Audi From HELL...DEALER STUMPED!! (Part 3 - Air Suspension VICTORY?) 

Always pay with a credit card, that way you can file a dispute and use the very legitimate grounds that you were charged for services not rendered

“Audi from hell” Isn’t that pretty much all of them?

It would've been interesting to see what VCDS would've said about the old module.

Something to make note of: in Mercedes, when the scan tool is connected and in the Chassis system menus, the Air Suspension controls in the car are disabled. ONLY the scan tool will operate the Air Suspension in that situation. At least this Audi the Air Suspension module is accessible, unlike some Mercedes - under the front floorboards LOL. Dont worry too much about the Ride Height Deviations, just drive the car, park it & lock it, wait an hour and then start and drive it again. It should constantly self-level depending what weight is in the car, as long as the Height Sensors are working. Solenoids in the Air STRUTS - as soon as one of those is malfunctioning, the Air Ride control system will default to one mode, and the Mode controls will be disabled. In Mercedes Airmatic, it defaults to "Sport" mode and will level the vehicle automatically, but all other user input functions will be disabled. I would bet that either the valve block is damaged or a strut solenoid is damaged, unfortunately IDK what solenoid that Error code refers to. Compressor overheat - there is a leak somewhere, or a pressure sensor either at the valve block or air strut/spring is malfunctioning. Maybe the Compressor relay is sticking too. Leaks - check Air reservoir tank, air line, air spring bag or fitting, air valve block distributor, or compressor itself. Raise the car as high as you can, check the Air spring bags for damage (usually right where the bag folds over on itself - BE CAREFUL I had one explode on me. Soapy water test, monitor the Air Suspension component pressures with scan tool, or park it overnight and watch which corner or part of the car drops. If just one corner drops, you got lucky LOL, just check that one corner. If the whole car drops more than 1/2 inch, its a different problem. Stay gold.

Ivan, you are the best diagnostic and mechanic on RU-vid by a country mile, and I have watched a few. BTW. No shame in upping your fees similar to what Audi/VW charge, at least you offer a diagnostic guarantee (as well as integrity, honesty and competence).

My grand daughter has mentioned that she wants a used Audi for graduation, after watching 3 segments of this Audi saga I am going to have to tell my daughter to kill that idea.

Air suspension is a never ending headache on passenger vehicles. Went through this with a Range Rover. It costs tons of money to diagnose and replace parts. Just retrofit coil springs back in and buy the dongle that tricks the ECU into thinking there is normal operation. Coils ride pretty much the same.

Interesting series, waiting for Part 4. The lesson learned here may be is that it might be better walking away from some vehicles!

VCDS and Ross Tech are a great resource. Its a different learning curve but the depth of the tool is unbelievable

When an OEM makes those parts obsolete, they should(maybe be required) to release the design drawings, code with memory locations. Copyrights do expire after a while. It is ridiculous that they can just thumb their noses up and say "screw you" to those that need that information to fix things. There are plenty of us that can and will get down into the weeds of the electronics if we have the information. Reverse engineering things can be done but a crazy cost of time. Frustrating.

This car has traveled very far from the gates of Hell to your garage! Your stamina and determination are admirable. Now you still have to haggle with the devil's desciples at the dealership! BTW those guys are despicable! Guess who we're rooting for!

i see a banned from your local audi dealer in your near future😂

Strutmaster makes a kit to install regular struts for this car. Ive done a few on other makes. No tech deserves this type of torture!

VCDS is a must own for any VW group vehicle owner, its only about a third of the cost for a non commercial user. the only thing I have run into that it has not done for me is programing the imobilizer rfid chips in keys, for that you need VAG Tacho.

22:02 Hi Ivan, yes you can do graphics, in right bottom corner of window VCDS!

Ivan, you have the attitude and determination to make a difference. Keep grinding away; this experience can't be had any other way.

There is nothing wrong with luxury euro cars - as long as you purchase them with lifetime of IVAN ( Import Vehicle Assistance Network )

well done ivan dealer should be accountable for false diagnosis i see this alot with dearlers

Not just this brand, the overcomplexity of current vehicles is truly mind boggling. Combine that with planned obscelesence of parts, what a *hitshow they are.

I like simple cars. You see the reason here.

Admire your bulldog determination to find problems!! You be the man!!!!

Oh NO!!! Ivan bought the tool and now will be inundated with Audi work from all across the country.

Delighted you invested in vcds. Have had Volkswagens for the last 10 yrs and still learning about vcds. Great tool but so much to learn, Hopefully you will show more so I can increase my knowledge. Thanks for sharing.

This car is putting your skills to the test and trying your patience!

Ivan, your understanding of computer theory and logic are impressive. Your resourcefulness, perseverance and willingness to invest time and money to learn more are commendable. Salute to you and looking forward to a successful conclusion. Cheers from Tokyo.

Ivan, cut further losses and, likely for the first time ever, admit defeat. Ship this thing back to the owner, eat a majority of the costs and time associated with your efforts and chalk it up to an "education" and lesson regarding some cars you just have to say NO to. Even great armies of history had to retreat or even surrender when faced with overwhelming odds. It is not shameful, it is actually the intelligent thing to do in certain situations. This entire experience is probably the best example of "going down a rabbit hole" as I have ever experienced.

