[SwissJetPilot]

The only way I can see to do this is to push the cable back inside the outer cap enough that when removing the outer cap the inner cap doesn't get pulled off at the same time. In theory any way

Looking at the new cap design, it would seem the inner cap has to go on first, followed by the outer cap. The design doesn't seem to be that both are installed simultaneously. I did find a picture of one from a Polish website, and it looks like the cable can be pushed back inside a bit to give the inner cap room for fitment. From the pictures anyway, there doesn't seem to be anything designed in the plastic that intended to snap off or break when removed.

Once you have the old one off you can compare it with the new one and hopefully see what's getting damaged when the old on is removed and hopefully figure out how to prevent it from happening. Perhaps you can put a meter across the connector pins and get a resistance measurement before you remove the old cap, and then try to put it back on and see if anything changes. Once you have the new cap on the shock, you certainly don't want to risk breaking anything by taking it off again. At least with the old one, you can put it back on and take if off without too much concern. It would be interesting to see if the resistance is different between the old and new caps.

I went back and looked through the workshop manual and couldn't find anything about how to install a new cap. So maybe your new one comes with a set of instructions. I'll ping my Audi guy and see if there's any sort of tech bulletin.

 

[TT'sRevenge]

The only way I can see to do this is to push the cable back inside the outer cap enough that when removing the outer cap the inner cap doesn't get pulled off at the same time. In theory any way

Looking at the new cap design, it would seem the inner cap has to go on first, followed by the outer cap. The design doesn't seem to be that both are installed simultaneously. I did find a picture of one from a Polish website, and it looks like the cable can be pushed back inside a bit to give the inner cap room for fitment. From the pictures anyway, there doesn't seem to be anything designed in the plastic that intended to snap off or break when removed.

Yeah I don't understand it either--it just looks like a cap with an electrical connector in it--why that has to be broken I don't get.

Once you have the old one off you can compare it with the new one and hopefully see what's getting damaged when the old on is removed and hopefully figure out how to prevent it from happening. Perhaps you can put a meter across the connector pins and get a resistance measurement before you remove the old cap, and then try to put it back on and see if anything changes. Once you have the new cap on the shock, you certainly don't want to risk breaking anything by taking it off again. At least with the old one, you can put it back on and take if off without too much concern. It would be interesting to see if the resistance is different between the old and new caps.

Yeah that's the plan, the old shock is gonna get garbaged anyway as you've already shown the correspondence from that company that does the rebuilding that it wouldn't be worth it to do.

I went back and looked through the workshop manual and couldn't find anything about how to install a new cap. So maybe your new one comes with a set of instructions. I'll ping my Audi guy and see if there's any sort of tech bulletin.

Yeah no instructions. The ones I bought were at a general auto parts liquidator company--hence why I got them so cheap. I mean still not cheap as in regular shock prices but a good bit discounted from what they'd be from a dealer. The reason code on the stickers on them shows something like "warehouse ship incident" or something along those lines. Physically they look perfect so I expect they should work fine but there is some degree of risk in both there possibly being a problem and also the fact that I bought the F shocks when I'm really "supposed" to have the E. I looked into the controller/module though and it's the same part whether you have either setup.

Still I don't think ones from the dealer would have come with any instructions either. Vagueness in service manuals is often typical given they are meant for people that have had additional training, experience, etc. in doing these things. Funny enough some of those S/M PDFs actually have a thing where you have to scroll through and click "OK" agreeing that you understand they are meant for trained techs, before you can view the rest of them :lol:

 

[SwissJetPilot]

I know from the Roadster drain tubes, Audi has their own separate tech instructions for parts which are not covered in the workshop manuals. My Audi guy was kind enough to send a one-page instruction sheet a while back. So hopefully he can dig up something for the caps.

 

[TT'sRevenge]

So uh I ordered those shock caps back in mid-April, still haven't even had them shipped despite the dealer I ordered from saying they were due in first week of May. Checked back on the order and just seems dead no word on shipping, no updates, greattt... :|

So emailed them back now and see what they say.

As we've already mentioned it's pretty stupid Audi along with Delphi decided to design a shock cap which meant destroying the cap if you remove it--requiring replacement if you ever need to replace the shock (or even the mount for that matter).

What's ridiculous is making a part they're...not even making it seems and needing to wait like 2 months to get them! Maybe it's easier to get these in Europe or something but this is taking forever. I'm not really that impatient a person but c'mon now. I don't even really blame the dealer, this seems to be VAG's shenanigans.

Like if you're going to make a part like this, shouldn't you have the damn things in stock somewhere in every country?

