So it looks like I may need new front struts for my 2013 GTC (27,000 miles). I see that the left front is leaking down after a few days with the car sitting in jack mode. My question is how long do the original struts last? In addition, what is the best replacement option today? Aerosus? Looks like they have a rebuild kit only.

 

My left strut had to be replace at 14,500 miles. Dealer insisted on replacing both left and right and adding a front end alignment. Thousands of dollars.

 

Hello All,
I just have to state my experiences, as I am bothered so many times by the strut replacements at such low mile, be it time or mileage.

My 2005 Audi A8L W12 which now 220K miles, has it's original struts all around, never once has she sagged.

My 2005 Hurricane Sandy GT which sat bottomed out from September 2012 until December 2020, now has never sagged/lowered at all, even when left un-driven for 2 weeks.

I state this because, be it Bentley or Audi, I have read how so many have replaced a strut or both (front), only to have the same issue, which later turned out to be a poorly seated airline at the strut, or at the valve block, or the valve block itself, or even the compressor being weak and unable to pump up the struts.

So, one must, or should I say, take every step to determine the issue, by soapy water testing at each airline connection, at the top of each strut, especially under the hood where the electric dampening wire feeds into the front struts, and also spaying the bottom of the accordion shields on each strut.

I am not saying that a strut can not fail at an early age, but why, at 14,500 I'd be pissed, that some blankety blank blank...

Just my thoughts.

Johnny

 

I suspect you are correct. I have no confidence in the honesty of the dealer. I am in an area with very little choice of independent shops. I know of two, one I've used for oil changes thus far.
The other I haven't used yet. I know of 5 other Bentley GT owners in my area, all physicians, like me, and all with a deep desire to avoid the dealership here.

That said, I don't know that I could get the radiator coolant changed in 2023 AND have the o rings, etc., mentioned elsewhere changed at that time. It requires a lot of knowledge of the
car to do things like that from an independent garage (I think).

 

I also own a Freightliner Cascadia which if you're at all familiar, runs EVERYTHING with air. An Ultrasonic Leak Detector is an essential tool for tracking down air leaks. I'm sure they're available on the used tool market.

 

Johnny. Thanks for the info on your experiences. Just trying to get a handle on if these dry rot in 8 years or 20 years. When you say Valve Block. Do you mean on the compressor under the trunk? When a leak is found under the hood at the top of the strut is that a total strut replacement? Also has anybody used the 1/2 priced struts which can be found online?

 

I am with JH on this , I have been running air shock cars for over 25 yrs .Range rovers , Cayenne and now a BGT .
Even aggressive off road driving whacking bumps / drops in the Range rovers never busted a bag inc wild axle articulations , stretching followed by compression.
As JH mentioned I did have an issue on a 160 000 miler Cayenne a dropped strut . .Local Porsche specialist found a leaky connection and simply made good where the pipe entered the strut .
No new strut( s) .

Also after a dash warning a loose wire the sensor wire …..simply re soldered it up .Car was 7/8 yrs old and collecting miles on salty winter roads .

I do not buy into the “ extra weight “ of the BGT s as said the SUV s were battered off-road and the bags never split .
Summing up I reckon I have put over a million miles on air strut cars with just those two ^^^ simple issues .

 

To add a little more to consider on testing the strut for leaks before throwing away a perfectly working strut, besides the leak of course, as if the bladder is not blown out, search for other failures.

If the strut is slowly leaking at the top under the hood, or the bottom of the accordion cover, then the upper and lower o-rings would be the first to check and change, this has been done over on AW by Louis and some others, there is also the possibility of the brass air inlet as shown in the attached pictures being the fault of air leakage.

I will find the video for the o-rings and post.
Please ignore the red circle.

Johnny

.

 

Great thanks guys. I look forward to seeing the video.

 

The video.


Johnny

 

Thank you much!