[Odessa]

If you are looking at replacing 20 year old airstruts i did this with my front and went for Miessler in Germany for the stuts. they were replaced in Dec2022 with new pressure relief valves and still going strong. If you VCDS your compressor you can see health IE : how much pressure it is giving which will give an indication of health / performance if not that great do a rebuild. Kits are found online ie ebay etc. I then rebuilt my old front struts for emergency spares.

 

[Lefty99]

If your Air Suspension is leaking, it will NOT be a problem with the actual air struts, it WILL be the control/check valves on each strut. Usually the "O" ring sealing between the valve and the strut. Worth checking as they are cheap and simply replaced. You could find your problems solved.

If the suspension is dropping when parked, it can only be the above valves if it was a compressor problem the suspension would not lift. I know, I have had a pump failure.

This is not entirely true. I have had one of my front airbags pop while on a road trip, in Birdsville of all places. Not fun trying to get a replacement sent out there. So, after doing the autopsy when I got home, I can confirm it was the bag that had a small hole in it. It is very difficult to see/diagnose because the bag is inside a steel tube for protection. I can only presume it is an age-related issue as everything was otherwise clean and intact and undamaged. I now have concerns about the reliability of the rest and think changing all four for new ones would be a good idea..

Edit, the car is a 2006, so almost 20 years old.

 

[Mexglx]

This is not entirely true. I have had one of my front airbags pop while on a road trip, in Birdsville of all places. Not fun trying to get a replacement sent out there. So, after doing the autopsy when I got home, I can confirm it was the bag that had a small hole in it. It is very difficult to see/diagnose because the bag is inside a steel tube for protection. I can only presume it is an age-related issue as everything was otherwise clean and intact and undamaged. I now have concerns about the reliability of the rest and think changing all four for new ones would be a good idea..

Edit, the car is a 2006, so almost 20 years old.

I had the steel cup around the bladder split, which in turn cut the airbag for basically an instantaneous failure. Two pops, first the steel cup, then the rubber bladder. Luckily was on a surface street, slowing for a light, a couple blocks from the house. It was the RF. I still have the original LF on there. Thinking

 

[Lefty99]

I had the steel cup around the bladder split, which in turn cut the airbag for basically an instantaneous failure. Two pops, first the steel cup, then the rubber bladder. Luckily was on a surface street, slowing for a light, a couple blocks from the house. It was the RF. I still have the original LF on there. Thinking

Yeah, I read your post. Very unusual for the cup to split like that.
I had looked at the cheap airbag replacements on eBay but wasn't sure if they could be trusted. But if you've had good luck with them, maybe I'll reconsider.
I'll be up for a bit over $1000 AU for the full set (4).

 

[Mexglx]

Yeah, I read your post. Very unusual for the cup to split like that.
I had looked at the cheap airbag replacements on eBay but wasn't sure if they could be trusted. But if you've had good luck with them, maybe I'll reconsider.
I'll be up for a bit over $1000 AU for the full set (4).

So far, I just have one eBay unit on the RF. I have the LF still in the box. Just in case.

 

[Odessa]

This is not entirely true. I have had one of my front airbags pop while on a road trip, in Birdsville of all places. Not fun trying to get a replacement sent out there. So, after doing the autopsy when I got home, I can confirm it was the bag that had a small hole in it. It is very difficult to see/diagnose because the bag is inside a steel tube for protection. I can only presume it is an age-related issue as everything was otherwise clean and intact and undamaged. I now have concerns about the reliability of the rest and think changing all four for new ones would be a good idea..

Edit, the car is a 2006, so almost 20 years old.

It can happen !!!!! Its only rubber !! NSWT buses have been using airbags since the 1950's. Our modern fleet of trains also use airbags. So to if you look at many heavy rigid vehicles like dump trucks and beyond. Yes tech has been there for a world of time but **** does happen. Is what it is !! Your pop effect I wonder if this was around the crimp hold joint. This has recently been an increasing topic. Regardless !!!!! Its also the way this system is used and the understanding of the operator of how the system should be used !!!!