Now that I think about it, maybe I should change those shock mounts while I'm at it? This is only adding to the cost but it seems like it's a good idea given if the mount(s) ever fail, guess what else needs to be replaced? The unobtanium, super expensive caps!

 

[FNChaos]

I'm having trouble believing the Magride cap needs to be destroyed to remove.

I have a couple of (unused) non-Magride caps that came with a rear mount kit I bought some time ago. As you can see from the pics, the cap is simply held in place by friction. The only difference would be the electrical connection, and that would have to be designed to plug / unplug in order to install the cap.

 

[TT'sRevenge]

I'm having trouble believing the Magride cap needs to be destroyed to remove.

I have a couple of (unused) non-Magride caps that came with a rear mount kit I bought some time ago. As you can see from the pics, the cap is simply held in place by friction. The only difference would be the electrical connection, and that would have to be designed to plug / unplug in order to install the cap.

Yeah it remains to be seen I guess but by all accounts it does have to be replaced. I'm sure it's the electrical connector that is one-time use, which is rather sad. It's designed to be plugged but not unplugged! Because yeah the non-MR caps are literally 1/100th the price! It's like $1.50 for those, $150 for the magride ones.

I will try to see if reusable but I'm not going to pull a shock and pull off a cap to try to find out when I don't have a replacement on hand! That will certainly put the car out of commission for an indefinite time lol.

BTW those rear mounts, it looks like you didn't use them? I've seen the ECS so-called "HD" ones on their site before but I think I'd rather buy the OE ones. Don't get me wrong I've actually purchased thousands of dollars of ECS stuff but somehow I think these mounts I might not be anything too special. Any reason you didn't use yours or are those just old pics and you did put them in?

 

[FNChaos]

BTW those rear mounts, it looks like you didn't use them? I've seen the ECS so-called "HD" ones on their site before but I think I'd rather buy the OE ones. Don't get me wrong I've actually purchased thousands of dollars of ECS stuff but somehow I think these mounts I might not be anything too special. Any reason you didn't use yours or are those just old pics and you did put them in?

No, I bought them intending to replace the mounts when I installed my Vogland lowering springs. I did replace the front mounts while I had everything apart, but for some reason I had it in my mind that I would need to remove the shocks to access the rear.
I also bought new rear bump stops... maybe someday (when I'm really bored) I will get around to installing them.

As far as I can tell the ECS mounts are the same as OEM with the exception of the rubber. OEM is supposedly 75A duro and the ECS mounts are 85A

 

[FNChaos]

I did find a site describing a 'possible' work-around if one is interested in replacing just a shock mount or bump stop...
[smiley=book2.gif] If I read it correctly, the author de-pinned the Magride connector and removed the cap (allowing the wiring to pass through the cap and protective sleeve. Then using a cutout 16mm deep socket (similar to a strut socket) he removed the shock mounting nut with the wiring still attached to the shock.

See: https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...um/showthread.php/817875-How-do-you-take-off-the-rear-shock-top-(8V-S3-Magride)

 

[SwissJetPilot]

In case you can't access the site (and so we have this information here in the Forum) here's the commentary and pictures from the site FNChaos linked above.

Basically you will need to de-pin the connector so you can remove the cap and unscrew the 8mm nut on the end of the connector where it's screwed into the top of the shock. It looks like this is the only way to avoid breaking off the connector and having to buy a new one.

Tools -

• 8mm Box Wrench
• 16mm Strut Nut Socket
• VAG Connector De-pinning Tool

Modified Deep Well 16mm Socket -

If you can't find the strut socket at your local auto parts, you can cut an opening in a 16mm deep well socket. This allows you to hold the outer 16mm nut, then use a 8mm to loosen the inner 8mm nut.

De-pinning the Connector -

In order to remove the cap and get the 8mm wrench onto the nut, you have to de-pin the connector first.

Here's a pic that shows the hole you need to insert the de-pinning tool to release each pin's black plastic shroud within the connector. Once both pins are free of their shrouds (within the purple outer shroud) you should be able to carefully pull out the purple outer shroud, then pull each wire and pin out the back.

If you can't get your hands on a VAG de-pinning tool, this YouTube may help with the de-pinning by using a bobby-pin -

How to Repair VW Wiring Connectors

Shock Top Removal -

Use the box end of a 8mm wrench over the wires to hold the little nut, then the cutaway socket on the outside. Set the base of the shock on the floor or a work bench and work looking down. 1/4 turn, reset the box end and repeat.

