# Mag Ride - Removing the Rear Connector without Destroying it



## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

Hello guys , I have an interesting issue with magnetic ride that puzzles me. Car is mk2 3.2 year 2009 and it has magnetic ride that occasionally works like a charm for even longer periods of time but then all of a sudden it lights the yellow strut dash light and trows error. Next time i get to start the car, error is self cleared and yet again day or two or even 15 of all good until it errors again. Exact error code is 00145 - right rear dampening adjustment valve N339.
Errors completely random sometimes the moment i move the car, sometimes not even once a week.

Any thought will be appreciated


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## cas5259 (Mar 17, 2020)

You can try removing the connector and cleaning it. Maybe you'll get lucky.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

+1 *cas5259* - Sounds like an intermittent fault. Disconnect the electrical connector at the top of the shock, inspect and clean it. Be sure to clear the fault too.

*VCDS Log - Suspension*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 9&t=324400


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## ross_cj250 (Mar 1, 2008)

Your symptoms sound the same as I had with my car late last year (2009 TTS). It was eventually traced to a sensor on the magnetic ride shock...interestingly the right side rear as well! The Audi dealer initially diagnosed a faulty shock and replaced that and all seemed well for a few days, only for the warning light to come back again! A second investigation traced the problem to the sensor which was replaced and has been no trouble since! HTH

Regards
Ross


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

ross_cj250 said:


> It was eventually traced to a sensor on the magnetic ride shock


@ *ross_cj250* - Can you look back through your Service receipts and provide us with the part number for the sensor they replaced? This is good to know for future reference!

This will be an interesting project given the workshop manual states the cap (and connector) will be destroyed when removed (see last image)...

3a - Cover cap for shock absorber with electronically controlled dampening P/N 8J0512133 (Qty 2)
3b - Flat connector housing with contact locking mechanism P/N 1J0973802 (Qty 2)

I'm curious of the sensor is the blue part that can be seen under the cover cap -


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## Steve in Ireland (Oct 13, 2017)

I had something similar when I first got the car. It turned out to be that the sensor arm's balljoint had popped out. It went back in easily and no more errors.


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## ross_cj250 (Mar 1, 2008)

SwissJetPilot said:


> ross_cj250 said:
> 
> 
> > It was eventually traced to a sensor on the magnetic ride shock
> ...


Sorry Swiss, I don't have that. The part was replaced free of charge because the dealer had charged me for a new shock that 'may' not have been required and I didn't get any part numbers or great detail on what they actually did. There was a bit of an argument with them over what I was expected to pay for and they eventually agreed to supply and fit the sensor FOC (they said it would normally have been 200'odd £'s!) and gave me a discount on the labour for some other work that was due!

Regards
Ross


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## ross_cj250 (Mar 1, 2008)

...a bit more info' that may help, Swiss. Below is a list of parts used when they replaced the shock but which DIDN'T solve the problem!

Regards
Ross


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *ross_cj250* - Well that's interesting. They replaced the cover cap P/N 0512133 which I listed above but that didn't solve the problem? It would be very interesting to know exactly which sensor Audi claimed they changed.

It looks like *Steve in Ireland* may be onto something. Based on schematic the Level Control System Sensors are directly linked to the Dampening Adjustment Valves and the J250 Control Module. See diagrams below -

@ *Tare071* - I'd probably start by clearing all the faults, then check where Steve suggested. Verify all the connectors are clean and then see if the fault comes up after running another fault scan.

Also, 00145 isn't a fault code, it's a component identifier listed under Address 14-Susp. Elect. Can you post the actual fault code? (See below)









These are the component identifiers for all four Mag shocks -

*Suspension Component - *
00142 - Left Front Dampening Adjustment Valve (N336)
00143 - Right Front Dampening Adjustment Valve (N337)
00144 - Left Rear Dampening Adjustment Valve (N338)
00145 - Right Rear Dampening Adjustment Valve (N339)

*Faults - *
009 - Open or Short to Ground
011 - Open Circuit - Intermittent
012 - Electrical Fault in Circuit

What you're looking for is something like this -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Address 14: Susp. Elect. Labels: None
Part No SW: 8J0 910 376 B HW: 8J0 907 376 B
Component: J250 Raddaempfung 0050
Revision: --H18--- Serial number: 190DPH 8157550
Coding: 0000032
Shop #: WSC 01236 785 00200
VCID: 2E597F1CC087

1 Fault Found:
*00145* - Right Rear Dampening Adjustment Valve (N339) *<--- Component*
*011* - Open Circuit - Intermittent *<--- Fault Code*
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


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## ross_cj250 (Mar 1, 2008)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ *ross_cj250* - Well that's interesting. They replaced the cover cap P/N 0512133 which I listed above but that didn't solve the problem? It would be very interesting to know exactly which sensor Audi claimed they changed.


Correct! I've always had a lingering doubt that I got slightly stitched up by them, but don't know enough about how the Mag ride works.

I've got to contact them when they reopen after the Covid madness on another matter, if I think of it, I'll try and prise some more details out of them...but don't hold your breath! :?

Regards
Ross


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Ross* - This is one of the advantages of people now being able to buy an affordable OBD scanner (e.g. OBDeleven) and checking their own fault codes. Even if you can't do the work, at least you know what's going on and are no longer depending on the shop to give you a straight story.

I've recommended on several occasions, when you go in for service, demand a fault code scan print out BEFORE and AFTER the work is done. This way they have little or no wiggle room to BS you.

Better yet, show them your own print out and tell them when the work is done, you'll be running another before you leave the shop to verify they did the job right.


