fuel AUDI A6 ALLROAD 1999 C5 / 2.G Pneumatic Suspension System

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The 4-level air suspension system in the allroad quattro is a logical development of the self-
levelling system in the Audi A6.
The principles of the suspension/air suspension system and the description of those system
components which are identical in the 4-level air suspension system are described in SSP 242.
The contents of this self-study program are supplementary to the contents of SSP 242.
The 4-level air suspension system in the Audi allroad quattro

Introduction
Designing a vehicle this perfect for on and
off-road use sounds like squaring the circle.
Usually the strengths of an off-road vehicle
are decided weaknesses when it comes to
road use.
A high ground clearance, crucial for rough
terrain, gives the vehicle a correspondingly
high centre of gravity.
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When it comes to fast cornering, however,
this is as disadvantageous as it is for driving
stability at higher speeds. In addition, the air
resistance is increased, which significantly
affects fuel consumption.
In contrast, the shorter spring travel and the
firmer running gear matching of an “on-road
running gear” offer inadequate driving
comfort off-road.
A variable ground clearance is the solution for
all road use and it’s called
4-level air suspension
.
The air suspension realised in the allroad
quattro is based on the familiar self-levelling
system of the Audi A6.

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Motorway mode
If the vehicle travels for longer than
30 seconds at over 120 km/h (vehicle is
already at normal level), it will automatically
be lowered to low level.
This reduces air resistance (saves fuel) and
lowers the vehicle’s centre of gravity
(improved driving dynamics).
PL (=HL1) is only cancelled when a
driving speed of 80 km/h is exceeded
(see automatic lowering) or when
switching to a lower level manually.
If the vehicle is already in HL2 it is not
lowered to parking level.
Manual mode
The motorway mode and parking level
control functions are deactivated in
manual mode (see Automatic
switching page 9).
The vehicle rises automatically to normal level
at the following speeds and time thresholds:
Vehicle speed Time
<70 km/h >120 seconds
<35 km/h >30 seconds
<5 km/h immediately

Parking level control
The parking level ensures that the vehicle is
maintained at a suitable level after parking for
a long period of time (normal volumetric
reduction due to cooling or diffusion).
It also facilitates entering and loading the
vehicle and optimises the appearance of the
stationary vehicle.
The parking level corresponds to high level 1
(HL1).
The vehicle is set to parking level
–when the system is in run-on mode and the
vehicle is locked from the outside.
–when sufficient pressure is present in pres-
sure accumulator.
–when the system is not switched to manual
mode.