 

[TT'sRevenge]

I did find a site describing a 'possible' work-around if one is interested in replacing just a shock mount or bump stop...
[smiley=book2.gif] If I read it correctly, the author de-pinned the Magride connector and removed the cap (allowing the wiring to pass through the cap and protective sleeve. Then using a cutout 16mm deep socket (similar to a strut socket) he removed the shock mounting nut with the wiring still attached to the shock.

See: https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...um/showthread.php/817875-How-do-you-take-off-the-rear-shock-top-(8V-S3-Magride)

Thanks, yeah funny story I actually read that thread before I even bought the TT, lol. See I knew at the time the magride I would replace so I was looking up all the info on what had to be done.

I wasn't entirely sure the MQB shocks are the same or if the same is possible. Again once I get the shocks out I guess I'll see what I'm working with but won't even attempt until I get the caps. If it's somehow doable without breaking the caps I guess whatever I figure out can help other people in the future. I'm already in for $300+ in caps lol.

Good new though: my order shipped (from BC) last week, should be here this week. I also got new Lemforder mounts, Lemforder being the OE according to FCP Euro. When I got them though (they came pretty quick!) they are Lemforder, showing "ZF Aftermerket" and are made in China :roll: I ordered from RockAuto and not FCP but same part#. It'll probably cost me half of what they cost to return them so guess I will just use 'em and forget about it. The bolts look like they are gonna rust though lol, so I'll get the OE ones instead (or reuse the ones on the car) as pretty sure those are coated.

 

[SwissJetPilot]

@ TT'sRevenge - I will be following your post closely so please post all the photos you can!
I know this is in my future at some point and I'm not keen on tossing away that kind of money for parts Audi states are "not reusable".

 

[TT'sRevenge]

@ TT'sRevenge - I will be following your post closely so please post all the photos you can!
I know this is in my future at some point and I'm not keen on tossing away that kind of money for parts Audi states are "not reusable".

Will do, will see if they are removable without "destroying".

I happen to have a strut nut socket but it's 21mm not 16mm. ECS tuning sells them for reasonable prices but unfortunately shipping and brokerage/tax because Canada (and border closed) would make the $11 USD socket cost me like $70 CAD :roll:

Funny part about the 21mm is I bought it (from ECS back when border was freely open) to do the front struts on my A3 but funny enough the KWs used a different size nut (like 18mm I think) so it ended up going unused because I didn't dismantle my factory struts--I just used new mounts with the KWs.

That story aside, I can get a cheap de-pinning set off Amazon as I've been meaning to buy that anyway. Luckily I think I can get the nut socket from ECS via EuroSportTuning (basically a Canadian distributor/partner for ECS)--this may be my only option. The thing is I don't want to go to the trouble of ordering that, driving about an hour to pick it up, to find out the size on the 8J is different from an 8V lol.

Can anyone confirm the rear shock nut is 16mm on the 8J w/mag ride? I suppose the other way is to order the nuts (which I think I forgot in my BC-dealer order) and see what they are.

I still don't really understand why you even need to de-pin the connector--it doesn't even seem like he pulled the wires through the cap? The cap is still on in the pictures? Unless the cap won't come far enough off without de-pinning it? It seems like this will be much like the cam chain on the engine, lol. I read so many different internet threads (and videos) on that plus the service manual and it didn't make full sense to me how the timing is set, until I actually did it. Then it all just "came together".

If this is easy enough to do, that will be great information. But not like it's really too ideal for me to try to return the caps I bought--shipping back to BC, probably restock fee if they even accept returns.

I think what I'm going to do, since I got new mounts is just assemble the new shocks with the new mounts and caps. Then I can fiddle with the old ones when they are off the car without having to worry about the car being "grounded" while I find the tools to do it. Then just save the caps as spares I guess, if they come off okay. Granted I have the other car anyway but I still have winters on that ATM (which is a whole other story--I now need 8mm spacers for the front as 7mm is not enough and my next up is 12.5mm which is too much--doh!).

 

[TT'sRevenge]

Okay so little update...

So as I suspected the caps on the 8J/PQ35 cars look similar from the outside to the 8V/MQB ones but are not at all the same underneath. I had noted this before based on the pictures but I actually have them in-hand now I can confirm. Caps are made in Poland, if anyone is interested in that tidbit.

Bad news. There's no way to do what is described in the pictures/post linked to above on the 8V S3. The shock mount on our cars is fastened to the shock mount in regular fashion--with just a nut (possibly a washer too) and that's it--it's the exact same mount and exact same method of installing the shock-to-mount as it is on a car with standard shocks.

After that, the smaller cap with the electrical connection merely goes on top of the shock rod and clicks into place; then the outer cap (which is otherwise exactly the same as a standard cap) clips onto the mount.