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## cas5259 (Mar 17, 2020)

The level senders aren't directly connected to the shocks. They input into the J250 controller, along with the shocks. There are discreet error codes for everything, so a level sender fault shouldn't raise a dampening adjustment valve fault.

I think those rear caps just contain the electrical connection for the shock. There's only 2 wires in that schematic anyways. Wish I took mine apart when I did the mag ride delete. The dampening adjustment valve is a component inside the shock.

Mag ride failure seems to be tied to age rather than mileage. Can anyone who has bought new shocks lately check the production date? I wonder how many NOS (new old stock parts) are out there.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

cas5259 said:


> The dampening adjustment valve is a component inside the shock.


@ *cas5259* Are you sure about that? I've not found anything that would indicated there was any sort of electrical valving mechanism inside the shock. From the literature, the system simply powers the magnetic coils which makes the fluid more or less viscous. The shocks are either on or off, there's no "valving" involved.

From SSP 381 -

_When the magnetic coils are not activated electrically, the magnetic particles are arranged irregularly in the damper oil. During the piston stroke, the individual particles are forced with the fluid through the piston bores. The particle-laden suspension damping fluid has a low resistance to the movement of the piston. As a result the damping force is low.

When the magnetic coil is activated electrically, the magnetic particles are aligned with the magnetic field lines. Thus, long particle chains form in the vicinity of the piston.

These particle chains are aligned cross-wise before the fluid enters the piston bores. During the piston stroke, individual particles break up and are forced with the fluid through the piston bores. To "break up" these chains, force must be applied, i.e. work must be done.

The resistance which the piston must overcome is greater than in the case of a non-energised magnetic coil, and is dependent on the amount of electrical current and the strength of the magnetic field. This allows greater damping forces to be achieved.

The magneto-rheological dampers are much simpler in design than conventional dampers. The complex conventional damping valves are no longer required. These have been replaced by bores in the piston through which the fluid is displaced. In addition, single-tube dampers are used. The magnetic coils are integrated in the pistons._


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## cas5259 (Mar 17, 2020)

The magnetic coils are the "valve". A broken coil would show an open circuit fault. Maybe a short to ground if damaged, like my car had on the front left.

Edit to add: For the rear shocks, I think the top connector just adapts the wiring from the harness plug into the shock itself. The wires run down the center of the piston to the coils.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Yes, I totally agree. This is why we need the fault code from his original fault scan.

At the moment, we don't have that. Let's see if _"009 - Open or Short to Ground"_ shows up!

The real pisser is the fact the cap, according to the Workshop Manual, can't be removed without destroying it. Only Audi would come up with a design like that! :x

So the next question is, how can you determine the difference between a fault in the cap or the coil? Guess he'd have to run a leveling adaption and/or have the shock tested for rebound. Still, if the cap is bad, the coil won't get a signal. Hummm....???

I really hope it's just what Steve mentioned for a dirty connection at the cap. But given the Mag-shocks tend to fail with age, it may be time for a new one.

Oh, and just so this won't seem as horribly expensive as it will be, a completely new set of OEM front and rear mag-shocks for an Audi R8: $9932.48* plus labor! 

_*https://www.euroworks.ca/audi-r8-magnetic-shocks.html_


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## cas5259 (Mar 17, 2020)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Yes, I totally agree. This is why we need the fault code from his original fault scan.
> 
> At the moment, we don't have that. Let's see if _"009 - Open or Short to Ground"_ shows up!
> 
> ...


Yeah. Could be that the shock itself is fine, but the wiring going into it isn't. My front left one failed, but the harness connection is on the bottom of the strut so it's a bit different.

The high cost of these parts are why at 80k miles, I got rid of the magride. I could replace the Bilstein B12 kit 3x for the price of replacing all strut/shocks once.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

When that day comes for me, the mag shocks are history! So far, at 106,000km - touch wood!

Last year my local Audi shop quoted me around 3,100-Euro to replace them all. A local suspension specialty shop quoted me 1,700-Euro for the KM "Street Comfort" set up; all four corners with de-mag kit and labor. Not too bad. But still.

I would NEVER recommend the mag ride to anyone looking to buy a TT.


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## Tare071 (Oct 27, 2011)

cas5259 said:


> SwissJetPilot said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, I totally agree. This is why we need the fault code from his original fault scan.
> ...


I have only tested and cleared error with OBD2 bluetooth tools, like carista and others.
But it does say under the details something about bad impedance so i am kinda hope it is wire loom/ connection issue


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## TTfor2020 (Nov 26, 2020)

Tare071 said:


> cas5259 said:
> 
> 
> > SwissJetPilot said:
> ...


Did you ever get to the root of the problem? I'm currently dealing with same issue on minimum budget so can't really afford trial and error :/


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

ross_cj250 said:


> ...a bit more info' that may help, Swiss. Below is a list of parts used when they replaced the shock but which DIDN'T solve the problem!
> 
> Regards
> Ross


Sorry to bump this after a year or so, but how the heck did you get that cap for just 27 pounds? Or was that part of the discount you arranged with them for their goof?

Those things (8J0512133) are $150 each here--I just bought two and some low-dollar fasteners I needed, total with shipping and taxes was nearly $400 CAD for two of the caps!

