Shock Absorber Leakage: Action Plan

Shock absorbers neutralise the free vibrations of the car body after overcoming an obstacle on the road. If this element works perfectly, the car will easily overcome deep bumps in the road and continue driving. When the shock absorber leaks, it becomes difficult and unsafe to drive the car.
Why can shock absorbers leak?

In a serviceable condition, the shock absorber body is hermetically sealed. This is ensured by a special seal (gland) between the body and the rod, which prevents oil from leaking out of the shock absorber. However, the gland is not absolutely airtight and minor oil leakage may be present.

• The most common reason why shock absorbers flow – it is excessive loads on the suspension. Not noticed a hole in the road at night and it is enough to make the shock absorber «cry». This happens because during the sharp compression of the shock absorber, the working fluid does not have time to flow over the valves and channels in the piston. Accordingly, it looks for weak spots in the seals and glands, and flows through them. At the same time, a small leakage of fluid through the gland in the rod area, may not affect the deterioration of the performance of the shock absorber.
• But over time or with high mileage of the vehicle, the oil seal wears out and deteriorates. In this case, the shock absorber begins to actively leak oil and after a short period of time, it loses the ability to normally damp and damp body vibrations.At this point, the shock absorber begins to actively leak oil and after a short period of time, it loses the ability to normally damp and damp body vibrations.

Can the car be operated if the shock absorbers have leaked?

The answer to this question is unambiguous – you can't. The car will react even to small bumps in the road with sharp body vibrations, cornering will be more difficult and will be possible only at low speeds, braking distance will increase. All this significantly increases the risk of road accidents. Oil leaks on the shock absorber should not be ignored.

A suspension with a faulty shock absorber wears out faster, ball joints, steering knuckles and bushings fail. Because the vibrations that the shock absorber is supposed to absorb are taken up by the suspension. If there are leaks on the shock absorber, it is necessary to take urgent measures – repair or replace the shock absorbers and carry out diagnostics of the chassis.
Diagnosis of the shock absorber in the car service

In practice, there are 3 methods of checking shock absorbers:

1. Visual.
2. Wiggle test, relevant only for passenger cars.
3. Test the shock absorber on a special bench.

Visual inspection

The most affordable and easy way to diagnose if a shock absorber strut is leaking is to visually check for leaks. If a leaking shock absorber is found, it is a definite replacement or repair. It should be known that shock absorbers are always replaced in pairs. If one shock absorber leaks, it will be necessary to replace the shock absorber that is on the same axle with it. Also, inspecting the shock absorbers visually, you can detect damage to its dust cover. A failed dust cover – this is a direct path to early failure of the shock absorber itself.

This type of testing can help you identify shock absorber failure with clear signs of malfunction. But a shock absorber that is already inoperable may not be visually damaged, and signs of failure may not be detected by this method of diagnosis. If the problem is with internal components that have worn out, it is not possible to determine the fault by visual means.
Pumping

This method of shock absorber inspection allows you to detect a completely defective shock absorber. With no external signs of failure – oil leaks on the shock absorber. To carry out the shock absorber diagnosis, the vehicle is rocked. If body vibrations continue for a long time after the rocking has stopped and the body has been released, it can be concluded that the shock absorber is not in working order.

This method is also not the most accurate, but it is very visual. However, it is not suitable for every car.
Testing a shock absorber on a bench

To get reliable and complete information about the condition of shock absorbers, it is necessary to use a special diagnostic bench. For example, the professional MS1000+ diagnostic bench diagnoses shock absorbers of passenger vehicles with any type of mountings and at different vibration frequencies. With the adapterMS203 on the standMS201 electronically controlled shock absorbers can be tested in different modes.

The main disadvantage of this type of shock absorber diagnostics is that it is difficult to perform and expensive. To check the damping force, it is necessary to disassemble the suspension and dismantle the shock absorber. This is the only way to get reliable and as accurate as possible data on the condition of the shock absorber.

Find out more about the possibilities of professional equipment for diagnostics and repair of car shock absorbers on the website or by contacting the company's managers.