04 X5 4.8 SELF LEVELING SUSPENSION PROBLEMS

[Unit107]

Mine was related to water in the spare tire well. My right rear drain hose from the sunroof was detached, causing water in the headliner, which found its way out the pilar near the tail gate and into the cargo area. Took me a while to figure out where is was coming from. My tire / battery well was half full of water as a result.

My Indie was able to disassemble the module (which is located in the plastic housing just right of the battery in the battery well below the spare tire) and clean it up. After about another month of inconsistant diagonstic codes and the SLS light coming on and off, I bit the bullet and had the module replaced (about $130-$140 for the module alone) and reprogrammed for another $75. That was 6 months ago and all is good now.

All-in-all, it took about 2 or 3 months to get everything completely dried out and determine the cause, and diagnose the SLS, which ultimately was an educated guess to just replace the module, as they could not see any failure in any other part of the SLS.

All this from the failure of a $10 rubber hose (drain hose for the sunroof)

BTW, an after-market OBD code reader cannot access the codes for the SLS. They require the more sophistocated code readers at a qualified shop.

Good luck

[joeboch348]

where did they get those prices from?? the air control unit isnt $700

[joeboch348]

I did it!! just saved $4000 the dealer wanted to replace my sunroof. my cost--$20. I bought 3 tubes of windshield calk from the glass shop. i calked the s*it out of it. let it sit while i was on vacation. tested it today. no leaks! now i just have to put the headliner back up, install the ruined electrical components and have the dealer mate them to my car.

[bumer]

Over the past 12-14 mo. I've dealt with SLS issue on my 4.8is and tons of frustration. So far I had to replace ride height sensor $98 (unnecessarily), both suspension airbags over $1200 (I guess it was needed, "R" one was leaking air -used Arnott for both sides).
Right after the bags were replaced I used GT-1 utilizing control unit functions test mode: raise the front axle or/and individual bags side by side I filled them with air, and almost perfectly leveled it with measuring tape ground to the fender. However, SLS message was still up, level adjustment function - NOT working, and no LED's on the switch.
So, I went to "stealer" again to reset the air-supply control Module (was told it is resettable). All day at the dealer and $263 later (for trying) I came to pick up my x5, and found it completely distorted-uneven, and according to them "unsafe to drive" (it says on the receipt from BMW of Bellevue). Front driver side way up high (way out of the norm), passenger side low close to the fender. NONE OF THE SLS ISSUES WERE FIXED. MESSAGE is still UP, NO FUNCTION; only LED light on the switch is blinking in the middle now.
It was my 6th or 7th visit already, and I was so pissed off. All I asked advisor for is to bring it back to the level/condition I brought it in yesterday. Service advisor said it is not possible and now requires replacement of the Module and more re-coding done for a total of $1700. In fact He mentioned that technician already tried to calibrate/equalize it, and couldn't do it. Car went back to its new grossly uneven level again after they drove it for less than a mile. At that point he sounded completely incompetent, so I did not want to proceed with anything they suggested.
NITROGAS2000!!! I beg for your advice. You have had very similar issue for a while, and now selling your EHC-2 Module on e-bay. My question to you is why are you selling your module? Should I purchase new Module from a dealer, or try to recode an old one using GT-1, or something else?
My guess is you either have fixed SLS by now or traded your 4.8is in. Please, share your wisdom. Thanks.

[Theqman77]

Ok, do we really need the air suspension ?? I read somewhere that you can do traditional coil springs. I love my x5 4.8 but this is just stupid. 2005 x5. I've owned a 4.4 2005 , but totaled it, my fault. Great car To get kn a wreck in. So my "inactive " light came on and went off and on for a few weeks now it's completely off, and is horrible to drive. A low rider , and I don't know where to start. Why not just do coil springs and be done with it ?? Anyone feel the same way ? After reading all these trips back and fourth , geezus, I have a business and dont have time to go back multiple times...

[Weasel]

A couple people here have done just that, worth searching down the threads. It was just a matter of changing out all the parts physically, but it took custom programming (changing the vehicle order) to get rid of the "suspension inactive" warning.

[bmw2511]

So, now we begin to think that we're insane, swapped out the pump, relay, valve assembly, pressure sensor, level sensors etc and the thing still won't work. Pump activates for a few seconds then stops, then all the valves open at the same time and let the air out of the system! We've programmed the EHC2 unit, deleted transport mode, tried the ride height calibration, done it all over again and still no luck....

Imagine the control unit inputs and outputs as follows;

Inputs:

-CAN bus lines (communication with drivetrain systems)
-K-Bus line (communication with body systems)
-Pressure sensor signal
-Temperature sensor signal
-LHF level sensor
-RHF level sensor
-LHR level sensor
-RHR level sensor
-Level adjustment switch

-Power
-Earth

Outputs:

-CAN bus lines (communication with drivetrain systems)
-K-Bus line (communication with body systems)
-Air supply pump
-Valves for shockers
-Pressure release valves
-LED lights for level display next to switch

The car when we have everything hooked up as normal behaves as follows;

Pump operates for a few seconds, only long enough to bring pressure to about 2 BAR (needs about 5 Bar to raise car)……a few seconds later all valves open simultaneously and let all the air out of the system…….a minute later this process repeats….and again….and again, indefinitely, regardless of ignition position, switch input, or anything for that matter.

If I now pull out every single input pin from the plug at the control unit (except the power and earth supply), thus isolating this system from any input or signal it behaves in EXACTLY the same way!!

Anybody with half an idea would now suggest that the control unit is at fault. BUT, we’ve tried installing a new one, programming it and testing……..same result!!!! BMW tried the same trick…..same result again!!!