Also I bought from a dealer on the other side of the country because despite the crazy $45 shipping charge, was still about $25 less per cap than local dealers around here--and the local dealers refused to PM as well so screw them I just bought online.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Hmmmm Worried now, mine the bump stop has perished and one split on the back ( TTS) Audi quoted me (sitting down) £1035 to replace the rear Bump stops, Halfords using genuine parts about £450 and my local VAG Specialist who have an excellent rep £200 I gave them the part numbers from the Audi quote and they ordered them from Audi, but i am wondering about the caps as well.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Taylortony* - "Bump stop" - are you referring to Item 2 shown here? From some previous posts, it may be possible to remove the connector cap (Item 3A) without breaking it despite what the workshop manual says. But I would print this out and discuss it with the shop that's offering to do the work just to be clear.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

yes one is bad and the other is in two halves, but as it the mag ride ( 2012 ) you need the top covers I believe as you cannot remove them without destroying them.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Taylortony* - I seem to recall someone recently had their rear mag shock replaced and it didn't require a new cap. Let me see if I can find it and will link to it -

EDIT - Found it! Here's the post. If this shop is year you, it might be worth checking them out. According to *Knight-tts* they didn't need to replace his caps. Drop him a PM for details -

*Magnetic ride rear shock part# confusion...*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=2010011


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

thanks, that might have come as a complete unit, to get the bumpstops out the cap has to come off to access the nut.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Taylortony* - Give him a shout and find out exactly what was involved. From the post, I got the impression the shop he used were able replace the shocks and still use the original caps. Audi probably snaps them off intentionally, but these guys may have figured a way to remove them without breaking them. You know Audi, any means to make a buck! :roll:


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Will do, it is booked in on Friday, not contactable for messaging


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Taylortony* - Will you be able to stick around at the shop when they do the work? It would be really interesting to see what's involved if at all possible. Maybe find out if they can remove and reuse the caps and if so, how they go about doing it.

Here's some pictures of the rear shock and the connector cap. Just looking at how this is put together and I notices a blue residue around the connector nut. I wonder if this is some sort of seal that when taken apart, is what gets destroyed since everything else looks like it should go back together.

Source: https://dertt.fotki.com/2008-audi-ttc/t ... page2.html


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ *Taylortony* - I seem to recall someone recently had their rear mag shock replaced and it didn't require a new cap. Let me see if I can find it and will link to it -
> 
> EDIT - Found it! Here's the post. If this shop is year you, it might be worth checking them out. According to *Knight-tts* they didn't need to replace his caps. Drop him a PM for details -
> 
> ...


So for the rear shock replacement it cost him just over £600, the SAME firm quoted me JUST FOR REPLACING THE REAR BUMPSTOPS £1039
So if you take the £318 he was charged for the Shock off the bill that would be £282 per side or £560, now Mine is a TTS 2012 and his is a TTS 2011, mine on the model has a Q for Quatro, his does not and I am assuming his is the magnetic as well, so something stinks along the way in all of this.

I doubt I will get near with Covid etc.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

I found this Youtube for a TT Mk2 rear shock replacement (not Mag Ride unfortunately) but it clearly shows the new bump stop. Not sure if this is something you want to tackle yourself but at least it gives you an idea of what's involved. Sorry, it's in French, but you'll get the idea, n'est pas? 😉

*Changer les coupelles et/ou amortisseurs arrière Audi TT MK2 8J*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZa8GKR ... A9oBouzige

Difference being you'll need this VAG tool T40129 in order to hold the piston rod in place while unscrewing the top nut -


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

Taylortony said:


> So for the rear shock replacement it cost him just over £600, the SAME firm quoted me JUST FOR REPLACING THE REAR BUMPSTOPS £1039
> So if you take the £318 he was charged for the Shock off the bill that would be £282 per side or £560, now Mine is a TTS 2012 and his is a TTS 2011, mine on the model has a Q for Quatro, his does not and I am assuming his is the magnetic as well, so something stinks along the way in all of this.


All S and RS cars are quattro-equipped; also all R8s except that very limited edition RWD model. Also all Mk2 TT-S are magride equipped as standard (though this may vary depending on country); RSes as well but RS had the option for regular dampers.

Perhaps they are quoting you on both the shocks and the bump stops along with those darn caps lol. As to whether they can be removed w/o damaging I highly doubt it but I will find out myself sometime in May when I replace my rears. I have the shocks in hand now, just waiting on the caps (which cost me nearly $400 CAD as mentioned) but they have to be ordered from Germany and ETA is early May! I wonder, what the heck happens when they stop making those caps? I guess you'd be forced to delete the magride then :evil:

I'm perhaps one of the few going the route of _retaining_ it and have intended to replace all four since I bought the car. The way I figured it was I bought a car with 185k kms on the clock and the magride will need replacing in a year or two tops. I could have bought a lesser miles car for thousands more, but then how long would the shocks/struts last before I'd eventually have to replace anyway? My thinking was buy cheap, replace on my own, and then be set for many years 

I do need to seek out that tool though. It is expensive! Same [US] seller I got the cam adjuster bit from has it but it's like $50 USD plus $15 to ship and another $10 in import charges (because Canada :roll: ) so it'd cost me like $100+ (CAD) just for the too  And that's about as cheap as I can get it. However I've found some generic shock-shaft holding tools that are similar for much less some which have three different diameters. If I can find one that has the right diameter, I might be in business. Another alternative is just using impact on that nut--that's what everyone does for regular shocks (even though the manufacturers all say not to, it works and no need to hold anything).


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## Knight-tts (Jan 29, 2019)

Taylortony said:


> SwissJetPilot said:
> 
> 
> > @ *Taylortony* - I seem to recall someone recently had their rear mag shock replaced and it didn't require a new cap. Let me see if I can find it and will link to it -
> ...


Bump stops for the rear are £19.37 each , how can they charge £1039


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *TT'sRevenge* - I've been digging through a few German Audi websites and so far no one else is having much luck with reusing those caps either. In the image of the piston rods, you can see the pins inside after the nut is removed. Not sure why a new cap would work and the original wouldn't. but maybe you can solve this mystery. 

