DRC problem - height

[Boj R6]

Dear All,

I own '03 RS6 limo. I recently enocuntered problems with DRC and I went to local Audi Service Partner, where they replaced under warranty rear shocks. After that the car became visibly higher at rear end. Local service guys say that this is normal height for RS6.
I disagree because when I bought this car 3 years ago and untill recently the car was more than an inch lower.
Due to the fact that this is the only RS6 purchased in Slovenia, Europe I am very aware that there is lack of experience at local service shop.
I attach pictures (units on the meter are centimeters) for more clear view of the problem.

http://www.eurometall.si/1.jpg

http://www.eurometall.si/2.jpg

http://www.eurometall.si/3.jpg

http://www.eurometall.si/4.jpg

Can you please advise about this problem. I think that there must be some tool to calibrate DRC for right suspension height. Are you familiar with this problem and any solution for it ?

Thank you very much for your help !

Best Regards,
Bojan

[JAXRS6]

The DRC issue has been discussed at great length by Aronis and a few others, including myself. Suggest you try a search here and in the RS6 forum at audiworld.com ... or, maybe the doctor (Aronis) will chip in here.

[Aronis]

This ride height issue was brought up by Hy Octane whose car did the same thing after his 'repair'.

His was indeed fixed by those who actually know how to do it.

My ride height appeared normal, but my system WAS NOT FIXED.

So is your car STIFF as a rock again or bouncy.

Hy Octane never got an explaination as to why his rear was higher than normal, but now he reports it's all back to normal.

Mike

I am still waiting on parts.......no call...nor a response to me email......AOA sucks.....oh' did I say that...sorry I meant AOA REALLY SUCKS.

Mike

[Hy Octane]

Correct Mike..

Besides discovering that our US Audi mechanics missed the DRC training repair class held in Germany a few years ago to teach them how to deal with the DRC, We have had many here who have had DRC failures only to be shocked (scuse the pun) to see the results after Audi of America and elsewhere too have tried to fix them.. It actually amazes me that they would even try to fix something they dont understand or have any training in..let alone return the damned thing to you broken..

That said, My RS6 had all four shocks replaced and both accumulators the first time. When I got it back, the car was sitting about one inch higher than it ever did before..especially the rears..
They also had alotta bounce when you pushed down on it.. Now why the shocks would have anything to do withe the ride height is a mystery since the car actually rests on the springs which should determine ride height.
After the third try at repairing my car, it has now been returned to its previous ride height. I can only assume that the previous attempts resulted in them charging the system with alotta air which pushed the pistons in the shocks way past their default setting..Thus the bounce and extra inch.
There is a very specific procedure for replacing and recharging the DRC. if not followed exactly, you ewill get the results we here have described in great detail in many other threads..
I am currently searching for a way to test to see if the system is functioning properly so that all of we RS6 owners can apply this test and have definitive proof to show our dealers that they havent a clue what they are doing, as well as stuff all the broken parts up AoA's collective assholes for all the greif we have had to deal with from these ubercars..
What we need is someone from the Quattro Gmbh to publish in english the complete replacement procedures with instructions on how to check if the repair was done properly at all four corners..As it is now, we are at the mercy of the ignorance of those who are trying to save their jobs by telling AoA that our cars are back to spec when they havent a clue what spec is..Even though they have never driven an RS6 that works properly like we have,,..

Go figure..

[Aronis]

I am truly curious about the ride height issue.

In order to change the shock do you end up removing the spring as well? If so then when reassembling the Spring/Shock pair, something was not placed back in spec.

Of example there is an excellent writeup on line done by an M3 driver who did his own PSS9 installation. I wish I bookmarked it.

Anyway, in the process he removed the shocks/springs as a unit. Disconnected the shock from the spring by compressing the spring and releasing the connections at the shock 'hat'. Then in Re-assembling he noted that the orientation of the hat/shock had to be just correct of the RIDE HEIGHT WOULD BE CHANGED.

That is where the error most likely occured.

But If I recall from your photo, Paul, yous was VERY VERY NOTICIBLY heigher than ANY A6 including perhaps a pumped out ALLROAD. If the mechanic was worth his weight in cow menure he would have noticed that and said to himself "Self, I screwed up."

Now the issue of following the directions precisely is interesting, as my dealer did not want to even look at the pages of the Audi RS6 Teaching Supplement Book.

Well I just spoke with the parts guy at the NEW dealership I found and he sounded very interested in learning about how to fix the car right. And he was the PARTS guy.

I almost fell off my chair just now reading your Post Paul.....the US RS6 Mechanics MISSED THE CLASS ON DRC????????????? If that is true they my mechanic in Latham should have said something..........URRRRGGGGGGG

Mike

Waiting on parts, one more valve, the left one....coming from Germany.....perhaps June 2. Waiting...

:heart:

[Hy Octane]

BTW. I notice from your pictures that your rear brake rotors are not drilled (full of holes) as they should be..

It seems that somewhere along the line, they replaced them with the wrong parts.. Might want to mention this to your dealer..

[Aronis]

cross drilled disks were an option.

Mike

[Hy Octane]

Yep.. Thats what I was told by the guys from the factory..

In late 2002 early 2003, in anticipation of the arrival of the RS6 here, US Audi mechanics were flown to Germany for (i think it was 2 weeks or something like that) instruction in RS6 repair so they could be certified here when the cars came out.. thus the scarcity of RS6 certified dealers..

Apparently, sometime after this, there was another seminar held in Germany which the US mechanics didnt attend that would have trained them in the DRC ... This would explain why no-one has had theirs fixed successfully here yet..

