Aronis
March 4th, 2006, 20:15
Well after nearly 7 weeks the system is back to normal! Audi Spec as well as Mike Spec.
The original problem was leaking from the rear shocks due to corrosion from road salt.
The repair (when the system is emptied by the leak) requires replacing the central control valves because they are pre-pressurized at the factory and apparently this is too difficult to do at the dealership. I suspect they send the others back to be 'recharged' and thus re-used which may or may not include a 'rebuild' which is just fine.
But if the shocks are empty of the hydrolic fluid the internal seals will shred with time, at least that makes sense. So when the front was still damping properly with bumps the front shocks were still ok, but the rear, not damping at all and clunking, were bad and needed to be replaced. It took jumping up and down to get this done, but all in all the local mechanic, Tommy, was able to do it properly.
The fronts were loosing there ability to damp as the front was bottoming out on all bumps and both the front and back could be bounced easily. But so far the front shocks appear to be ok so those internal seals must not have been damaged, I hope.
What threw a wrench in it and took the extra week or so, was the little noise that they could still hear (I had not driven the car after the rear shocks were replaced so I never heard that noise).
At that point they were being really causious as I was pushing AOA etc. After rebleeding the system a few more times they threw up there hands and called for help.
The specialist came and went over the car and concluded that the noise they could still hear (clearly different than the clunking I could hear before the shocks were replaced) was something else.
I had already warned them that I had dropped a small flash light in the back seat and never found it! They found that under the front seat - hell I looked I swear.
That was not the cause.
Some time between actually replacing the rear shocks, they had already taken everything out of the trunk, battery, spare tire, tool/jack, etc. and did not find the source, but in that they must have shock loose the strap and buckle which was tucked between the rear seat and the rear seat back at the tie down points for a car seat which I had tucked out of sight after removing my kids car seat.
That buckle was what was making the final noise they could hear!
Talk about frustration for the mechanic who knew he had done his best and in fact he DID FIX THE SYSTEM!
So DRC is repaired, I just hope the front does not leak now!
They also replaced my On-Star unit (but did not call in the ESN, I did that the next day) and did the 35,000 mile engine service. Everything seems AOK from that stand point and YES I did check the oil level LOL TWICE LOL it was just right!
It was a PLEASURE Driving back from Albany in the snow storm this morning. With the extra 300 plus hp than the loaner A6 3.0 and my snow tires, passing was a breeze.
Happy once again!
Mike
:rs6kiss: :dance: :applause:
The original problem was leaking from the rear shocks due to corrosion from road salt.
The repair (when the system is emptied by the leak) requires replacing the central control valves because they are pre-pressurized at the factory and apparently this is too difficult to do at the dealership. I suspect they send the others back to be 'recharged' and thus re-used which may or may not include a 'rebuild' which is just fine.
But if the shocks are empty of the hydrolic fluid the internal seals will shred with time, at least that makes sense. So when the front was still damping properly with bumps the front shocks were still ok, but the rear, not damping at all and clunking, were bad and needed to be replaced. It took jumping up and down to get this done, but all in all the local mechanic, Tommy, was able to do it properly.
The fronts were loosing there ability to damp as the front was bottoming out on all bumps and both the front and back could be bounced easily. But so far the front shocks appear to be ok so those internal seals must not have been damaged, I hope.
What threw a wrench in it and took the extra week or so, was the little noise that they could still hear (I had not driven the car after the rear shocks were replaced so I never heard that noise).
At that point they were being really causious as I was pushing AOA etc. After rebleeding the system a few more times they threw up there hands and called for help.
The specialist came and went over the car and concluded that the noise they could still hear (clearly different than the clunking I could hear before the shocks were replaced) was something else.
I had already warned them that I had dropped a small flash light in the back seat and never found it! They found that under the front seat - hell I looked I swear.
That was not the cause.
Some time between actually replacing the rear shocks, they had already taken everything out of the trunk, battery, spare tire, tool/jack, etc. and did not find the source, but in that they must have shock loose the strap and buckle which was tucked between the rear seat and the rear seat back at the tie down points for a car seat which I had tucked out of sight after removing my kids car seat.
That buckle was what was making the final noise they could hear!
Talk about frustration for the mechanic who knew he had done his best and in fact he DID FIX THE SYSTEM!
So DRC is repaired, I just hope the front does not leak now!
They also replaced my On-Star unit (but did not call in the ESN, I did that the next day) and did the 35,000 mile engine service. Everything seems AOK from that stand point and YES I did check the oil level LOL TWICE LOL it was just right!
It was a PLEASURE Driving back from Albany in the snow storm this morning. With the extra 300 plus hp than the loaner A6 3.0 and my snow tires, passing was a breeze.
Happy once again!
Mike
:rs6kiss: :dance: :applause: