Air suspension lowering options - OBD11 vs. Suspension Links

[skhan91]

Hi all,

Any feedback or opinions on lowering the adjustable air suspension through OBD11 vs. Suspension Links?

Curious to hear the benefits / cons of both methods

[WhiteDiamond]

I have used the links on other cars with similar set ups. I have never been one to want a huge drop, so the links are a very cheap and very effective route for me. I dropped 1/2"(13mm). That was enough for my desires and the roads around here. Only issue was time. I got access to a 4 post lift for those cars and did a lot of measuring........Once installed, though, never an issue.

[skhan91]

I have used the links on other cars with similar set ups. I have never been one to want a huge drop, so the links are a very cheap and very effective route for me. I dropped 1/2"(13mm). That was enough for my desires and the roads around here. Only issue was time. I got access to a 4 post lift for those cars and did a lot of measuring........Once installed, though, never an issue.

Thanks for the input, was curious thought how come you didnt just lower the car with OBD11 or VCDS? That method doesnt require any hardware and is essentially free given you have access to a VCDS tool

[WhiteDiamond]

For me, it was simply a fact of daily driver and no real interest to invest in additional means of tuning/programming and such.

[RS5ish]

I dropped my S6 1" with links yesterday. Took less than an hour.

[dab]

another option is vagcom I have lowered both my s7 and rs7.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-list-and-help

[THCarpenter]

Thanks for the input, was curious thought how come you didnt just lower the car with OBD11 or VCDS? That method doesnt require any hardware and is essentially free given you have access to a VCDS tool

you have a maximum of 17mm lowering with OBD11 or VCDS options before you run into the physical limits of the headlight leveler.

by replacing the connection with lowering links, you change the geometry and dont run into the issue of ACC or headlight level soft errors where you have to restart the car.


that green leveler arm has an upper and lower limit. When you change the settings to lower with the stock links, it doesnt account for the hard limit upper and lower calibrations, and will give up the code.

if you change out the height of the rod, then you can keep the geometry and not incur the soft faults.

I absolutely hated it when I lost CC before I did the links

[jsilas]

I chose VCDS/OBD11 lowering over links for the simplicity of altering the ride height with software instead of having to get underneath the car each time.

If you're considering options, I'd strongly urge you to look into the CETE module. That's what I have now, and it's excellent in that it is constantly variable using the CETE app, allows greater range of lowering (including a "Show Mode") at the push of a button, and leaves no fault codes.

[Audibellybutton]

I slammed the shit out of mine in vcds. a lil lower than the max recommended lower and its been fine for about 20k miles so far. no sign of issue at all. also adjusts to the different drive modes ie its higher in comfort etc and i can raise it at will. No regrets, of course you can do this with links too but i already had vcds so it was pretty much a free mod

[widebodyfx]

There's a setting in VCDS about headlight leveling when the car is too low, you'll know it's on the low side during start up the headlights don't do the vertical range check.

[Audibellybutton]

There's a setting in VCDS about headlight leveling when the car is too low, you'll know it's on the low side during start up the headlights don't do the vertical range check.

you are probably right about that actually. I have aftermarket headlights on my S6 they dont do the leveling Im having separate issues with those as well. so prob shouldn't lower as much as I did if you have oem headlights.

[hunter_killer]

So if a guy goes 10-15mm lower than factory is it really going to mess with ACC? Aside from Travis mentioning it, I’ve seen a few others say the same problem, but nobody said what the limit is for VCDS in terms of ACC working properly.


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[Alabama]

So if a guy goes 10-15mm lower than factory is it really going to mess with ACC? Aside from Travis mentioning it, I’ve seen a few others say the same problem, but nobody said what the limit is for VCDS in terms of ACC working properly.

