Allroad air compressor

[Nathan Barnes]

How easy is it to change the compressor on an 02 Allroad?

My compressor starts up every 60 seconds or so, and is making a very noticeable noise even inside the car. I'm guessing its on its way out and is having difficulty building up pressure???

The suspension will reach all 3 levels, no problem although it takes longer than it used to in the past.

I've seen "repair kits" on fleabay - doers anyone have any experience of these or is it a complete unit swap?

Is there anything that should be done before I start (like putting it into jack mode, etc)?

Thanks in advance

 

[wesmaster]

Check for leaks on the springs, most common problem, causing compressor to cut in too often, You can get spring repair kits from TPS for about £50, but order new suspension arm bolts as well. I have a repair instruction manual for the compressor somewhere. I would just get a new comp, after checking for leaks.

 

[Alski2009]

Sorry Wesmaster, but Nathan, you don't need the rebuild kits to repair your air spring. If you plan to refresh your suspension, then yes, you'll need the bolts and O-rings. If it's a small leak (not a full on tear) then a can of Tyre-Weld (much better than tyre Slime) may keep you going for a bit, but you'll need to find the cash for atleast 1 Arnott soon.

I bought 2 front rebuild kits from Audi last year thinking the big O-ring would fit Arnott's. Nope. Doesn't fit. All you get in the kit is a new upper rubber mount that fits in the alluminium housing (that bolts to up to the car in the suspension turret), a new collar, a new nut, 6 TXN bolts, a big O-ring that only fits the OEM air spring and the smaller O-ring that fits on the shoulder of the dampener. On a personal note - if anyone can tell me the specification/size of the big rubber O-ring on the Arnotts i will buy them a beer. Unfortunately i need to dismantle the lot to check before i can order replacement Viton (not nitrile) O-rings.

There are loads of very good informative posts on the internet detailing how to take the lot apart. Be very careful when squirting Tyre Slime into the air spring (confined space). Maybe practice squirting a bit into a bag or something to get a feel for it. I got a face full of the nasty stuff.

Question. Why spend £300 on a used compressor? My compressor took a hammering inflating the split air bladders for over 1 month. Level 1-4 takes several minutes now. It's noisy and i'm sure the thermal overload is frequently cutting in. There's a post on VWAudiForum - Allroad Air Suspension Compressor strip & repair, you can buy a reconditioning kit from BagPipingAndy (sp?) that will exceed the performance of the original compressor. I bought one the other day for £35. I just need some time to fit it. I definitely need to do it before Winter. I hate being left stranded at the side of the road.

** I do not know Andy. Never met him. Seems like stand-up guy working out of his shed keeping us in parts and our allroads going. "Allegedly" Audi knew the design of the compressor was crap, but the allroad platform made them so much money it made no sense to fix it. **