Allroad air suspension compressor

[Buckinghamshire Allroader]

My air suspension seems to take ages to rise up and I am guessing that the compressor is failing. I see there are several companies offering compressor piston ring kits and I think I am probably competent enough to have a go. However, all the how-to videos seem to relate to the C5 not the C6 and I am wondering whether there's a difference that should make me pause before having a go? I've noticed that just forward of the spare wheel cover is a black plastic cover, which I removed thinking that the compressor might be accessible from above as opposed to from beneath the car as with the C5. What is that oblong cylinder? Is the compressor accessible beneath it? All help gratefully received.

Alan

 

[Sverige]

I've just done this on my 2007 Allroad. It is different to the C5 and as you said, I couldn't find any good how-to's.

I used bagpipingandy's kit and found him to be helpful with answers to my newbie questions via eBay messaging. On the C6/4F allroad the compressor is up front under the headlamp on the driver's side (UK car) or passenger side for LHD cars.

Get the car on jackstands, Drop the undertray off, find the compressor at the front corner and disconnect air supply, solenoid wiring and main power feed. No easy way to unplug the main power that I could find, so I cut the wires then overlapped the strands and soldered them back later with a nice big soldering iron.

Squeeze the jubilee clip and Disconnect air exhaust pipe, now you can unscrew the nuts and demount the compressor. Bagpipingandy has on his website that you can refurb the compressor without removing from the car on a C6 and it's a ten minute job. He must've been on crack that day because there's no chance. Probably he's never encountered a C6 compressor installation in person.

Once off the car it's as easy as shown in the YouTube vids, although I managed to snap a bolt and had to go to a machine repair shop to get it drilled out and tapped. It's worth doing sooner rather than later as the piston liners can wear if you leave it too long. After replacing the piston ring my car is good as new and will rise up to lift mode super quick. A very worthwhile repair and so cheap at £25ish it should be a no brainer.