Before you take the cap off (if you're going to scrap it anyway) it might be interesting to cut half of it away to see exactly what it looks like inside. From the image from the workshop manual and the photos I posted earlier, it looks like there's some sort of internal seal (??) and when the cap is removed, that's what gets damaged beyond repair.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Spoke to the garage they said the caps are normally ok it's when people pull the strut down without easing them off you get problems as it wrecks the connector.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Spoke to the garage they said the caps are normally ok it's when people pull the strut down without easing them off you get problems as it wrecks the connector. That and them getting brittle with age.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Okay, that makes sense. I've been trying to figure out the difference between and old one and a new one. The only clue there was something going on was the blue residue shown in the image below. Perhaps it's just some sort of silicon seal they use at the factory since there's no part number indicated for any additional sealing material as is the case with some other assemblies.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

The nut might be a nylock, which has a plastic insert in that cuts a thread in itself as you tighten it to prevent it undoing.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

That makes sense!


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Just got a message back from my Audi Service guy -

_According to the repair guide, these must be replaced as non-destructive dismantling is not possible. What breaks is not written. One cap is 94 Euro + Tax_

So no help there on removing it without damage. I suspect none of the Audi techs have bothered to try not to damage one since they are only instructed to break it regardless. :?


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Just got a message back from my Audi Service guy -
> 
> _According to the repair guide, these must be replaced as non-destructive dismantling is not possible. What breaks is not written. One cap is 94 Euro + Tax_
> 
> So no help there on removing it without damage. I suspect none of the Audi techs have bothered to try not to damage one since they are only instructed to break it regardless. :?


It's possible that's what they're doing but I suspect it really _isn't_ possible to reuse them. If you can I will _surely_ be kicking myself though, lol. The cost of these really is ridiculous for what is effectively a disposable plastic part. The shocks sure as heck ain't cheap but I can justify the price of them given the tech involved--it's not exactly a traditional gas/oil damper. Granted they shouldn't be _that_ pricey given one could get same-tech OE parts for GMs made by the same manufacturer, for much cheaper in some cases...them's still the breaks when you put four rings on it lol. And anyway I _did_ get a good deal on my pair I have to admit.

But the _caps_ which seem to amount to no more than an electrical connector and wires in a plastic housing, and are one-time use at that? The price is insane lol. Can't really justify it, just have to grin and bear it as a necessary thing in the design and a price Audi commands for it. The only thing I'd like to know is if Delphi/BWI didn't use these same caps on other makes of vehicles (like GMs) where they might be had for cheaper, but that would take some looking into to find out. Also a bit late since already ordered.

My caps are scheduled to ship on May 7th, from BC--the other side of the country as this is the dealer selling them the cheapest I could find, even after a shipping cost of $50. So maybe mid-May I'll get a chance to do the replacements. The rears are super easy to do since the spring is separated and you don't need to do any spring compression, etc. like you do with the McPhersons up front. If it's like the A3 the hardest part about the rear is getting the lower shock bolts out, though I have a high-torque impact now which will make short work out of it provided I can get it in there, hopefully with a universal. Mid-torque impact struggled to get that bolt out on one side on my A3, though it eventually broke it [loose] after several tries. I had a pretty tough time getting it in though, I think I dropped the control arm altogether to get clearance. The TT has a slightly different rear-end of course so I'll see how it works out.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

The only way I can see to do this is to push the cable back inside the outer cap enough that when removing the outer cap the inner cap doesn't get pulled off at the same time. In theory any way 

Looking at the new cap design, it would seem the inner cap has to go on first, followed by the outer cap. The design doesn't seem to be that both are installed simultaneously. I did find a picture of one from a Polish website, and it looks like the cable can be pushed back inside a bit to give the inner cap room for fitment. From the pictures anyway, there doesn't seem to be anything designed in the plastic that intended to snap off or break when removed.

Once you have the old one off you can compare it with the new one and hopefully see what's getting damaged when the old on is removed and hopefully figure out how to prevent it from happening. Perhaps you can put a meter across the connector pins and get a resistance measurement before you remove the old cap, and then try to put it back on and see if anything changes. Once you have the new cap on the shock, you certainly don't want to risk breaking anything by taking it off again. At least with the old one, you can put it back on and take if off without too much concern. It would be interesting to see if the resistance is different between the old and new caps.

I went back and looked through the workshop manual and couldn't find anything about how to install a new cap. So maybe your new one comes with a set of instructions. I'll ping my Audi guy and see if there's any sort of tech bulletin.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> The only way I can see to do this is to push the cable back inside the outer cap enough that when removing the outer cap the inner cap doesn't get pulled off at the same time. In theory any way
> 
> Looking at the new cap design, it would seem the inner cap has to go on first, followed by the outer cap. The design doesn't seem to be that both are installed simultaneously. I did find a picture of one from a Polish website, and it looks like the cable can be pushed back inside a bit to give the inner cap room for fitment. From the pictures anyway, there doesn't seem to be anything designed in the plastic that intended to snap off or break when removed.


Yeah I don't understand it either--it just looks like a cap with an electrical connector in it--why that _has_ to be broken I don't get.



SwissJetPilot said:


> Once you have the old one off you can compare it with the new one and hopefully see what's getting damaged when the old on is removed and hopefully figure out how to prevent it from happening. Perhaps you can put a meter across the connector pins and get a resistance measurement before you remove the old cap, and then try to put it back on and see if anything changes. Once you have the new cap on the shock, you certainly don't want to risk breaking anything by taking it off again. At least with the old one, you can put it back on and take if off without too much concern. It would be interesting to see if the resistance is different between the old and new caps.


