knfeparty

hilariously, I logged into Rennlist searching for a replacement to my 2011 Cayenne Turbo that started this thread, and saw that I was tagged months ago. The valve block replacement is easy DIY.

I guess I'll provide an update on the car. Back in 2018 it probably had like 80k miles and it has 144k now. I am still running the aftermarket valve block and the aftermarket compressor. I have replaced every strut, some of them a couple of times. Back when Porsche sold the entire strut, I put one or two of those on, but more recently I have been buying the Bilstein complete struts from FCP Euro, to take advantage of the FCP lifetime guarantee.

Some notes about the bilstein struts: Fitment is fine, but the air valves are different, so the air lines don't go exactly where they do on the OE struts. The ride quality is OE.

The part of the strut that the air valve threads into is plastic, not metal like on the OE, and let me tell you, it is garbage. The joint between the air valve and the strut's plastic body is really prone to leaking, and on top of that, it can be overtorqued and stripped out by a toddler's bare hands, which effectively ruins the strut.

None of my initial errors ever returned, but the car still throws the "chassis system failure" red fault accompanied with the "cannot adjust, suspension too high / too low" fault code under the following conditions:
1. Attempts to use loading level
2. Attempts to use high 2 (although about half the time it will say it is at high 2, but one side of the car will be wayyy higher than the other)
3. Disconnecting a trailer. This one happens 100% of the time. Oddly, connecting a trailer seems okay. But if you disconnect a trailer, it will seem to air down okay, but then within about 2 miles of driving, 100% of the time, it throws the chassis failure. Fortunately, it usually clears itself within another few miles. I've attempted to switch off the height adjusting by holding the rocker switch up until it flashes, disconnecting the trailer, and then reactivating the height adjustment. Didn't help.
4. When the car automatically goes from normal to low level due to speed on the highway. This one only happens sometime.

I don't get any issues with the car drooping while parked because every time it would do this, I would hunt down which strut was leaking and replace it.

The compressor does seem to run a long time sometimes when the car is not quite level and it struggles to get itself sorted out.

RAudi Driver

Do you have the old style Bilsteins or the new? By your description, sounds like you have the old style. I swapped all my old style shocks and struts for the new model, approved by the store who sold them to me as they knew about the change in design.

In the old style, the valve screwed right into the plastic shock body. In the new style, the valve screws into a 90 degree elbow that is set by the manufacturer. You have have to touch the 90 degree connection.

kon5t

Seems like an expensive way to test if the design is new/old, and hence working/not working. This makes me think this is not one of Bilsteins greater products! Did Billstein replace the faulty design cost free and pay for labor too?

I installed the Arnott shocks and they are great, ride is better than OE (purely subjective), and they fit exactly as desired without any errors or any other fettling requirements.

garrett376

Just don't try High Level 2 very often, as the airbag sleeves will come off.

kon5t

So they say...... but I play with it all day long in traffic, up/dow/up/down/up/down, on the freeway/standing still etc., I just cannot keep my fat fingers of it. I checked the bottom and the top of the airbags, the top has no clip around it and is just slipped on tightly (just like the OEM), the bottom has one of those annoying single use metal bands for which you need a special tool, it is tight too. I will let you know if either comes off, and I am off-roading the p!g!
If either one comes off it should be a simple fix to clamp it tight.

garrett376

Factory struts, and Bilsteins have the collar crimped to the bag unlike the Arnott's which have a ribbed inner surface that is held by friction and can scoot down. There's no way I could find to put these back together; Arnott must have a special tool to assemble them.

I'm not sure why they don't crimp them, but hopefully yours hold up and don't destroy the hydraulic lines when they come apart. Even though I could send them back, I had to eat the labor, nitrogen, and new screws to replace. And then do it all again when I got the old Bilstein version and those required replacing.

kon5t

Whoops you are right I just checked, my factories have a crimp at the top not at the bottom ( not sure why I saw that wrong, probably having a blonde day). The bottom of the Arnott's have a crimp but not the top. if they fail I will let you know, they certainly seem tight, but who knows...

RAudi Driver

I posted pictures. Look up! It's a simple look into your wheel well to see what style air valve you have. It is not an expensive way to to find out what style is on the car, if your'e running Bilsteins. The old design worked until it failed with a leak between the valve and plastic shock body. Bilstein realized the design flaw and corrected it as much as they could without a total redesign of the product and retooling of the manufacturing equipment. When I received the new one, I noticed the difference at which point I removed the other shock and walked it into the store also. They replaced after I showed them the new design. I think that was great customer service.

Everything was cost free except for the labor which never is. For what it's worth, I installed and reinstalled my suspension myself. G5 nitrogen and my labor is cheap.

TyreReviews

Anyone ever seen this code? I can't find it on the forum:

PORSCHE_EN_TEST_00001>Vehicle Select>Cayenne-92A (2011 - 2017)>Control Unit>LEC (Level Control)>Read Fault Code:
Total Number : 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
000133 1/3
Active
Shock absorber valve RL, open circuit

The other two faults are inactive.

I recently put a lift kit on so might have knocked some cables.

garrett376

The PASM plug is likely not currently connected (or damaged) if the code is active.

garrett376

Funny this thread got bumped: the Bilstein struts only lasted a year before failing.

TyreReviews

Thank you. They got pulled out during install so I guess they need taping back together better.

TyreReviews

Ooof. How many miles in those years?

Did you get them from FCP?

RAudi Driver

At the risk of jinxing myself, mine are still going strong.

Garrett, how did they fail? Just dropping overnight?

RAudi Driver

That won't matter in his case and Bilstein Air Shocks have a 2 year warranty.