The person who authored the AZ document "Audi C7 VCDS Tweaks" wrote "Note that maximum Audi-approved drop is 17mm from what I've gathered." In my experience doing this, I did not run into an "Audi limit", rather I ran into a VCDS limit. VCDS would only accept a maximum change in number; anything above that and I would get an error in VCDS. I set the numbers to the maximum that VCDS would allow and succeeded in lowering the car about 1.5 cm. Since then I have had no issue with ACC or any other system due to the lowering.

[widebodyfx]

I had VCDS lowering plus H&R or Cete module when I noticed the headlight start-up wasn't doing the usual process. ACC, hard for me to provide too much input my old S6 had the RS6 style bumper with the alignment done at Audi afterwards it was still sensitive and disabled sometimes. My RS7 is not that low, my TDI is decently low and neither of them have ever given me fits about ACC but they are thankfully not on OE air.

[hunter_killer]

Sounds good. Thanks guys for the responses. One of tasks tonight was lowering my car some and I have a medium size trip this weekend that I would like to use cruise control on.


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[jsilas]

I'm pretty low via CETE module and I have no issues whatsoever with ACC.

[Audibellybutton]

For what its worth, my ACC works fine as well. I am at about a 20mm drop. may raise it up a bit. although aesthetically I would go lower If i could

[moesho]

What's the code for vcds? It'd removed from all the diys for getting authorization


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[dab]

I have mine lowered a max to 412mm, vcds would not accept anything more. I have since raised it to 400 for winter and it sits at 405 with some rubbing on bumps on the rear in dynamic. Security code is 20103.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-list-and-help

One big change is step 6, set reference level not start up to reference level. All the codes for acc and adaptive headlights clear.

[hunter_killer]

Lowered the car this morning with OBD11. So far no quirks with anything


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[skhan91]

I have mine lowered a max to 412mm, vcds would not accept anything more. I have since raised it to 400 for winter and it sits at 405 with some rubbing on bumps on the rear in dynamic. Security code is 20103.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-list-and-help

One big change is step 6, set reference level not start up to reference level. All the codes for acc and adaptive headlights clear.

Could you elaborate on this? is there a difference? I am seeing various instructions saying it should be "Start up to reference level". Also, in my OBD11 app, I dont even see an option for "Set Reference Level". Only "Start up to reference level" and "Start up to reference level (Production).

- - - Updated - - -

Lowered the car this morning with OBD11. So far no quirks with anything


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Did you use "Set Reference Level" or " Start up to Reference Level" for step 7 here:

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-list-and-help

[hunter_killer]

Could you elaborate on this? is there a difference? I am seeing various instructions saying it should be "Start up to reference level". Also, in my OBD11 app, I dont even see an option for "Set Reference Level". Only "Start up to reference level" and "Start up to reference level (Production).

- - - Updated - - -



Did you use "Set Reference Level" or " Start up to Reference Level" for step 7 here:

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...-list-and-help

I can’t remember what I did so I can’t truly answer your question. I followed ignitiontube’s YT video on using obd11 for lowering the car. I do have to raise mine back up for winter.


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[1BadTundra]

Sorry to resurrect this, but I think I fuct up bad.
I tried to lower my car via OBDeleven today and there was no step for "Delete calibration for level control", so I did the rest of the steps, and it accepted them, but even with the new values, the car isn't any lower.
No I have a yellow icon and message for the air system Malfunction. I cannot clear it. The code is "Level control system", and the small print says "Axle Load Definition Not Performed". Can someone please tell me how to correct this? I dont want to go to the dealer.

[Botbasher]

Sorry to resurrect this, but I think I fuct up bad.

Did you hit the button that said "Reset All Adaptations."? If you did, then yes... you are dealer bound! Several others have done the same and all ended at the dealer. It seems that there is no way to "insert" values with anything other than ODIS.

I've had various suspension faults pop up during adaptations and several of them were when the suspension became loaded between the parking brake and trans brake. I always release the parking brake now, which allows the wheels to move and have had no issues during various adaptations.

Could always try a battery reset and see if the module comes back to normal and resets itself. Always surprises me at the problems that simple tool fixes!

Good Luck with it!

KS