Audi A6 C4 Avant rear suspension.

Newbie Joined: Jan 06, 2014 Posts: 3

Hi new to the forum, I have a 96 audi A6 2.5tdi estate just the normal 2wd version. After giving lots of good service over the last year I have owned it and being totally reliable it has failed its MOT on leaking rear dampers. I have changed the fronts recently and wasn't too bad a job and need some advice on the rear self levelling setup my car has if anyone can help?

Do I need to bypass the self levelling system and fit standard shock absorbers.
Is bypassing the the self levelling system straight forward?
Will new dampers work with the self levelling system?

Hope someone can help as I have searched this forum and the web but cannot find an answer.

Many thanks for reading.

Newbie Joined: Jan 06, 2014 Posts: 3

Got on and did this the other week and posting this info as it may be useful for anybody else in the same situation. I fitted standard dampers to the rear suspension and made up a bit of pipe using some of the old self levelling pipework nuts and a bit of copper tube. This was fitted on the flow and return pipes where they come down from the engine bay to run under the floor. I replaced the hydraulic fluid and everything works fine.

I have the old suspension spheres are these of any use to anybody? My rear shocks were very rusty on the damper part as well as leaking so it may be worth checking if you are still running on the original 18 year old items like mine was.

The brakes feel fine also but I do not know how the biasing system of the rear brakes work and was a bit worried it may be linked somehow to the self levelling system. Does anyone have any info on how the rear brake bias works?

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:07 pm

I suspect that you have ABS fitted which does away with the need for bias valves I think. Certainly mine doesn't have one, but then it doesn't have self levelling suspension either.

Only comment I have on the rear brakes is that there is a aluminium restrictor bush fitted between the rear flexihoses and hardlines. This is an Avant only part for some reason. These rot to nothing and fail without warning. Well worth checking!

There was a spate of failures 2 - 3 years back after the very severe winter (lots of salt presumably) which made them unavailable when I needed them. I used a slightly different hose to fit direct to the hard line without restrictor and all seems to work fine.

Nick