Yeah that's the plan, the old shock is gonna get garbaged anyway as you've already shown the correspondence from that company that does the rebuilding that it wouldn't be worth it to do.



SwissJetPilot said:


> I went back and looked through the workshop manual and couldn't find anything about how to install a new cap. So maybe your new one comes with a set of instructions. I'll ping my Audi guy and see if there's any sort of tech bulletin.


Yeah no instructions. The ones I bought were at a general auto parts liquidator company--hence why I got them so cheap. I mean still not cheap as in regular shock prices but a good bit discounted from what they'd be from a dealer. The reason code on the stickers on them shows something like "warehouse ship incident" or something along those lines. Physically they look perfect so I expect they should work fine but there is some degree of risk in both there possibly being a problem and also the fact that I bought the F shocks when I'm really "supposed" to have the E. I looked into the controller/module though and it's the same part whether you have either setup.

Still I don't think ones from the dealer would have come with any instructions either. Vagueness in service manuals is often typical given they are meant for people that have had additional training, experience, etc. in doing these things. Funny enough some of those S/M PDFs actually have a thing where you have to scroll through and click "OK" agreeing that you understand they are meant for trained techs, before you can view the rest of them :lol:


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

I know from the Roadster drain tubes, Audi has their own separate tech instructions for parts which are not covered in the workshop manuals. My Audi guy was kind enough to send a one-page instruction sheet a while back. So hopefully he can dig up something for the caps.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

So uh I ordered those shock caps back in mid-April, still haven't even had them shipped despite the dealer I ordered from saying they were due in first week of May. Checked back on the order and just seems dead no word on shipping, no updates, greattt... :|

So emailed them back now and see what they say.

As we've already mentioned it's pretty stupid Audi along with Delphi decided to design a shock cap which meant destroying the cap if you remove it--requiring replacement if you ever need to replace the shock (or even the mount for that matter).

What's ridiculous is making a part they're...not even making it seems and needing to wait like 2 months to get them! Maybe it's easier to get these in Europe or something but this is taking forever.  I'm not really that impatient a person but c'mon now. I don't even really blame the dealer, this seems to be VAG's shenanigans.

Like if you're going to make a part like this, shouldn't you have the damn things in stock somewhere in every country?

Now that I think about it, maybe I should change those shock mounts while I'm at it? This is only adding to the cost but it seems like it's a good idea given if the mount(s) ever fail, guess what else needs to be replaced? The unobtanium, super expensive caps!


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

I'm having trouble believing the Magride cap needs to be destroyed to remove.

I have a couple of (unused) non-Magride caps that came with a rear mount kit I bought some time ago. As you can see from the pics, the cap is simply held in place by friction. The only difference would be the electrical connection, and that would have to be designed to plug / unplug in order to install the cap.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

FNChaos said:


> I'm having trouble believing the Magride cap needs to be destroyed to remove.
> 
> I have a couple of (unused) non-Magride caps that came with a rear mount kit I bought some time ago. As you can see from the pics, the cap is simply held in place by friction. The only difference would be the electrical connection, and that would have to be designed to plug / unplug in order to install the cap.


Yeah it remains to be seen I guess but by all accounts it does have to be replaced. I'm sure it's the electrical connector that is one-time use, which is rather sad. It's designed to be plugged but not _un_plugged! Because yeah the non-MR caps are literally 1/100th the price! It's like $1.50 for those, $150 for the magride ones.

I will try to see if reusable but I'm not going to pull a shock and pull off a cap to try to find out when I don't have a replacement on hand! That will certainly put the car out of commission for an indefinite time lol.

BTW those rear mounts, it looks like you didn't use them? I've seen the ECS so-called "HD" ones on their site before but I think I'd rather buy the OE ones. Don't get me wrong I've actually purchased thousands of dollars of ECS stuff but somehow I think these mounts I might not be anything too special. Any reason you didn't use yours or are those just old pics and you did put them in?


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

TT'sRevenge said:


> BTW those rear mounts, it looks like you didn't use them? I've seen the ECS so-called "HD" ones on their site before but I think I'd rather buy the OE ones. Don't get me wrong I've actually purchased thousands of dollars of ECS stuff but somehow I think these mounts I might not be anything too special. Any reason you didn't use yours or are those just old pics and you did put them in?


No, I bought them intending to replace the mounts when I installed my Vogland lowering springs. I did replace the front mounts while I had everything apart, but for some reason I had it in my mind that I would need to remove the shocks to access the rear. 
I also bought new rear bump stops... maybe someday (when I'm really bored) I will get around to installing them.

As far as I can tell the ECS mounts are the same as OEM with the exception of the rubber. OEM is supposedly 75A duro and the ECS mounts are 85A


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

I did find a site describing a 'possible' work-around if one is interested in replacing just a shock mount or bump stop...
[smiley=book2.gif] If I read it correctly, the author de-pinned the Magride connector and removed the cap (allowing the wiring to pass through the cap and protective sleeve. Then using a cutout 16mm deep socket (similar to a strut socket) he removed the shock mounting nut with the wiring still attached to the shock.

See: https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...u-take-off-the-rear-shock-top-(8V-S3-Magride)


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

In case you can't access the site (and so we have this information here in the Forum) here's the commentary and pictures from the site *FNChaos* linked above.

Basically you will need to de-pin the connector so you can remove the cap and unscrew the 8mm nut on the end of the connector where it's screwed into the top of the shock. It looks like this is the only way to avoid breaking off the connector and having to buy a new one.