I wouldnt be surprised if Gmbh reconsiders sending the new RS6 here as a result of these problems with the first one..

You mean you could order just the fronts drilled but not the rears? Weird option that..

[Aronis]

Oh, I did not notice that his was drilled up front...yes, strange......

Must have gotten "New" rottors installed by the same mechanic who worked on my car or yours?

LOL
Mike

[nene]

I'm taking pictures of my car before anything happens. Just in case.

[Aronis]

How many more pictures of your can can you take!

LOL.

Don't forget using reference markers and a news paper to prove the date of the photo!!!

LOL..

Mike


Originally posted by nene
I'm taking pictures of my car before anything happens. Just in case.

[JAXRS6]

Originally posted by Aronis
cross drilled disks were an option.

Mike

I'm 99% certain they were standard in the US, Doc -- at least on my car. I don't recall them from the short options list, I sure didn't order them, but they came on all fours anyway.

I don't know about Europe.

[jonas21]

Originally posted by JAXRS6

I don't know about Europe.

Here in europe they were an option atleast on the '02 ones. I am not sure if the later ones came with them by default.

Btw, that rear height really doesnt look normal. Maybe it settles ones you drive some km/miles but if it doesnt i'd get it fixed asap.

[Aronis]

Originally posted by JAXRS6
I'm 99% certain they were standard in the US, Doc -- at least on my car. I don't recall them from the short options list, I sure didn't order them, but they came on all fours anyway.

I don't know about Europe.

I was going on rather vague recollection!

I have the cross drilled brakes as well.

Mike

[aussie rs6]

here in OZ, 2003 RS6 came out with solids.

I have replaced front rotors with RS+ cross drilled rotors.

Cheaper than solids. :rs6kiss:

[gjg]

rs6 stock came with solid discs all corners, crossdrilled optional, rs6+ crossdrilled brakes stock - continental Europe, not sure about UK.

:idea:

the height issue has something to do with proper bleeding when shocks are filled, our seconds rs had the same problem and had to go back to the shop.

my + actually has the rear end about 5 mm lower than front from factory .... :D ... I'm dragging may ass around ...:bow:

[loosecats]

I am new to this forum, and I have been reading all of the information about the DRC Issues. I unfortunately think I'm the one with the first problems with the DRC - You see, My car was delivered on 10-03 and the day I got it home it was leaking fluid from the DRC.

After ~6 months of frustration, I got the car back from the dealer and they said it was fixed.

To this day, I dont think the third fix was correct, and the other day I was able to drive another RS6 @ the dealer, and the ride seemed different.

I would really like to hear from all you guys that have had problems with the DRC.

I have a long story regarding the events that took place with my car.

Regards,:idea:

[LIRS6]

Ok, well with all of these posts about DRC, I think I'm experiencing (psychosomatically, at the least) DRC issues with my car. Over depressions (as opposed to bumps) the suspension makes a knocking sound, and the recovery time seems a touch long. Car seems to be a bit skittish as well. I don't see any fluid leaking. What are the telltale signs, besides outright fluid leaks? TIA :idea:

[Hy Octane]

Well, if you are hearing knocking over bumps, thats the death knoll.. Its very hard to see the leaking fluid as it is more of a seep than a leak,.. If you put her up on the lift and remove the wheels, you might see oily residue on the outer casing of the damper.. Thats the way to confirm.. plus as you say, funky ride..
Let us know what they find and where you get it fixed..
Good Luck!

[Aronis]

The leak is not easily seen on routine maintenence unless they are specifically looking for it.

The fluid leaks out on compression of the system, that is, under dynamic situations such as when the car is being driven. So there is unlikely to be a puddle under the car.

The fluid is a clear mineral oil, thus hard to see.

You will see evidence of a leak in the areas around the junction points of the system. The biggest culprit is the junction between the tubing and the actual shock where there is a aluminum washer which corroids due to galvanic action (two dissimilar metals in contact create an electrical current that causes the corrosion).

The symptoms can come on rather insidiously as you 'notice' a change in the handling, especially over rises/falls in the road where the car rebounds too much. Also if ONE DIAGONAL PAIR leaks the ride gets very hairy and scarey since the car will rock side to side on bumps.

In the static situation (car parked) push on a fender or all four and see how easily you can move the car.

A normal RS6 should be solid and very stiff, more so than an S4 for comparison. If you can move the car easily OR if the car moves when you simply close the TRUNK, you got a leak.

The repair requires NEW CENTRAL VALVES which come pre-pressurized and requires that all leaks be fixed and the shocks to be pressurized to 5 bar BEFORE the new valves are connected. Once they are connected the 16 bar pressure in the central valve will charge the rest of the system to some level (unknown what it 'should be'), and return the car to normal.

If they do not follow the repair sequence EXACTLY they will waste a new pair of Central Valves (my dealer used two sets so far, and new dealer is waiting on a third).

The biggest problem you will have is that no one has much experience fixing this system and NO ONE WILL CALL GERMANY TO ASK FOR HELP.

The easiest solution is to scrap the DRC and go aftermarket, but that will cost you about $5000.00 . This is of course much cheaper than it would be if YOU WERE PAYING FOR THE DRC repair since they will waste thousands of you dollars during their learning.

The kicker is that it appears that the US RS6 trained Mechanics MISSED THE LECTURES ON DRC repair.

Funny huh? NO.

Mike

Sorry to hear about more RS6 falling to this illness, but I am not surprised as it was destined to happen to ALL OF THEM.