Audi A3 2012 Suspension

2012 Audi A3 2.
0 TDI
SUSPENSION General, Technical Data - Suspension, Wheels, Steering
SUSPENSION
General, Technical Data - Suspension, Wheels, Steering
00 GENERAL, TECHNICAL DATA

GENERAL INFORMATION
WHEELS AND TIRES
General information on wheel/tire combinations, winter tires, snow chain and recommended tire manufacturers,
refer to General Information .
FRONT GAS-FILLED STRUT, VENTING AND EMPTYING
A - Venting through Drill Holes
Fig. 1: Emptying Front Gas-Filled Struts

Courtesy of AUDI OF AMERICA, LLC
-- Secure gas-filled shock absorber vertically in vise, with piston rod facing down.
WARNING: Wear protective goggles while drilling.
domingo, 7 de junio de 2020 09:13:23

09:13:20 p. m. Page 1 © 2011 Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC.
2012 Audi A3 2.0 TDI
-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow A- through the shock absorber outer tube.
NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling.
-- Continue drilling until the tube inside is drilled through (approximately 25 mm deep).
-- Drill a second hole 6 mm -arrow B- through the outer and inner shock absorber tubes.
-- Hold the shock absorber over appropriate container for catching oil and move the piston rod repeatedly
through entire stroke until no more oil flows out.
B - Open with Pipe Cutter
WARNING: Wear protective goggles when drilling or sawing.
-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow- through the shock absorber outer tube or saw through the tube wall.
Fig. 2: Cutting Through Outer Tube Using Pipe Cutter

domingo, 7 de junio de 2020 09:13:20 p. m. Page 2 © 2011 Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC.
NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling or sawing.
-- Attach a pipe cutter (for example 150/3 Stahlwille Express) as shown in illustration, and cut through outer
shock absorber tube.
-- Pull the piston rod upward, hold the inner shock absorber tube in place with pliers and push it downward so
that it remains in the outer shock absorber tube when the piston rod is slowly raised.
-- Remove the piston rod from the shock absorber inner tube.
-- Empty the shock absorber tube.
REAR GAS-FILLED STRUT, VENTING AND EMPTYING
A - Venting through Drill Holes
Fig. 3: Emptying Rear Gas-Filled Struts

-- Secure gas-filled shock absorber vertically in a vise, with piston rod facing down.
-- Continue drilling until the tube inside is drilled through (approximately 25 mm deep).
-- Drill a second hole 6 mm -arrow B- through the outer and inner shock absorber tubes.
-- Hold shock absorber over appropriate container for catching oil and move piston rod repeatedly through
entire stroke until no more oil flows out.
B - Open with Pipe Cutter
WARNING: Wear protective goggles when drilling or sawing.
-- Drill a 3 mm hole through the shock absorber outer tube or saw through the tube wall.
NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling or sawing.
-- Attach a pipe cutter (for example 150/3 Stahlwille Express) as shown in illustration, and cut through outer
shock absorber tube.
Fig. 4: Cutting Through Outer Tube Using Pipe Cutter

-- Pull the piston rod upward, hold the inner shock absorber tube in place with pliers and push it downward so
that it remains in the outer shock absorber tube when the piston rod is slowly raised.
-- Remove the piston rod from the shock absorber inner tube.
-- Empty the shock absorber tube.
AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER, VENTING AND EMPTYING
-- Clamp magnetic ride shock absorber vertically in a vise.
Fig. 5: Audi Magnetic Ride Front Shock Absorber

-- Drill a second hole 6 mm -arrow B- through the shock absorber outer tube.
-- Hold shock absorber over appropriate container for catching oil and move piston rod repeatedly through the
AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER, VENTING AND EMPTYING
-- Clamp magnetic ride shock absorber vertically in vise with piston rod facing down.
Fig. 6: Audi Magnetic Ride Rear Shock Absorber