*Tools - *

• 8mm Box Wrench
• 16mm Strut Nut Socket
• VAG Connector De-pinning Tool

*Modified Deep Well 16mm Socket - *

If you can't find the strut socket at your local auto parts, you can cut an opening in a 16mm deep well socket. This allows you to hold the outer 16mm nut, then use a 8mm to loosen the inner 8mm nut.


























*De-pinning the Connector -*

In order to remove the cap and get the 8mm wrench onto the nut, you have to de-pin the connector first.

Here's a pic that shows the hole you need to insert the de-pinning tool to release each pin's black plastic shroud within the connector. Once both pins are free of their shrouds (within the purple outer shroud) you should be able to carefully pull out the purple outer shroud, then pull each wire and pin out the back.

If you can't get your hands on a VAG de-pinning tool, this YouTube may help with the de-pinning by using a bobby-pin -

*How to Repair VW Wiring Connectors*






























*Shock Top Removal -*

Use the box end of a 8mm wrench over the wires to hold the little nut, then the cutaway socket on the outside. Set the base of the shock on the floor or a work bench and work looking down. 1/4 turn, reset the box end and repeat.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

FNChaos said:


> I did find a site describing a 'possible' work-around if one is interested in replacing just a shock mount or bump stop...
> [smiley=book2.gif] If I read it correctly, the author de-pinned the Magride connector and removed the cap (allowing the wiring to pass through the cap and protective sleeve. Then using a cutout 16mm deep socket (similar to a strut socket) he removed the shock mounting nut with the wiring still attached to the shock.
> 
> See: https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...u-take-off-the-rear-shock-top-(8V-S3-Magride)


Thanks, yeah funny story I actually read that thread before I even bought the TT, lol. See I knew at the time the magride I would replace so I was looking up all the info on what had to be done.

I wasn't entirely sure the MQB shocks are the same or if the same is possible. Again once I get the shocks out I guess I'll see what I'm working with but won't even attempt until I get the caps. If it's somehow doable without breaking the caps I guess whatever I figure out can help other people in the future. I'm already in for $300+ in caps lol.

Good new though: my order shipped (from BC) last week, should be here this week. I also got new Lemforder mounts, Lemforder being the OE according to FCP Euro. When I got them though (they came pretty quick!) they are Lemforder, showing "ZF Aftermerket" and are made in China :roll: I ordered from RockAuto and not FCP but same part#. It'll probably cost me half of what they cost to return them so guess I will just use 'em and forget about it. The bolts look like they are gonna rust though lol, so I'll get the OE ones instead (or reuse the ones on the car) as pretty sure those are coated.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *TT'sRevenge* - I will be following your post closely so please post all the photos you can!  
I know this is in my future at some point and I'm not keen on tossing away that kind of money for parts Audi states are "not reusable".


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ *TT'sRevenge* - I will be following your post closely so please post all the photos you can!
> I know this is in my future at some point and I'm not keen on tossing away that kind of money for parts Audi states are "not reusable".


Will do, will see if they are removable without "destroying".

I happen to have a strut nut socket but it's 21mm not 16mm. ECS tuning sells them for reasonable prices but unfortunately shipping and brokerage/tax because Canada (and border closed) would make the $11 USD socket cost me like $70 CAD :roll:

Funny part about the 21mm is I bought it (from ECS back when border was freely open) to do the front struts on my A3 but funny enough the KWs used a different size nut (like 18mm I think) so it ended up going unused because I didn't dismantle my factory struts--I just used new mounts with the KWs.

That story aside, I can get a cheap de-pinning set off Amazon as I've been meaning to buy that anyway. Luckily I think I can get the nut socket from ECS via EuroSportTuning (basically a Canadian distributor/partner for ECS)--this may be my only option. The thing is I don't want to go to the trouble of ordering that, driving about an hour to pick it up, to find out the size on the 8J is different from an 8V lol.

Can anyone confirm the rear shock nut is 16mm on the 8J w/mag ride? I suppose the other way is to order the nuts (which I think I forgot in my BC-dealer order) and see what they are.

I still don't really understand why you even need to de-pin the connector--it doesn't even seem like he pulled the wires through the cap? The cap is still on in the pictures? Unless the cap won't come far enough off without de-pinning it? It seems like this will be much like the cam chain on the engine, lol. I read so many different internet threads (and videos) on that plus the service manual and it didn't make full sense to me how the timing is set, until I actually did it. Then it all just "came together".

If this is easy enough to do, that will be great information. But not like it's really too ideal for me to try to return the caps I bought--shipping back to BC, probably restock fee if they even accept returns.

I think what I'm going to do, since I got new mounts is just assemble the new shocks with the new mounts and caps. Then I can fiddle with the old ones when they are off the car without having to worry about the car being "grounded" while I find the tools to do it. Then just save the caps as spares I guess, if they come off okay. Granted I have the other car anyway but I still have winters on that ATM (which is a whole other story--I now need 8mm spacers for the front as 7mm is not enough and my next up is 12.5mm which is too much--doh!).


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

Okay so little update...

So as I suspected the caps on the 8J/PQ35 cars _look_ similar from the outside to the 8V/MQB ones but are not at all the same underneath. I had noted this before based on the pictures but I actually have them in-hand now I can confirm. Caps are made in Poland, if anyone is interested in that tidbit.

Bad news. There's no way to do what is described in the pictures/post linked to above on the 8V S3. The shock mount on our cars is fastened to the shock mount in regular fashion--with just a nut (possibly a washer too) and that's it--it's the exact same mount and exact same method of installing the shock-to-mount as it is on a car with standard shocks.

After that, the smaller cap with the electrical connection merely goes on top of the shock rod and clicks into place; then the outer cap (which is otherwise exactly the same as a standard cap) clips onto the mount.