I would say, dealership from hell! Ripoff invoice, unconnected compressor, wrong diagnostic... The car didn't help either (that compressor temperature was not far from melting or burning internally), and you may have faulty sensors too. With every new weird case, you amaze me, Ivan! Your persistence and cool head when everything is going crazy. And the investments made, show just how determined you are! Hats off! Very curious to see how this ends - on to Part 4!

Dealers don't care if they are WRONG!! Not fake news😊😊 That's why I would travel two days to PHAD. Great job Ivan 👍

Time for the amazon conversion kit.

I im remember right, need to check, but. Compressor shut off at 16.5 bar. And turns ob uder 13.5bar For older software on one data pid it shows reservar pressure and system pressure. If it cant build up 16.5bar you have leak. Vjen you low car and one of corner is up or not low, maybe you have stick mehanick valve in suspension balloon. Sorry for my english.

Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. Somewhere at a Walmart there is an Audi missing its air ride module.😂😂

You're long overdue for VCDS. Thanks Ivan!

Seems like an A.bsolutely U.nreasonable D.ealership I.nvoice 😂

This adjustable suspension is vital; some of those Target parking lots can be pretty bumpy! How many people EVER need adjustable suspension? Absolute (very expensive) Horse Feathers!

No air suspension for me. I had a 95 Mark VIII Lincoln that had air suspension and in 11 years and 113k miles I had no trouble with it but failures of the bags were so common that an aftermarket company supplied coil springs to eliminate the air bags when they failed.

That compressor sounds like one of those 30$ ones you buy at an auto parts store.

Very Good Ivan. I see the compressor temp getting pretty high. I see a compressor rebuild in its future. Bagpiping Andy's kits are pretty good and cheap. Did mine on my A8 and it works great

I was shopping for used Audi cars about a 18 years ago when it was time to move on from a year 2000 BMW that was eroding my wallet with self-destructing window regulators and a bad sunroof, amongst other tribulations. Luckily I came to my senses and got a new Acura instead. That Acura is still with me and the only problem has been the Bluetooth Hands Free Link going out. I dodged a bullet for sure. My Acura was built in America with Japanese engineering. Totally happy with it.

the oem diag procedures is a joke…. slight green on a connector ? change harness!! I guess theyve never heard of deoxit! I truly respect how much youll go threw before changing a module, its sad how many computers get changed with next to no diagnostics done!

Wow, Ivan, I don’t know how you keep your sanity working on these crazy problems! Much respect!

AUDI: Automobiles Unendingly Destroying Itself 😂🤦🏻‍♂️😂

These complex Audis give me new car PTSD. Makes me miss my '91 Civic hatchback.

Ivan, I know pitbulls that would let go of a pork chop quicker. Your tenacity is off the charts. Kudos, sir, for what you do. You should be so proud of yourself. I realize that your skills are the result of many years of hard work and studying.

You continue to amaze me. I hope you are charging the customers appropriately for this outstanding work.

Nice video Ivan, you're so right, dealers and the manufacturer, they really do rip people off with the cars now.

Ivan, your all in on this job. With that said, if anybody is going to fix it it's gonna be you.

Ivan, I have so much respect for your capabilities and skill level. This, however, is one project that, instead of walking away from at the start, I'm convinced you should have run like hell. You're still an automotive diagnostics rock star in my book.

Surprises me there is no second hand module available in Europe. You would expect these to be available there, even in the home country of Audi, Germany.

After the conclusion on this one, I'm giving my Astro a giant hug!

Allways a thumbs up. The Carnut just had a great video on the business models of the different car maufacturing corporations. The germans are a group that has leading edge technology but, unproven long term. Best to let these go after the warranty expires unless...you have a relationship with Ivan.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Round 4! Ivans got it on the ropes! Going in for the knock out punch! Lets Gooooooo!

Alibaba!!!??? Hoo boy! I have never wanted to see something fixed so bad!

I applaud you, sir. Bravo.

Lack of replacement parts for older complex vehicles is a major issue. Ivan, you need to franchise your service model with hand picked technicians. The demand will keep getting greater for your kind of help.

One good thing about these luxury ET’s, they often make for some valuable lessons. Conclusion later this afternoon on the big screen in my sanctuary. (garage/conspiratorium) Have a great day Ivan. 👍👍🇺🇸

This series has given me nightmares!

As Scotty says, these cars are money pits.

It’s nice to know that the technology has surpassed the skill level of the dealer technicians at all levels. Way to go Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc!

My 2012 crv has one suspension mode. Dependable mode...get you from here to there and back mode.

Ivan I applaude your long lasting perseverance with this suspension issue. I thought I was one of a few of those that never gave up but you,,,,,,,,,, I know you went away and had some serious revisionary thought processes on this for a few nights.

You are relentless and I just started watching. can't believe you didn't give up yet.

Thanks Ivan. From your channel and 2-3 more subscribed/trusted automotive channels, it's a very helpful demonstration of what vehicles to avoid at all costs. You are worth every penny of whatever your charges might be.

