I checked my RS before a family vacation last week, and still the difference between the front and back.
One the way down the road to vacation, I get a call out of the blue from my dealer that they may have figured-out how to correct the most of the difference. I am not sure if their fix is the loosening and tighening of bolts that was mentioned earlier in the posts, but I'll find out.
I take it in this Thursday.
Topcat_92
You need to read what I posted. "the car drives like a Cadillac in comparison to how it did drive." In comparison does not mean it drives like one. The whole rear end of my car was bouncing around, because it was not absorbing bumps at all, rather it was just going over them. The difference was that if I hit a quarter in the road I could tell you if it was heads or tales. Now I can only tell you that it was a quarter. It is still extremely stiff. Hope that clarifies things a little better. Also, read DHall's comments about what I said a few posts down. He hit it on the head.
Topcat, I'm taking mine in Thursday too. You are taking back to University right?
2003 White RS6 2013 Midnight Blue S5
2013 Daytona RS5 2x944 Turbo's 1974 911 w/'91 3.6ltr motor
Roy, WA
My car is done and it is lower, but still not at pre repair nor at Dave's measurements (I'm riding 1/2 high). Dealer is trying to find specification. They will continue to listen for updates from Audi that may improve my ride height situation.
As you all agree above, the control arms should not be tightened until the car is resting on its tires at normal load. See attachment from the Audi service manual. As stated perviously, an unpressurized DRC suspension should never be loaded (resting on its tires).
Lastly, I found no quarters, dimes or nickles anywhere near my car after running over a dollar bill.
Oh he**, one more thing. An S8 blasted out of the dealer lot trying to make the green traffic light a half-block away - it sounded amazing.
the rattle and knocking was so bad after the DRC repair i had it towed back to dealer today, ridiculous that they let it go. mine was their first recall but supposedly had their best guy on it that works on their high end models and had done many DRc repairs.
side note: mine appered to measure 14" front 14 1/2" rear.
we'll see what happens. giving them a chance before i call AoA.
Mine were at 14.5" in front and 15" in the rear and now dropped a bit to 14 3/8" in front and 14 5/8" in the rear. I still don't know factory specs. I think I might buy some perches to lower the car - gotta do a search for details.
My SA gave the control arm instructions to me so I assumed it was from the service manual. He had a mit full of instructions that I asked for, but he wouldn't give to me. I told him those instructions would make life easier for dealers across the world if I posted them to educate owners. I don't think he understood the confusion we are faced with. When I walked in he was on the phone with Audi and I overhead him ask if there were issues being reported with ride height and DRC replacements. The SA relayed a no in realtime, but I didn't hear the actual response. It sounds like there may be poor communication at Audi USA.
I can't tell you if these instructions are the front or rear control arms. I can't find these instructions in my Audi Electronic Service Information software i bought on eBay. Maybe I'll print the entire DRC seciton to PDF and post it somewhere - a new thread labeled DRC truths. I'd like to include ride height if I can find it.
Did you notice where the control arm instuctions warn that the bushings will be stress and have a shortened life if the control arms are tightened while the car is raised? I know some on this forum have complained of fast suspension bushing wear - this could be why!
I'm getting more and more repect for these Audi wrenchers. These instrucitons are good but not great. Everything is hard to find in their manuals. So the mechanics probably work off of prior experience, but the technology changes so quickly that prior knowledge is wrong. Audi should go with a wizard software that linearly steps the mechaics through the process. I can imagine a visual and audible system (audio so they can keep their eyes on the tools\parts\hands.
03 RS6 Avus, 80 Modena Spyder, 93 Porsche 964 Cab, 11 Toyota Sienna SE, 95 John Deere 345 w/42" snow blower
That is interesting. And how did the dealer effect any change at all on your car? Hmmm, its still too high in the front. The rear is just a tick too high. Most have been coming in right at 14.5. And your front is just a tick high when most have been coming in at 14 or just a tick higher.
Drive it for a week and keep checking.
The wear from our front bushings has been well noted. Mostly, if you have car with worn out DRC it allowed too much wheel travel and thus beat up these bushings.
Also, a poor install of a new set would further increase the wear of a new set. That could be why members such as Mark have gone thru several sets.
The current setup for DRC repair includes the new toolkit as well as a training video all techs can access thru Audis video network which explains step by step how to install the system. If there is any question about procedure, they should consult this network and follow the training videos.
The comment on the control arms (and DRC correlation) is 100% correct and i am sure is the reason my control arms are going so fast over and over...4 sets since in 25-30K miles...although two were replaced while hunting for noises that the replacement did not help. My independent guy has told me that before about the need to do the final tightening with the wheels on a surface. I am making an appointment soon to have my independent shop go in and check them all (loosen re-tighten while wheels on a surface rather than hanging) as everything was just replaced again.
2012 R8 GT #275 Suzuka, 2014 RS7 Suzuka/Lunar Silver, 2013 RS5 Suzuka/Lunar Silver
2000 Audi TT Neiman Marcus Edition #47, 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible
Past...03 RS6, 10 S5 Cabriolet, 00 NMTT #25, 94 Audi Cabriolet
I think this is the key here. It sounds like a lot of techs, for whatever reason, aren't taking advantage of this. Either they feel they don't need to look at the video, or are under the time gun and just blindly forge ahead in order to push the car through the shop. And of course this ends up costing even more time when it comes back.
When are the techs given time to study these training videos? If off the clock, then they won't do it unless given incentives. If on the clock, then costs rise as they aren't repairing cars to generate income. I'm guessing the techs don't watch the videos. And for sure not the videos for repairs they might never make on low-production cars they rarely see. That adds up to the problem we are encountering.
03 RS6 Avus, 80 Modena Spyder, 93 Porsche 964 Cab, 11 Toyota Sienna SE, 95 John Deere 345 w/42" snow blower