*There's no using a strut-nut-socket or anything like that*, it's quite simple in fact. I don't see anyway that just removing the outer cap will "destroy" it so then it just comes down to the smaller cap that connects on top of the shock rod. There's a tiny green connector on there that interfaces with the [electrical] pin on the shock rod. Ground is just taken from the shock rod/mount itself, naturally. I believe it's _that_ little connector that becomes unusable when the "interface cap" is pulled off. There's either a barb that secures it and breaks it off and you're left to pull the rest off, or it just can't be used again due to expansion or whatever.

In fact I'm almost thinking the cap _could_ be reused but they tell you to replace it based on it no longer being a reliable connection after removal. In any event it seems like it's a tiny amount of wiring, an electrical connector on the car side, and a tiny little connector on the shock side, that costs all this money :roll: TBH I can't see how they are not making huge profit margin on these caps. I know they're not a high selling item but I could see $50 being reasonable, $150 is basically just highway robbery :x Unfortunately them's the breaks and we gotta buy them it seems.

To be clear, there is *no way* to use any wrenches, sockets, etc. in the procedure of removing the cap on PQ35 cars' rear mag ride. It's just not a part of how the cap goes on. No de-pinning is going to help you either.

I suspect the more elaborate design on the 8V/MQB cars is there_ exactly because_ it allows removing the cap without destroying the connector or making it unusable/unreliable afterwards, which looks to certainly be the case on our cars unfortunately.

Once I get to the job I will pull the cap on one old shock to find out if/how it breaks but I intend to just assemble the new shocks with the new mounts and caps and not try to reuse the old ones at all.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

In the case of the *8V/MQB* shock mount, de-pinning was so you could get the outer and inner caps off, then slip the wire through the opening of both the 8mm wrench and the 16mm Strut Socket without damaging the connector.









In the case of the *8J/PQ35 TT* shock mount, de-pinning would be for a similar purpose of removing the outer and inner caps without damaging the wire so it can remain plugged into the shock. Then you can put the wire through the Strut Socket (just like the 8V/MOB) in order to loosen the nut on top of the shock and hopefully remove it without permanently damaging it.

The key point of this exercise is to answer the question -

*1.) Can the outer cap, inner cap and wire be removed/disconnected from the shock without damage and be reused?*


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Any chance, before you pull one of the caps off completely, that you could use a Dremmel tool and cut away the outer and inner caps as shown below and take some pictures? If you think de-pinning isn't going to help, at least this way we could see exactly how this all goes together before you pull it apart -


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Any chance, before you pull one of the caps off completely, that you could use a Dremmel tool and cut away the outer and inner caps as shown below and take some pictures? If you think de-pinning isn't going to help, at least this way we could see exactly how this all goes together before you pull it apart -


I could try that I suppose.

I don't think de-pinning is even necessary to take the cap off and see underneath--the wire slides through the grommet enough as otherwise you wouldn't be able to _install_ the cap without de-pinning it.

Because the "inner cap and wire" has nothing to do with the nut (except for the fact that it sits on it) I don't see what difference there would be in trying to remove that nut without first pulling off the inner cap. Doing so would just pop the cap off as the nut backs out anyway. I don't see how that makes any difference than just pulling it off?

Speaking of those nuts, I totally forgot to get them and the lower washers when I ordered the other stuff--DOH! Those nuts are also different on the magride shocks. Though they are only $8/ea. in the US, they are $20 each in Canada--nice another $40 to spend. I have no other orders to make from US ATM, from any place that would have them (in order to make the shipping worthwhile) so I guess it's $40, tax, and a trip to a stealer for me :x


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *TT'sRevenge* - Any new updates on this project?  I'm still very curious about whether or not the Magride outer cap, inner cap and wire be removed/disconnected from the shock without damage and be reused.


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## Daz1968 (Jan 6, 2018)

I removed mine when changing a rear shock absorber, only issue was Audi had changed the design and I had to purchase a new one as the connector wasn't long enough on old one to make a connection in top of new shock absorber, I found it easy to remove with a small screwdriver and didn't damage it in any way,


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *Daz1968* - Interesting. Thanks for that tid-bit of information. So far mine are still okay, but I know the day will come. :?


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

Some great content in this thread.
Having done a little inspection today (still looking to find where my ants are hiding!), I noticed the condition of those spongy parts on my rear magride shocks was looking a little poor.

*This is not mine* (mine are in a worse condition), but in red is the part I'm talking about:










This thread shows the new ones looking all pristine and clean.

What function does this sponge perform?
Mine are starting to crumble a little so I want to know how that might affect the shock.

Thanks.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Item (#2) is called a "stop buffer". It helps dampen the movement of the shock against the bearing (#11) in the event there's a really hard bump. More on the 7zap parts list *here*.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Item (#2) is called a "stop buffer". It helps dampen the movement of the shock against the bearing (#11) in the event there's a really hard bump. More on the 7zap parts list *here*.
> View attachment 487550


Great. Is that replaceable separately then? 
I guess it means I need that expensive $150 plastic cap that is mentioned as needing to be replaced each time?


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

I believe so, yes.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> I believe so, yes.


Hmm but earlier in this thread that guy said it's possible to do without breaking them? I haven't tried yet, sorry about this I really mean to start on this job this week--so many things keep coming up and delaying me. At this rate it's gonna be July before I have it done and put it on the road for the summer.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

@ *TT'sRevenge* - I hear you brother...I'm still running with winter tires! LOL!  October-April is the "required" period for winter tires...so I'm a wee past due for swapping over to my summer wheels! It's top of my to-do list over the long weekend coming up.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> I believe so, yes.


