Air Spring Suspension Repair

Many top vehicle manufacturers such as Audi, Bentley, BMW, Land Rover/Range Rover, Mercedes and Porsche use air suspension technology to provide the ultimate in comfort and handling. Air Suspension represents the pinnacle of luxury automotive suspension technology, and as a result requires suspension experts with the latest training and tools to ensure everything is operating correctly and reliably.

However, like any vehicle component, the air suspension is not invulnerable to damage and will eventually require servicing.

Rather than traditional coil springs to suspend the vehicle, your Air Suspension equipped vehicles are supported by rubber cylinders known as “air springs”. The cylinders are filled with air and connected to an air compressor that can change the pressure in real time. Your vehicles’s computer system monitors the ride and road conditions and some systems even alter the pressure in the cylinders to constantly adjust for optimal ride. The air springs may also allow your vehicle to change the handling characteristics for different ride settings, making it more pillowy soft for Comfort Mode or sharper for Sport Mode.

When you park an air suspension equipped vehicle for the evening, it should not get lower overnight. If it looks lower in the morning than it did what you parked it, especially if one corner is lower than the others, that is a sign that something is wrong with the air suspension system. Repairing a problematic suspension system at the first signs of trouble will avoid unnecessary stress on other components of the system. An easy way to monitor if your vehicle is “sagging” overnight, is to simply use non-marking painters tape, and tape from the fender edge to the tire. If the tape is taut in the morning, then the vehicle suspension is not losing air or sagging.

Why Does the Suspension System Fail?

Like any suspension system, conventional or air, components will eventually fail. The most common failure in air suspension systems is the air spring itself. The rubber will eventually dry out and start cracking. When this happens, air will slowly leak and your vehicle will sag overnight – sometimes this only happens to one corner or side, or sometimes it’s all four.

The earlier you notice this problem and get it fixed, the better. Your car may sense the issue and alert you with a warning light on the dashboard, but don’t depend on that automated system. If left unfixed, the spring could blow out altogether. As the air spring is the only thing keeping your vehicle off the ground, a blown spring will cause serious damage to the body of the car and would be dangerous if it happened while you’re driving.

Trust Your Bentley to Tunerworks

The Tunerworks Service Team members are the local experts for your Bentley and its unique technologies. We have the tools and skills necessary to keep your air springs in perfect shape, so bring your car to us if you notice it starting to sag or tilt.