As the title says , so i have a 2012 panamera S Model with factory air ride suspension , i want to know can i put regular spring strut suspension from a panamera that doesnt have air ride suspension? Or are the mount points different please let me know im not worried if it will leave a chasis error on dash i just want to get rid of this air ride suspension i hate the problems its giving me but if its not possible i guess ill just sell the car any info let me know

 

I've looked into this because I've considered it and could not find any confirmation that anyone has done it. There are Panamera models without Air Suspension. So in theory, you could swap to a sprint/steel suspension and the dealer or a shop could reprogram the ECU. However, its probably uncharted territory.

 

Hey, i spoke to porsche certified shops and they told me it isnt possible because the mount points are different they told me only people with panameras that dont come equipped with bags can convert to bags or aftermarket bags. sucks for me because im having suspension problems but i guess ill just fix it and go on with my day lol .

 

This would be most stupid downgrade to go from air suspension to steel springs !

 

 

but in reality there is nothing special in air suspension system, far far away from rocket science, but if you go to indy shop which takes no interest to look at it properly and understand - that's where problems starts ...




don't you think this is strange ? if you can go one way but can't go opposite ??

 

Why would you say that? The value of the air suspension is comfort. if that isn't your goal, it's con are it adds a lot of weight and complexity. In terms of pure handling, steel shocks/springs should be easily competitive in terms of handling performance.

Paul

 

Parts are more expensive than needed, but a good indy shop can do the labor for cheap. As far as I can tell the front suspension, value block, and compressor don't look difficult to replace even for an experience garage mechanics.

Got any more info on the challenge you are having? I think getting more troubleshooting info out about the common symptoms and causes will just help. negb is right, they are not overly complex systems, but I wouldn't say they are easiest things to diagnose.

 

He had a compressor failure some time ago. After doing recondition of compressor (new piston and seals, etc), it failed again. Then bought another compressor, which failed too.
Did more PD and found his system has a leak in one front shock.
I assume its in the bellows, not line junction on top of shock.

I would make sure to know there are no other leaks (assume this is done already).
Then, having system re-pressurized with Nitrogen would be the dealer way of fix. I have heard of multiple people saying Nitro not critical, but my opinion is it helps with keeping moisture out. if you replace shock, be careful to make sure not to drive if suspension is sagging.

From my talks to dealer techs, once shock replaced they put nitro into system (it is self contained). That involves making sure each part has specific pressure in it (max is just under 249psi). So I assume all components must be put together, then front right (passenger) line from shock is disconnected, connected to Nitro tank with adapter 9825, through a regulator, lines, etc.
The Low side would need to be set below 249. Then you would need a way to use diagnostic tool to manipulate the valve block, as the line you connected to takes you there. Form the block, you would need to open each area (reservoir tank, each other shock line, line to compressor), so that proper pressure can be put into each. Then you disconnect from tank, plug line into shock and it should be ready to rock.

one thing I was not able to confirm is if each line has a small Schrader valve on end, so that pressure in line would not drop at disconnect from other components. if the valves are there, disconnecting still preserves line pressure (would be great). If not, at disconnect you have no nitro in line, and when you reconnect it, overall pressure of system decreases, and little moisture is introduced into the system too.


Maybe one day I will get me a small Nitro tank from a welding store, with regs, and get the setup to check air suspension pressure.
Spoke to dealer techs who told me would have to charge me about an hour of labor, thats just for checking pressure. You know if you want them to 'look' anywhere else, they will ask for another hour or more.

Hope Panamera_Lou has good luck with his repair. Anyone else with suggestions here is greatly appreciated.

 

Yeah, wound up seeing that. Hate to say it, but an awful lot of these issues are leaking Air Struts - and that either causing other issues or being the source all long. I think we all secretly hope it's something cheaper like the valve block, but it's usually not.

According to the service manual you are supposed to empty the individual strut and then disconnect the line. When I did mine I lost a little air int he line, but for the most part when air is not moving between the compressor/reservoir, the line pressure isn't really substantial and doesn't empty the system. The struts seem self contained. Lot confirmation, but my experience and the manual seem consistent here.

 

My car's air suspension system's air compressor has failed in 2K miles, replaced under warranty. When it happened the car was lowering below the minimum level and jumping like crazy on bumps.

 

Had a front bag fail this summer , replaced both fronts. Good so far

 

Forum sponsor Arnott offers remanufactured front struts for the 2010-2013 Porsche Panamera (970)

 

I posted extensive info on panamera air suspension, how it works, how to debug, plus diy on changing parts in it.
Go search. You will find. I redid my suspension for fraction of cost.
Back to back failures are usually due to mis diagnozed issues, very rare due to fail components.

 

Thanks. I'm considering Arnott. Just make sure you read their warranty policy first to make absolutely sure they will honor the warranty if you install the air springs yourself.
I just had a horrible and costly experience buying Porsche Panamera rebuilt air shocks from RMT (RebuildMasterTech) that the readers need to know about. If you plan on doing your own repairs and you are not ASE certified...DO NOT BUY your air springs from RMT. They're warranty policy states you have to let an ASE certified mechanic install it for you and you must show proof of such for warranty service or your warrantyis void. This totally defeats the purpose of "do it yourself" repairs and saving money.
I purchased 2 air shocks from them for almost $700. Both shocks arrived with air already leaking due to the center bolt on both shocks were overtighten before I ever received them. This caused them to leak air and therefore were useless.
The leak on both shocks were found immediately after installation the same day I received them but because I installed them myself, RMT refused to honor the warranty because I'm not ASE certified. However, I am a certified auto mechanic. I graduated from a 2 year college for auto mechanics and I have the certification to prove it but none of that matters to them. I even have video evidence of the defect. They don't care.
RMT does not support "do-it-yourselfers." They sent me 2 defective shocks and took my $700 for something that dont work and left me holding the bag. I just dont want anyone else to lose all their hard earned money with RMT simply because they were trying to save money by doing their own repairs. If you buy from RMT to install yourself, you better hope the part is not defective when you get it. It's a very expensive gamble. Good luck. I was totally ripped off by them.
Now I am considering trying one last time with a different company or just switch the whole system over to coilovers.