Thanks. I'm not planning on doing this work myself. Not something I'm comfortable doing and I don't have the tools, but at least I can try to budget for the labour and parts.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

TT'sRevenge said:


> Hmm but earlier in this thread that guy said it's possible to do without breaking them? I haven't tried yet, sorry about this I really mean to start on this job this week--so many things keep coming up and delaying me. At this rate it's gonna be July before I have it done and put it on the road for the summer.


You can bet that any regular garage will not want to be messing about. They will just want to replace them.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Unless the they're damaged (split or severely cracked), I would just wait until you need to replace the shocks. Otherwise I can't really see any reason to mess with them.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Unless the they're damaged (split or severely cracked), I would just wait until you need to replace the shocks. Otherwise I can't really see any reason to mess with them.


Neither of those states. Just a bit old and they look and feel like that expandable insulating foam after it has been subjected to the weather for a few years.
After reading the ample threads on magride, mine is still working perfectly fine; I'll not mess with the bump stops until the magride needs replacing, then I'll get the lot replaced. 
I did find a thread on another forum where someone's car (not a tt) failed an MOT due to bump stops being knackered. Not sure if that's true.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ *TT'sRevenge* - I hear you brother...I'm still running with winter tires! LOL!  October-April is the "required" period for winter tires...so I'm a wee past due for swapping over to my summer wheels! It's top of my to-do list over the long weekend coming up.


Ha yeah that's a bit long for winters, better be careful or you'll put a lot of wear on them. I thought I took a while to put mine on but given the temp goes up and down here wildly, I was into may before I bought new summers for the A3. Anyway, nice that you have a long weekend though, what holiday is it for?

So the good news is, I _finally_ got around to starting this work late this afternoon. The suspension is so similar to the A3 that I was able to do everything from memory. That and having several more power tools (cordless impacts and ratchets) taking it apart took no time at all. But I only took apart the one corner so far as it got late and I figure I'll just resume tomorrow.

Anyway I did figure out the shock cap as I had the assembled shock from the car in my hands finally.

Here's the thing. *I don't see any reason why you can't reuse the cap! *In removing the cap I found my outer cap was already kind of mangled and upset (one of the tabs on it was a bit messed up) and so the outer cap (just the plastic part) was not even totally on right when I removed it. Not a huge deal though.

Let's instead talk about the inner "cap" or electrical connection. I _was_ able to get this off by carefully prying with some small picks. You sort of have to do some damage to the plastic and you might well break it removing it if it's too brittle but as said I was able to get the one I tried off without a problem. When I looked at the tiny little connector I saw some white stuff in there which I thought was corrosion but really seems to be some kind of white grease which must have been put on during assembly (I don't have any pre-applied on the brand new caps). The deformation I caused to the plastic that snaps into the nut is quite minimal. I don't see that it should be an issue to stay secured if popped back on. There's also tiny little metal "fingers" that hold the electrical connection solid/centred. In removing mine it seems those got "spread" a little and the connector has some play in it (compared to the new cap) but I think that can be easily remedied by just squeezing the fingers inwards, if you even need to do that. 

Additionally I don't see that the centre pin inside the old shock was damaged in any way after cap removal. I think the reason they tell you to use new ones is just so that it's 100% sure you have a good/proper connection there. However I believe they should caution the cap has to be removed careful and _may_ break...and if it breaks to replace it...instead of just saying "not possible to remove without destroying"  I think repeated removals would probably eventually break the plastic that retains it to the nut though, I think you should be able to get away with at least one reuse...again presuming you don't break when prying it off.

Anyway what I'm gonna do is...reuse the caps lol. Well provided I get the other one out without damaging. Worst case scenario is they don't work or I get an error but I don't think that will be the case. I guess I could also push a fine wire into it and test the conductivity/resistance to the connector to see if there are any issues with them before reusing. I've already got the new ones of course but given these are becoming rarer/more expensive I'll just keep them in case I ever need them (or if the reuse ends up in errors or issues).

*TLDR: It seems entirely possible to remove the cap without "destroying" and it should be similarly possible to reuse the old cap. However number of reuses will probably be limited as the plastic may eventually break.*


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

TT'sRevenge said:


> "...seems to be some kind of white grease which must have been put on during assembly..."


Odds are it's dielectric grease. It's commonly used for connectors that are exposed to the elements in order to protect them from water and dirt.









While you have it up in the air, it might be a good time to put a little white grease into the ball joints of the level sensors. There have been previous posts on these in the past where they get stiff or have completely broken off because they were so full of crud.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

Thanks for that tip--yeah mine are really stuff--will definitely lube those on reassembly! OTOH my endlinks were like the opposite...a bit too much play! Not terrible but a might as well. I got new ones as a result. Add another $100 or so on to this bill--man never ends this spending haha


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

Quick addendum here. When I went to remove the inner cap on the second shock, I was actually able to get the cap off with a little less physical damage to the part that clips into the nut. _However_...heard a distinct snap pulling it up. *Sure enough the electrical connector in the cap going into the shock, broke. *Destroyed, as Audi says! So, I got 1 out of 2 I guess. 

*So I think we can say it is possible to remove without destroying; however it seems up to chance.* I removed it as gently as possible as I did the other one but this one definitely snapped. Good thing I did get those new caps! 

So, what I'm gonna do now is just use both new caps; will save the one surviving one as spare. Just a note for people going to do this--it is likely you will break one if not both and you'll definitely need to have replacements on hand, just in case. Esp. given the lead time on these (took me a couple months to get mine) it'd be a good idea to order them well ahead of time...unless you're lucky enough to find in stock at a dealer.


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