-- Drill a second hole 6 mm -arrow B- through the shock absorber outer tube.
-- Hold shock absorber over appropriate container for catching oil and move piston rod repeatedly through
SHOCK ABSORBERS, LEAKING
Shock absorbers are frequently rejected and exchanged because of leaks. Examinations on the test stand and on
the vehicle have shown that the replacement of a large number of rejected shock absorbers was not justified.
Slight leaking of oil ("sweating") at piston rod seal is no reason to replace a shock absorber. A shock absorber
damp with oil is OK under the following circumstances:
l Oil leak (shown screened in illustration) is visible, but dull, matte and possibly dry from dust
Fig. 7: Identifying Fluid Seepage

l Oil excretion extends from the upper shock absorber connection (piston rod oil seal) no further than lower
spring plate -arrow-
SPECIFICATIONS
CHASSIS
Front and All Wheel Drive
McPherson struts with lower transverse link subframe stabilizer

Front Suspension
bar
Four-link suspension with separate spring-shock absorber
Rear Suspension
configuration tubular stabilizer
Wheelbase mm 2577
Front/rear track width (1) mm 1535 / 1507
(1) Front/rear track width, applies only to 205/55/R16 tires on 6xJ16 ET50 rims.
STEERING
Front and All Wheel Drive

Electromechanically assisted, maintenance-free rack-and-
Steering Gear
pinion steering
Maximum steering lock angle on inside
Audi A3: 41° 6'
wheel
Turning diameter Approximately 10.7 meters
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING
SHOCK ABSORBERS, REMOVED, CHECKING
Defective shock absorbers are noticeable when driving due to loud rumbling noises - a result of wheel hopping -
especially on poor stretches of road. Moreover, they can be recognized by a large loss of oil.
NOTE: Shock absorbers are maintenance-free, shock absorber oil cannot be topped
off.
A removed shock absorber can be checked by hand as follows:
-- Press shock absorber together by hand.
l Piston rods must move smoothly and with uniform difficulty over the entire range
-- Release piston rods.
l On shock absorbers with sufficient gas pressure, piston rods return to initial position by themselves.
NOTE: If this is not the case, shock absorber must be replaced. As long as oil loss is
not large, the effectiveness represents that of a conventional shock absorber.
The damping function is also completely available without gas pressure, as

long as there is no large loss of oil. However, noise may increase.
SHOCK ABSORBERS, CHECKING ON SHOCK TESTER
Shock absorbers can be checked while installed using the shock tester (shock absorber testing device). The
damping effect can be evaluated based on the dial reading or print-out.
Special tools and workshop equipment required
l Boge Shock Tester or

l Sachs Shock Tester V.A.G 1975 or
l Maha Shock Absorber Tester VAS 1990
NOTE: Temperature +10 to +40 °C.
Driver in vehicle.
The vehicle is stationary.
Tire pressure OK
Drive vehicle straight onto center of wheel contact plates.
Front wheels in straight position.
Parking not engaged, foot brake not activated.
The ignition is switched on.
On vehicles with Audi Magnetic Ride (AMR) - electronically controlled damping,

test mode is active.
Activating Test Mode for Audi Magnetic Ride (AMR) - Electronically Controlled Damping
-- Press the damping adjustment button -E387-: AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE (AMR) - ELECTRONICALLY-
CONTROLLED DAMPING OVERVIEW inside the center console or instrument panel for 5 seconds. The
indicator lamp inside the damping adjustment button will start blinking to confirm that the test mode is working.
-- To stop the test mode, either press the damping adjustment button, turn the ignition on or off or drive the
vehicle at 10 km/h.
Threshold
Shock absorber condition can only be judged as follows:
l Sufficient damping effect
or
l Insufficient damping effect
NOTE: Intermediate values for reduced damping performance cannot be read out.
A prognosis on service life is not permitted.
Measured values that occur with the involvement of the suspension travel end
stops are incorrect.
The following values apply only to the test stands named above. If the specified values are exceeded, the shock
absorber action has weakened enough that a replacement is recommended.
Example:
Fig. 8: Damping Effect Measurement

