basin, a beautiful and empty stretch of high desert plains. The shudder was getting worse.

Soon, I realized letting off the gas pedal or going downhill were no longer making a difference. Many of you probably know where this is going. I'm shamelessly going to use the excuse that it had been a really strenuous day, and my mind was fried. I announced to my wife that I was going to stop at the top of the mesa we were approaching and see what the hell was going on. That wasn't soon enough, and the left rear wheel came off before we got there.

The wheel was still in the wheel well, and three lug nuts were still in the wheel. But the rotor/hub assembly (I'll call it for lack of a more knowledgeable term) was all skewed and I couldn't get to the holes for the lug nuts. The tow truck driver was able to get things twisted around enough to get two nuts in and we got it on the truck. It was 1:30 in the morning before the car was back in storage in Santa Fe, and we checked into a hotel. Tomorrow (Monday) the Audi will be taken back to Andreas in Albuquerque to square away my stupidity.

How's that for an update? I'll stop there, and hope that something in the above is instructive to someone about something. I slept 12 hours last night, and I'll still be catching up tonight. Good night, Audi fans.

PS I'm contemplating changing my name to "Stupid, but Well-protected"...