I've been told that an independent alignment shop would not be capable of performing a proper alignment on a Cayenne equipped with air-suspension.
The reasoning is: The suspension must be placed into a "special" ride-height using a dealer's computer for the factory's alignment specs to be correct.

This all sounds like BS to me. Anyone know if there is any validity to this statement?

- Thanks is advance.

 

i also need the alignment doing/checking, and have air suspension, does anybody know if this is the case?
thanks.

 

Dunno - I had mine done at NTB on "normal" ride height and it wasn't much out of spec. Just the right front tire that was wearing a bit abnormal.

 

I understand that this is an old post, but does anyone have concrete information on this? Should the alignment be done with the car set at normal ride height, even though it spends 90% of the time on the lower setting? Should I have the independent shop align it to specs based on the lower ride height? The local dealer does not align and three techs have given me three different answers!

 

At least with my Gts when getting tires changed or alignment I had to put yhe car into
Special air susp off setting to do this. They should be able to do as well although I'd be hesitant about someone not familiar screwing something up.

 

Special air suspension off setting? Never heard about that one before... The shop where the dealer told me to take it definitely does not own a Porsche tool to access something like this. Guess I will just put it in normal height and hope for the best?!

 

It's a maintenance setting. No tool required. Instructions are in manual. Same setting as for changing tires so compressor doesn't run constantly you can lock in in lower height for this procedure only without lowering module.

 

never heard...

 

Hasn't anyone ever changed their tires and had to do this? I am now starting to question this car vs another in memory....
No, I know it's the cayenne for sure.

 

I re read the manual and there is nothing in mine (manual for 2004) that says anything about that feature for either alignment or changing tire. Just had the tires replaced (non dealer) and they had a scissor lift to remove the tires and put them back on. The car did settle right away to its ride heigh (based on my selection). I got to speak to another tech and apparently the proper way to align the car is by having it in "normal" ride height and with a full tank of gas. This still applies even if I decide to drive all the time in the "lower level" ride height. I don't have lowering links/modules, just what Porsche designed into the height adjustment selections.
EDIT: I did find the page (#230) on the user manual to raise the vehicle with a jack!

 

If you get a flat on the road, you have to 'lock' in the air suspension or the car will just keep going up and up and your tires will remain on the ground (unless you have an enormous jack that goes up 24"). To 'lock' in the suspension, I believe you start the car, leave it in park, and hold the ride height lever down for 10 seconds or so. It'll beep and you can then jack up the car normally. To 'unlock' it you just move the lever up or put the car in drive. None of this is necessary if you have a lift.

My Porsche dealership aligned my CTT for the LOWER setting. Not sure how they did it. I just dropped it off and said to do it for the lower setting and when I picked it up they said it was done.

 

I guess they could just get it on the alignment bench and set it to the lower setting and start aligning that way and be done with it, question is, which is the right procedure/right way to do it?! I have gotten as many different answers as times I have asked the question! In my pea sized brain, it would make sense to adjust to the specs based on the ride height most often used.

 

30 seconds i just checked, very cool.

 

As stated, the correct way is full tank of gas, and in the NORMAL mode, however, if you drive around in LOW setting all the time, it is not a bad idea to get it aligned in low mode, if you are to align it in normal mode, then immediately lower it, that is no different than lowering any other car, and your specs that were just set in normal mode are now skewed. This is not a requirement, but it's a good idea to align the car where it is going to be driven most.

Also, hold the air suspension switch forward for about 10 seconds to deactivate the air suspension for things like changing a tire.

 

Good advice, speeddemon... thanks for sharing!