ABT HAS suspension on B9.5 & Height sensor issues.

[AKO]

Hello all,

I recently installed the ABT HAS kit on our B9.5 SQ5. Install went smooth quality of the kit is great as well. I drove the car for about two months with no issues and just recently as the weather has gotten cold I have popped a few "suspension malfunction" errors. Assuming the issue was not with the actual shocks. I scanned the car and I see a Mechanical malfunction for the height sensor. I have not narrowed it down to which specific corner it is but I am wondering which routes folks have taken when lowering their SQ's. Initially I used the ABT provided connecting rods on the front sensors on the shortest setting as someone on here suggested. I did leave the rear connecting rods OEM as they also said they had luck this way.

I have not gotten under the car just yet as the weather here has been miserable past few days. Just hoping someone has had some insight as to the best route to take in this situation. My inkling also is I put back the OEM rods in the front and actually calibrate the sensors to the new lowered height. My understating is the rods are provided for users who cannot calibrate to the new ride height via VCDS (correct me if I am wrong there).

Thanks guys.

[rcprato]

The ABT instructions have you mark the sensors before beginning any work so with adjustable rods you can re-align the marks, I did this with a a Sharpie paint marker.

I am about 1/3 from the bottom of the adjusting perch, was able to adjust the front with the ABT adjustable rods but back would not go long enough. Even the OEM rear connecting rods are not long enough to get original marks to align.

[AKO]

The ABT instructions have you mark the sensors before beginning any work so with adjustable rods you can re-align the marks, I did this with a a Sharpie paint marker.

I am about 1/3 from the bottom of the adjusting perch, was able to adjust the front with the ABT adjustable rods but back would not go long enough. Even the OEM rear connecting rods are not long enough to get original marks to align.

I must have missed the instructions. All I saw in box was some German TUV cert paperwork. Are you seeing any errors?

[rcprato]

I must have missed the instructions. All I saw in box was some German TUV cert paperwork. Are you seeing any errors?

No errors but the computer probably thinks my rear end is low (under load). It's the opposite of what you would think, if you lower the car you need longer ride height sensor links.

Trying to get a machinist friend of mine to make longer threaded rod for me but it's a low priority for him and me at this point.

[AKO]

No errors but the computer probably thinks my rear end is low (under load). It's the opposite of what you would think, if you lower the car you need longer ride height sensor links.

Trying to get a machinist friend of mine to make longer threaded rod for me but it's a low priority for him and me at this point.

It does make sense now that I think about it. I think it mainly affects the level of your headlights more so than anything else. I have a feeling if the sensors are "calibrated" at the new height you would not need new rods. Has to be something folks have dealt with.

[Hostile]

Mine is installed as low as it will go without rubbing.

My shop used the ABT bars initially and I would get the suspension malfunction when I hit hard bumps or heavy dips in the road.

They put the OE level bars back on because the ABT ones were too short. ABT actually recommended that too. Since then the malfunction hasn’t happened again.

[J-Dog]

@AKO - Just tried messaging you back again and you're over the limit for messages. Won't go through.

[AKO]

Mine is installed as low as it will go without rubbing.

My shop used the ABT bars initially and I would get the suspension malfunction when I hit hard bumps or heavy dips in the road.

They put the OE level bars because the ABT ones were too short. Since then the malfunction hasn’t happened again.

I am pretty low as well maybe 1/4-1/2 inch from full low on the threads. Good to know that you no longer have that issue. I think you maybe the one I was following along, I think you said the shop left the ABT in the front at one point and OEM in the rear? I could be wrong though. I have been reading through a bunch of threads recently.

- - - Updated - - -

@AKO - Just tried messaging you back again and you're over the limit for messages. Won't go through.

Let me clear those. Ill update when I do. Sorry about that.

[J-Dog]

I am pretty low as well maybe 1/4-1/2 inch from full low on the threads. Good to know that you no longer have that issue. I think you maybe the one I was following along, I think you said the shop left the ABT in the front at one point and OEM in the rear? I could be wrong though. I have been reading through a bunch of threads recently.

- - - Updated - - -



Let me clear those. Ill update when I do. Sorry about that.

No worries!


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[AKO]

No worries!


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

Should be clear now.

[Hostile]

I am pretty low as well maybe 1/4-1/2 inch from full low on the threads. Good to know that you no longer have that issue. I think you maybe the one I was following along, I think you said the shop left the ABT in the front at one point and OEM in the rear? I could be wrong though. I have been reading through a bunch of threads recently.

Correct, they used the ABT bars in the front and the OE bars in the rear.

[AKO]

Correct, they used the ABT bars in the front and the OE bars in the rear.

So you have front and back OEM now or front ABT and rear OEM?

[Hostile]

So you have front and back OEM now or front ABT and rear OEM?

ABT in the front and OEM in the rear.

[AKO]

ABT in the front and OEM in the rear.

Well I will have to experiment then. I am running that now with consistent error I will have to poke around. Being error free for the first 2 months kind of makes me feel one of the links may have fallen off.

[rcprato]

@AKO definitely check to make sure links are connected, would be nice if that simple.

The sensors are potentiometers that have a range known to the ECU, not sure all of the parameters effected by them not being at the home position that the OEM suspension and OEM links puts them at but I know it does effect the headlight position sensors. When you start the car in garage do you notice the headlights do a up/down dance, they are running to the extremes of the travel and then going to the position pre-determined by the ECU for "level".

[AKO]

@AKO definitely check to make sure links are connected, would be nice if that simple.

The sensors are potentiometers that have a range known to the ECU, not sure all of the parameters effected by them not being at the home position that the OEM suspension and OEM links puts them at but I know it does effect the headlight position sensors. When you start the car in garage do you notice the headlights do a up/down dance, they are running to the extremes of the travel and then going to the position pre-determined by the ECU for "level".

Def will get under the car as soon as we get out of this snow we have been getting.

That is my understanding too, the sensors do not have a "physical" parameter but more of set high and low if the sensor operates out side of those ranges that will throw an error. I will note my headlights are now really low and I have been meaning to do an adaptation via VCDS but the B9.5 VCDS settings are a bit different from my B8.5 S4. Gonna take some digging around but I think setting the new "position" with OEM links would be the best bet since I have access to VCDS. The links are meant to trick the sensors and make them think they are still at the same height position by limiting the range.

[AKO]

Update on this.

I finally got under the car and found all the links to be connected. One of the front links was in more horizontal position vs the other being more vertical. I dont know how they moved around does anyone have photos of what direction their ABT links are positioned in? I assume this is what is causing the issue.