Good morning @tteplitzmd ,
Here are some videos from Louis over on Audiworld, the first video you can see the bottom of the strut leaking around the 4 minute mark, the second video shows the top leaking around the 3 minute mark.

The only difference here is the Bentley has the compressor and valve block at the rear of the vehicle, versus the front for the Audi A8L.

Johnny

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Great videos.
Is the "airbag" the same as the strut? I notice Aerous is selling only the airbag for 2013 GTC.

 

@tteplitzmd ,
The air bag/bladder and the hydraulic strut are the two pieces that make up the unit, the air bladder and or o-rings fail and cause the air leakage as shown in another one of Louis' videos.

Being that your vehicle has only 17,000 mile, your struts themselves should be like new, and you just need the air bladder portion of the assembly as you saw on Aerous.

I will add, I would not cut the wire like Louis did, I would remove the wires/pins from the electrical plug connector.

Johnny

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care to share what problems you have had every 4 months?

 

Off topic, but twice the convertible top wouldn't fully open.
Trunk latch opened spontaneously.
Oxygen sensor bank 1 went
windshield washer line needed replacement, washer wouldn't work
front wishbone links replaced at 15,000 miles
new batteries (the original batteries worked until late 2021, so I can't count that)

So 6 issues in less than 24 months (not county the batteries).

 

I left out a stuck side view mirror which wouldn't open from the retracted position. The dealer
tech advised to just force it open, as they get "stuck" sometimes. Fortunately that worked.
He also said unfortunately you do have to remove the door panel to replace the motor if that
went bad (it didn't).

 

Just to clarify, if I am in jack mode at high level, and I get some drop after a few days of no use still in that position, it would suggest the air coils
may have a slow leak?

 

@tteplitzmd ,
Yes, you have a leak, it could be the air bladders, strut o-rings, line/s, line o-rings, residual valve o-rings, air inlet mounting piece (brass) flat washer seal, or the valve block has a leak/s..

Because you have it in jack mode and lift, nothing is operational, therefore only the corner leaking should drop, if both fronts are dropping, you have a leak at both, be it, a line, an o-ring at either end of the line, the residual valve o-ring at each strut, or the valve block, or the struts themselves leaking because of worn bladder, or o-rings on the strut body as shown in the videos.

Just for testing of droppage, I left the Audi A8L W12 in lift mode and jack mode since I posted about it on the 17th, it is still in that setting right now, it has not dropped one bit, I can't even see a 32nd of an inch difference, the Bentley GT sat from Monday morning at 7AM until 9AM today (Friday) in lift and jack mode, and she did not drop at all either, and I had 49° overnight this morning.

Spray all these areas with soapy water, BUT, remember to jack the vehicle, or support the vehicle weight to place the load on the suspension, otherwise, if the suspension is just hanging, you will not find the leaks.


Johnny

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Thank you.