Threshold = 70
l -a- = greater than 70: Insufficient damping effect

l -a- = less than 70: Sufficient damping effect
Threshold -a- in mm
NOTE: If the readout value is greater than the limit value -a- (table value) : Damping
effect insufficient --> Replace shock absorber.
If the readout value is less than the limit value -a- (table value) : Damping effect
sufficient --> Shock absorber does not need to be replaced.
FWD
Damping Effect
Front Suspension
Insufficient Sufficient
Standard suspension a = greater than 60 a = less than 60
Sport suspension a = greater than 42 a = less than 42
Heavy duty suspension a = greater than 48 a = less than 48
Damping Effect
Rear Suspension
AWD
Damping Effect
Front Suspension
Damping Effect
Rear Suspension
Audi S3, RS 3
Damping Effect
Front axle a = greater than 49 a = less than 49
Rear axle a = greater than 50 a = less than 50
Vehicles with Audi Magnetic Ride (AMR) - Electronically-Controlled Damping
NOTE: These values only apply when test mode is on. Refer to SHOCK ABSORBERS,
CHECKING ON SHOCK TESTER. The indicator lamp in the dampening
adjustment button blinks to indicate when test mode is active. Refer to
"Damping Adjustment Button -E387-" under AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE (AMR) -
ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED DAMPING OVERVIEW .
Damping Effect
Front Suspension
Damping Effect
Rear Suspension
Audi S3 with Audi magnetic ride (AMR) - electronic damping
NOTE: These values only apply when test mode is on. Refer to SHOCK ABSORBERS,
CHECKING ON SHOCK TESTER. The indicator lamp in the dampening
adjustment button -E387- blinks to indicate when test mode is active. Refer to
"Damping Adjustment Button -E387-" under AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE (AMR) -
ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED DAMPING OVERVIEW .
Damping Effect
Front Suspension a = greater than 50 a = less than 50
Rear Suspension a = greater than 50 a = less than 50

Audi A3 2012 Suspension

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2012 Audi A3 2.

General, Technical Data - Suspension, Wheels, Steering

00 GENERAL, TECHNICAL DATA

WHEELS AND TIRES

FRONT GAS-FILLED STRUT, VENTING AND EMPTYING

A - Venting through Drill Holes

Fig. 1: Emptying Front Gas-Filled Struts

WARNING: Wear protective goggles while drilling.

domingo, 7 de junio de 2020 09:13:23

-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow A- through the shock absorber outer tube.

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling.

B - Open with Pipe Cutter

WARNING: Wear protective goggles when drilling or sawing.

Fig. 2: Cutting Through Outer Tube Using Pipe Cutter

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling or sawing.

-- Empty the shock absorber tube.

REAR GAS-FILLED STRUT, VENTING AND EMPTYING

A - Venting through Drill Holes

Fig. 3: Emptying Rear Gas-Filled Struts

WARNING: Wear protective goggles while drilling.

-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow A- through the shock absorber outer tube.

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling.

B - Open with Pipe Cutter

WARNING: Wear protective goggles when drilling or sawing.

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling or sawing.

Fig. 4: Cutting Through Outer Tube Using Pipe Cutter

-- Empty the shock absorber tube.

AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER, VENTING AND EMPTYING

-- Clamp magnetic ride shock absorber vertically in a vise.

Fig. 5: Audi Magnetic Ride Front Shock Absorber

WARNING: Wear protective goggles while drilling.

-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow A- through the shock absorber outer tube.

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling.

AUDI MAGNETIC RIDE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER, VENTING AND EMPTYING

Fig. 6: Audi Magnetic Ride Rear Shock Absorber

WARNING: Wear protective goggles while drilling.

-- Drill a 3 mm hole -arrow A- through the shock absorber outer tube.

NOTE: Gas escapes when drilling.

SHOCK ABSORBERS, LEAKING

Fig. 7: Identifying Fluid Seepage

Front and All Wheel Drive

McPherson struts with lower transverse link subframe stabilizer

Front and All Wheel Drive

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING

SHOCK ABSORBERS, REMOVED, CHECKING

A removed shock absorber can be checked by hand as follows:

-- Press shock absorber together by hand.

-- Release piston rods.

The damping function is also completely available without gas pressure, as

SHOCK ABSORBERS, CHECKING ON SHOCK TESTER

Special tools and workshop equipment required

l Boge Shock Tester or

NOTE: Temperature +10 to +40 °C.

The vehicle is stationary.

Drive vehicle straight onto center of wheel contact plates.

Front wheels in straight position.

Parking not engaged, foot brake not activated.

The ignition is switched on.

On vehicles with Audi Magnetic Ride (AMR) - electronically controlled damping,

Shock absorber condition can only be judged as follows:

l Sufficient damping effect

l Insufficient damping effect

A prognosis on service life is not permitted.