There's no using a strut-nut-socket or anything like that, it's quite simple in fact. I don't see anyway that just removing the outer cap will "destroy" it so then it just comes down to the smaller cap that connects on top of the shock rod. There's a tiny green connector on there that interfaces with the [electrical] pin on the shock rod. Ground is just taken from the shock rod/mount itself, naturally. I believe it's that little connector that becomes unusable when the "interface cap" is pulled off. There's either a barb that secures it and breaks it off and you're left to pull the rest off, or it just can't be used again due to expansion or whatever.

In fact I'm almost thinking the cap could be reused but they tell you to replace it based on it no longer being a reliable connection after removal. In any event it seems like it's a tiny amount of wiring, an electrical connector on the car side, and a tiny little connector on the shock side, that costs all this money :roll: TBH I can't see how they are not making huge profit margin on these caps. I know they're not a high selling item but I could see $50 being reasonable, $150 is basically just highway robbery :x Unfortunately them's the breaks and we gotta buy them it seems.

To be clear, there is no way to use any wrenches, sockets, etc. in the procedure of removing the cap on PQ35 cars' rear mag ride. It's just not a part of how the cap goes on. No de-pinning is going to help you either.

I suspect the more elaborate design on the 8V/MQB cars is there exactly because it allows removing the cap without destroying the connector or making it unusable/unreliable afterwards, which looks to certainly be the case on our cars unfortunately.

Once I get to the job I will pull the cap on one old shock to find out if/how it breaks but I intend to just assemble the new shocks with the new mounts and caps and not try to reuse the old ones at all.

 

[SwissJetPilot]

In the case of the 8V/MQB shock mount, de-pinning was so you could get the outer and inner caps off, then slip the wire through the opening of both the 8mm wrench and the 16mm Strut Socket without damaging the connector.

In the case of the 8J/PQ35 TT shock mount, de-pinning would be for a similar purpose of removing the outer and inner caps without damaging the wire so it can remain plugged into the shock. Then you can put the wire through the Strut Socket (just like the 8V/MOB) in order to loosen the nut on top of the shock and hopefully remove it without permanently damaging it.

The key point of this exercise is to answer the question -

1.) Can the outer cap, inner cap and wire be removed/disconnected from the shock without damage and be reused?

 

[SwissJetPilot]

Any chance, before you pull one of the caps off completely, that you could use a Dremmel tool and cut away the outer and inner caps as shown below and take some pictures? If you think de-pinning isn't going to help, at least this way we could see exactly how this all goes together before you pull it apart -

 

[TT'sRevenge]

Any chance, before you pull one of the caps off completely, that you could use a Dremmel tool and cut away the outer and inner caps as shown below and take some pictures? If you think de-pinning isn't going to help, at least this way we could see exactly how this all goes together before you pull it apart -

I could try that I suppose.

I don't think de-pinning is even necessary to take the cap off and see underneath--the wire slides through the grommet enough as otherwise you wouldn't be able to install the cap without de-pinning it.

Because the "inner cap and wire" has nothing to do with the nut (except for the fact that it sits on it) I don't see what difference there would be in trying to remove that nut without first pulling off the inner cap. Doing so would just pop the cap off as the nut backs out anyway. I don't see how that makes any difference than just pulling it off?

Speaking of those nuts, I totally forgot to get them and the lower washers when I ordered the other stuff--DOH! Those nuts are also different on the magride shocks. Though they are only $8/ea. in the US, they are $20 each in Canada--nice another $40 to spend. I have no other orders to make from US ATM, from any place that would have them (in order to make the shipping worthwhile) so I guess it's $40, tax, and a trip to a stealer for me :x

 

[SwissJetPilot]

@ TT'sRevenge - Any new updates on this project? I'm still very curious about whether or not the Magride outer cap, inner cap and wire be removed/disconnected from the shock without damage and be reused.

 

[Daz1968]

I removed mine when changing a rear shock absorber, only issue was Audi had changed the design and I had to purchase a new one as the connector wasn't long enough on old one to make a connection in top of new shock absorber, I found it easy to remove with a small screwdriver and didn't damage it in any way,

 

[SwissJetPilot]

@ Daz1968 - Interesting. Thanks for that tid-bit of information. So far mine are still okay, but I know the day will come. :?

 

[darrylmg]

Some great content in this thread.
Having done a little inspection today (still looking to find where my ants are hiding!), I noticed the condition of those spongy parts on my rear magride shocks was looking a little poor.

This is not mine (mine are in a worse condition), but in red is the part I'm talking about:

This thread shows the new ones looking all pristine and clean.

What function does this sponge perform?
Mine are starting to crumble a little so I want to know how that might affect the shock.

Thanks.