Skoda OCTAVIA Workshop Manual page 60

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Front Suspension
Testing shock absorber with gas pressure
Faulty shock absorbers with gas pressure are
also recognizable from loud rumbling noises
because of the wheel jumping and, in most
cases, as a result of an oil loss visible on the
outside.
It is possible to carry out an inspection by hand
to determine whether the shock absorber is
faulty or not:
- Compress shock absorber by hand.
- When this is done, it must be possible to
move the piston rod with even pressure and
free of jerks over the entire stroke.
- Release piston rod; if the shock absorber has
an adequate gas pressure, the piston rod au-
tomatically returns to its initial position.
- If this is not the case, it is not immediately
necessary to replace the shock absorber as
it continues to operate like a conventional
shock absorber (see Notes below).
Notes:
♦ The damping function is fully retained even
without gas pressure provided no major oil
loss has occurred. There may, however, be
a deterioration in the noise characteristics.
On older vehicles, a shock absorber which
has become pressureless but is otherwise
operating properly, can continue to be re-
used.
♦ Shock absorbers with gas pressure are fit-
ted only to the rear axle.
♦ The gas pressure in the shock absorber im-
proves the noise characteristics and opera-
tion when driving on poor road surfaces.
OCTAVIA
Edition 10.98
S00.5103.54.20