Dynamic Ride Control...AGAIN

[karl]

Sorry to bring this one up but check this out.

I was lucky enough to purchase a B7 RS4 with 17K on the clock (registered Jan 2007) on 20th Dec 2008 from Newbury Audi. As part of their 'used/approved' programme, the car got a 'multi-point check' and I got a copy of the report with everything ticked as being OK. I even asked the salesman about DRC and that I had concerns - this was at the test drive stage and he denied all knowledge of DRC ever being a problem!!

Now, just 13 days later, I had it booked in to my local dealer to fix a misfitted trim issue but asked them to check the suspension as well, knowing that DRC can be an issue. I asked if I could have a look under it whilst it was on the ramps and I looked at it with the service technician. Result? The LH front shock was plastered in hydraulic fluid, the front right was leaking and well on it's way.

Now you can't tell me that this has suddenly occurred inbetween me buying the car and now - I've only put about 400mls on it! It was clearly leaking when the 'multi-point check' was done, so they either ignored it and ticked it as OK or sat down and ticked everything as OK in an office somewhere without even looking at the car!

It bloody pee's me off! All this BS about Used/Approved it seems is a load of flannel. My local dealer has ordered all the bits needed and I've got the car booked in for later this month, fortunately it's all under warranty for now.

I've emailed the dealer I bought the car from demanding an explanation and I've also written to VAG UK, requesting that the multi-point check be repeated at my local dealer.

What a bloody sham!

[rs4v8]

Hmm, sorry to hear that, no good. could be worse though if you had to pay for it yourself.
Still, very disappointing when your new toy goes wrong, spoils the whole thing somewhat. Good idea to ask them to check the car again.

You'll hear diddly-squat from VAG C.S. in my experience though

Hope you manage to get some joy from them.

[karl]

[quote="rs4v8"]Hmm, sorry to hear that, no good. could be worse though if you had to pay for it yourself.
Still, very disappointing when your new toy goes wrong, spoils the whole thing somewhat.

YouHave you had DRC issues on your car?

[rs4v8]

No but a couple of other issues from brand new. Letters and phone calls to VAG and the dealership went unanswered. Gave up in the end to be honest. Gremlins were fixed eventually under warranty but the whole experience was a chore - to the point where I honestly don't think I'll be having another Audi. The car's great now, just the customer service has put me off. Having spent 52k on a quality product I expected more.
My car was just in for a service and the seals are "weeping", this is normal apparently. What you describe sounds far in excess of weeping!
A search for DRC on here will come up trumps. Several others on here seem to have managed to extract some blood from Audi's stone with regs the DRC and even extended warranty for the shocks.

[APM]

All rs4 b7 have an extended warranty on the suspension and all dealers now know about this extended warranty.

[chrissyr32]

[quote="rs4v8"]
My car was just in for a service and the seals are "weeping", this is normal apparently. What you describe sounds far in excess of weeping!



I aint no mechanic! nor to i profess to be BUT how can they expect us to believe "oil weeping" is normal? Bollocks!! How can oil that has the potential to get onto other parts e.g-brake discs,tyres etc be deemed normal?

In other words" lets fob the customer off with any old <beep>" as long as it dont cost us anything!!"
I,d like to know what different dealers had to say about weeping seals, if one dealer agrees they require replacement etc, how can another say its normal?

[rs4v8]

You are right of course, I am a little sceptical about the issue and Audi customer service, especially when I read on here a) how much the shocks cost to replace and b) how much the tool costs the dealership to fit the blighters and charge the system.

However, fortuntely for me, my car doesn't clunk, thump, bang or leave its vital fluids on the driveway (yet!) and it still handles as good as ever so not too concerned. Will be checking visually myself regularly though.

In Audi's defence, the pressures in the DRC are really quite high and any exposure to bumps, pot holes etc which are all too common in the UK will raise the pressure in the system further, albeit fleetingly. Pretty much any high pressure seal will pass a little over time. In other words I do believe that a small amount of weeping is normal.

It would be very interesting to run a poll which could identify if there's such a problem with the DRC in countries with decent roads.

[karl]

[quote="rs4v8"]You are right of course, I am a little sceptical about the issue and Audi customer service, especially when I read on here a) how much the shocks cost to replace and b) how much the tool costs the dealership to fit the blighters and charge the system.

However, fortuntely for me, my car doesnYes but surely, when you design such a system, you have to take into account that it could be used all over the world and that means the best roads down to the worst. Surely you don't design a system to fail or to 'weep' do you.

[rs4v8]

Not disagreeing with you! and no I wouldn't!

[HYFR]

audi dealers are a bunch of cowboys. I had same thing, albeit not DRC. Bought my RS 6 from Docklands Audi, tyre pressure monitors were turned off. Turned em on and guess what ? all four knackered, so i take it into Chingford Audi and they tell both front CV boots are split & CD changer is knackered, this 1 week after picking it up from Dockland. . . multi point check my arse.
Its all so they can claim under warranty and not have to sacrifice their profit margin
to hell with customer service
this is why I will NEVER EVER EVER pay a penny for any service item from Audi ever in my life, and will ALWAYS advice people to avoid Audi at all costs. Great cars, <beep> CS and as for DRC ? The mind boggles why they a. made this piece of unreliable crap for the RS 6 and b. put it on the RS 4

[lengster1]

Are you sure that all RS4s have extended warranty on DRC my local dealer are not aware of this.I have to say my MOT man wouldnt see weeping dampers as OK at mot time,With this level of failure im very suprised they arent looking at improving the DRC units rather than just replacing them

[sonny]

I always end up getting int a "heated debate" when ever im at my local Audi Dealership, I once, refused to take my car of the forecourt once, they out the RS4 badge on the front grill in the wrong place), bloody pissed me off, took 3 of them to tell me it was in the right place, Jokers!

..and as for the DRC yes the mind does boggle!

[Dom81]

Are you sure that all RS4s have extended warranty on DRC

Yes...

[jackwood]

And there are also now revised shocks with improved seals in stock.

[tweek]

I once, refused to take my car of the forecourt once, they out the RS4 badge on the front grill in the wrong place), bloody pissed me off, took 3 of them to tell me it was in the right place, Jokers!

Give that man a medal...

As for DRC, I know where Audi got DRC from. They nicked it off the old mini or the metro from British Leyland . These had hydroelastic suspension on and that always needed pumping up as it lost pressure.