x5 E53 Retention clip for hose coupling to air spring is missing= danger?

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by omodos

Hey Wpoll all good? long time no speak,last time was exhaust manifold issues days and turbo too! right ok follow my twisted logic and correct me if i am wrong.If you check the pics I posted you see that fella squeezing the ends of the C ish shaped retaining clip yes? squeezing on the clip causes the lets call it quick release black spring in the actual brass housing to retract/embed itself into the brass housing thus creating a flush surface, and allows it to disengage from the connection it makes to the air spring itself, so you can pull off hose....when you let go of or unpinch the black plastic retaining clip the black spring lip as mentioned in image I attached, pops out again thus I assume latching into the groove around the air springs connector in position highlighted in yellow thus locking in..and locking hose onto the spring. Sooo is that black retaining clip just a removal and install aid for the hose? Fact that I have read nearly everyone accidentally breaking clip= non removal of hose leads me to believe the thing doing the locking is that small metal clip/wire inside housing.

The images don't show the retention method clearly but what you say makes sense - the black plastic clip is not the actual retention mechanism but simply a device used to release the retention mechanism.

I don't have air suspension so I've not seen these exact couplings before - just going off existing engineering knowledge and experience - and internet images!

What is curious is how the mechanic messed this up. I'm guessing the hose was not able to be removed as they didn't understand how to release the retention mechanism - a guess backed up by their failure to install the new parts correctly also.