I have same problem with a BMW ,the silica in the compressor was full of water ,that was the cause of overheating and low ride.

What a battle from hell amazing Glad you are going the distance great video 🗣🎓🅰️

Wow what a bear of a case study. That thing is determined to be broken, as are most Audi products. Luxury at the cost of reliability and deep pockets.

You are amazing, dude! It blows me away that you can be so handicapped by terrible designs and software, crippled by cryptic descriptions and inadequate translations, and yet make any progress at all diagnosing an issue! Seems so weird that deviations are measured in inches, yet ride heights are in millimeters! And what if the floor isn't level or tires not all at same pressure????? Discipline, man! You have great discipline to force your self to endure working on that stuff! Mind blown! I can't even understand what the scan tool means, and I've noticed that you sail right thru and don't even mention the crappy wording!

Wife had better keep her day job if you're going to be a VW/Audi specialist. Tenacity is the quality you posess!

No doubt you would get it , but think about all that work for a stupid air suspension in which the owner only probably drives in one mode that being the comfort mode .Convert it & throw regular shock on it and call it day.

This is a GREAT series. There are no words to communicate my utmost respect for your perseverance, Mr PHAD. YOU SIR, ARE A PITBUL 👍.

Best educational video ever!!! Ivan you're the best❤

Kudos Ivan way to persevere! Technology is great.. when it works! I always thought the worst automotive technology idea ever was the useless start/stop feature on modern cars.. until I watched this Audi video series! 😅

I’ve worked with many variants of these systems in the VAG group…had various issues like stuck open relays, valve body failures, strut body leaks and yes compressor failures…it could be fighting a problem with the deviations constantly changing etc. You’ve got this Ivan! Hahah

You can get a tool to copy the flash and EEPROM off the junkyard one and flash it to the original to see if it works with the files off the junkyard box. I learn so much from this channel. Thanks again Ivan. Being in computer technology and electronics, I understand every procedure and it helps me pick a plan of attack to help get my customers back on the road quickly and efficiently. The shops around here wont touch imports or anything newer. They send them off to the dealer and most of the time people get tired of their problems and trade it in for another one.

What a pain ! Even if the air suspension system is in perfect working order the programing is ridiculously insane !

I think I was most impressed that you were able to acquire unobtanium. LOL. And it was pretty much plug and play? That's practically unheard of for Audi. But man, we are getting closer. And for the record, those compressors won't last very long when they keep cycling on. They don't have any lubrication and are partially made of plastic. The heat just destroys them.

Man the thing is going crazy!! Good thing that i have spring suspension on my Q7 Hopefully you will fix the thing !!

Ah for the good old days when you just had to deal with air-shocks.

Well done Ivan great work

NO CALIBRATION Audi 7 alive 😂

Great work so far Ivan!

Just watching this makes my head spin. I need to be recalibrated!!! 😂

I hated working on navigator air suspension. Was really hard and touchy to calibrate and save. I feel your pain

Curious to know if you now went to replace module and used the old module as the replacement, if it would save the values from the new module to the old module. You could possibly have two working units.

part from China win, never say never

This makes me want to buy a Audi Q7. So much fun.

Audi seat position module/sensor code set. Driver and/or passenger not sitting in center of seat or not sitting straight up with good posture. Audi paint integrity module/sensor code set. Owner or current user hasn't washed car within 7 days (Paint has soil residue present). Audi steering wheel grip module/sensor code set. Driver or operator hand position not correct (only using one hand to drive). This code is set once vehicle speed exceeds 2 mph. Audi dealer service financial health module/monitor code set. Visit to authorized Audi dealer has not occurred within 30 days or payment not made. Enter your credit card information to eliminate this code.

That’s some security 😂

For TPMS, try following directions on the instrument cluster. Check tire pressures, and reset tpms in either the onboard computer screen (MMI), or a reset button in the glove box. Excellent diagnostic for the ride height and charging system.

You have the patience of Job. I would have driven that thing off a cliff by now. With me in it. 🙂

As we move into the future we are going lose our cars to obsolescence and have to rely on second hand parts, I remember the Cadillac suspension The only way to fix that now is to put standard shocks on it and it's not going to get any better...aka magnetic ride control from GM 1k per shock if you can find them

Old Audi adage says, 'winners never quit and quitters never win'. Just spend more money as often as necessary to resolve error codes and be patient when another appears shortly after.

i think the solenoid is the valve block witch you can get seperate from the pump and i think it has a plug on it, but now you have got some pressure in the system squirt some soapy water around all the pipes

The compressor goes to 230°C till shut-down. Level sensors should behave similar to each other. Slight mechanical deviation will trigger codes, so make sure the connection links on sensors are in similar tolerances. System works very well until those plastic things get messed up.

What a cluster f of a car!

Good job Iven

I wonder what would have happened if you let the dealer repair per their diagnosis.

"old fashioned spring suspension" on a car, it makes too much sense!!!!!

16:26 There's making a point because you're proud and then there's making a point because the universe selected you and you're stuck with it. LOL

Thank goodness for China. They make some pretty great stuff.

You should advise the customer to buy another Audi like that one and then throw them both away(*_*)