Why repairing the Panamera's Air Suspension seems "elusive". Many shops make many unsuccessful repair attempts on this system or will flat out refuse to work on them.
First off, is a lack of understanding. There are a few aspects of this system that is unlike most Air Suspension systems, so the technology, troubleshooting and procedures are taken for granted.
Next is a lack of tooling. Systems vary by model and year, but some of these systems are a "closed loop", which means the compressor doesn't draw in outside air, or vent off exhaust into the atmosphere. This necessitates the need for the system to be filled with Nitrogen. Its a clean and dry air source. To fill the system with Nitrogen requires special tooling to connect to the vehicle, and very odd fill procedure and of course, the Porsche Diagnostic Tool (PIWIS) to carry out the fill procedure. The tiny compressors on these cars were never meant to fill a completely empty system and will overheat and fail in short order if allowed to do so.
Lastly, there are few aftermarket parts available for this system that function properly and last as long as intended. Many owners/technicians see the very high price of genuine Porsche Parts for this vehicle and try to find cheaper options. Many of these parts fail quickly if they work at all. This leads to repeat repairs or more time consuming repairs.
