bmw 2002 x5 reboot to start air pump

[pukespuey]

hi

newbie here. just bought my first bmw. i love it! i have a 2002 e53 4.4i v8. its a truly awesome machine, just glides along. i can't wait to upgrade the mufflers to release the growl sound!
however, it seems i have bought one with a few issues:
with the rear air suspension- im pretty sure there is a slow leak on the rear left side because it is sometimes dropped lower. but once i open the car door it pumps back up.

the other day it was lower but when i opened the door the pump didnt work. i read that if you disconnect the battery, wait ten mins and then hold the +ve -ve leads together 20 seconds it resets the computer with a"click" sound. so i did this but didnt hear any click. but, it did pump up once i reconnected the battery!

today however, both rear sides have dropped flat and the air pump wont engage. i tried disconnecting the battery and touching the terminals together but still no pump. its almost undriveable!

can anyone clarify what needs doing to reset it?

regards
jason

[donmayor]

welcome bro.

i have a 03 4,4i 2 axle air suspension (4 corners). i tackled the air suspension problems before.

this is my advice, first thing, check the ride level sensors, make sure none is broken. if the ride level sensors check out, you likely have a leak in the air bags. the rear ones are easy to replace, by yourself it will take you 45 mins tops, with someone 30 mins. also check the fuses in the trunk and the glove box.

once you rule out the ride level sensors, fuses, and bags. clear the error and your car should pump itself back up. if the pump sounds like a drum, you may need to replace the gaskets on the pump. you can find the gaskets on ebay or amazon for about $15 and instructional videos on youtube.

Good luck.

[pukespuey]

thanks!
i've just decided to let my mech handle it completely. seems like not too much to it, so won't cost too much to get working again!

[DLarcombe]

Had the same situation with my 05 X5 4.4 w/ 4 wheel air. I replaced both rear bags myself but blew a front strut and it jambed into the front differential. Had that rebuilt, replaced both struts and sensors. Even though I have the Carly for BMW II (can clear faults and change protocols) I still needed to take her to the dealer to have the suspension recalibrated. The cost for that was only an hour labor ($90).


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[DLarcombe]

Needed


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[pukespuey]

thanks for your feedback folks.

so i took it to the mech. the left rear air susp bag is leaking. it's been overloading the pump and causing issues like fuses blowing. I am getting a new left rear bilstein bag put in this week. $500au plus about 1 or 2 hours labor I would say. mech says the sensors etc are all working fine yay!

Have read about a coil conversion option but have also read that it's quite inferior and can lead to other issues like camber problems etc. (but i'm not certain on that info)

regards
jason

[pukespuey]

ended up costing 500au plus 2.5 hours labour. 1 new bilstein airbag. sooo worth it!!! it handles sooo sweet now. really starting to love this beast. have been taking it on windy roads and over farmland and letting the all wheel drive do it's thing, so much fun!

[pukespuey]

oh one more thing, the "susp inactive" was occurring when i manually lock the car with the key in the drivers door. if i leave it unlocked for an hour, return to it and then open the door/boot, thats when the pump would turn back on. however, if i locked it with the key, when i returned and hour later and unlocked it with the key - the pump would not engage!! hence my confusion.

[DLarcombe]

I've read many comments on how inferior and costly the X5 is. How much they don't like it, etc. I'm sorry, but although repairs CAN get costly, it's known going in. Some even moaned about it being an ego thing. Maybe..but there's more to it than that. The power (4.4) is sufficient. The shifting options are beneficial. It drives like a tank. That's a good thing. I love being behind the wheel. I drive it daily @ 140 miles/per day combined. (19 mpg) It's a durable work truck. Love the looks I get when I pull up to a job site, pop the hatch, drop the tailgate and pull the roll-out floor full of tools. It's 6000 lbs of balls.


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