The only feasible explanation is that the software which we’ve all been feeding into this thing is at fault. Highly unlikely but still possible.

If anybody has experienced this strange problem then I would LOVE to hear from you!

[nrgetic99]

Originally Posted by bumer

Over the past 12-14 mo. I've dealt with SLS issue on my 4.8is and tons of frustration. So far I had to replace ride height sensor $98 (unnecessarily), both suspension airbags over $1200 (I guess it was needed, "R" one was leaking air -used Arnott for both sides).
Right after the bags were replaced I used GT-1 utilizing control unit functions test mode: raise the front axle or/and individual bags side by side I filled them with air, and almost perfectly leveled it with measuring tape ground to the fender. However, SLS message was still up, level adjustment function - NOT working, and no LED's on the switch.
So, I went to "stealer" again to reset the air-supply control Module (was told it is resettable). All day at the dealer and $263 later (for trying) I came to pick up my x5, and found it completely distorted-uneven, and according to them "unsafe to drive" (it says on the receipt from BMW of Bellevue). Front driver side way up high (way out of the norm), passenger side low close to the fender. NONE OF THE SLS ISSUES WERE FIXED. MESSAGE is still UP, NO FUNCTION; only LED light on the switch is blinking in the middle now.
It was my 6th or 7th visit already, and I was so pissed off. All I asked advisor for is to bring it back to the level/condition I brought it in yesterday. Service advisor said it is not possible and now requires replacement of the Module and more re-coding done for a total of $1700. In fact He mentioned that technician already tried to calibrate/equalize it, and couldn't do it. Car went back to its new grossly uneven level again after they drove it for less than a mile. At that point he sounded completely incompetent, so I did not want to proceed with anything they suggested.
NITROGAS2000!!! I beg for your advice. You have had very similar issue for a while, and now selling your EHC-2 Module on e-bay. My question to you is why are you selling your module? Should I purchase new Module from a dealer, or try to recode an old one using GT-1, or something else?
My guess is you either have fixed SLS by now or traded your 4.8is in. Please, share your wisdom. Thanks.

I have an 06 4.8is and with the exception of GT-1 coding, my experience is near identical. I have had sensor, two air springs and the same hours of diagnosis with no positive outcome and the vehicle worse than when I went in. Mine was stuck in high off road mode for a week.

Mine is currently functioning fine with no warnings after a replacement module and coding at around $1500. I basically got them to max out the diagnosis labor at one hour after a monster fight and that saved me around $330.

Touch wood today we are fine but I do worry some. When the service advisor advises you never touch the switch again if you want to be sure it does not fail you know this is a problem BMW know about and are avoiding because its a huge can of worms.

Now all I have to worry about is the $700 alternator I just had to install at 55k miles. Oh yeah, and the hour labor to diagnose and and hour to install...

[hcz2]

Update on my Self Level Suspension (SLS) issues

My issues started when the front right air strut deflated. Dealer replaced front right air strut. Cost £1000

A couple of months later we could hear a "flapping" noise from the front left on occasions when travelling over bumps. Car was checked by various mechanics and no one could find anything. Noise was very intermittent and when it happend, if you used the brakes whilst going over an uneven road surface the ABS kicked in way too early!

This went on for months with the symptoms developed very infrequently.

A few months later the dreaded SLS inact. warning came on the dash again.

Car was left into the Auth. BMW dealer who was asked simply to read the diagnostic memory and report as other than the message on the dash there were no obvious defects. Several days and £400 later the dealer said they couldn't find a fault. They had only been asked to read the memory!

Light stayed off for about 6 weeks then came back on. There was no way I was going to go back to the dealer at those costs so I dove with the light on whilst I made enquiries re an independant specialist who had the equipment to read and programme the EHC2 control unit.

A couple of months later I found someone who had previously worked for the Auth. BMW dealer. He reset the system but could find no obvious causes. The errors read from the module were CAN bus errors.

The light only stayed out for a couple of weeks. More CAN bus errors.

This went on for a while resetting and lights staying out for days or weeks. Errors were CAN bus errors and constant request for filling. But when the test cycles were run, everything tested OK.

Then one day the car was sitting low on the front left when I came back to it but as I unlocked the car it raised up to its normal height. Still no faults found.

Eventually the voltage reading on one of the ride height sensors was reading lower than the other three so wiring and sensor was replaced. This improved the voltage but otherwise made no difference. £120 sensor plus labour to fit rewire etc.

One day the back of the car was raised way up, much higher than the raised position. A rear ride height sensor was replaced and the car returned to normal height. Another £120 sensor + labour

The orginal SLS inact. message was still displayed on the dash.

The car then kept going down on the front left whilst parked. Usually overnight. Then it stopped going back up when the doors were unlocked but when the car was driven it went back to normal ride height. Still no component could be found at fault!

Eventually, months later, the front of the car dropped, both sides down to the bump stops!

Independant specialist could find no new fault, reactived the system and the car return to normal height. Just the usual CAN bus and constant request for filling errors registed in the control module but when tests were run, they were all passed.

I decided to change the front left air strut but when the old one was taken out there was no leak found! It was inflated whilst off the car and placed in a water bath. No leaks were found so the original air strut was placed back in the car.

It kept going down, now more frequently, on the front left corner. Now if it was down, it only went back to normal height when the car got over 50MPH!

Front left strut was replaced at nearly £600 but the SLS inact. message still remained.

The CAN bus errors disappeared but constant request for filling errors kept appearing. But now the car remained at normal height.

It seemed that the intermittent leak from the front left air strut may have gone on so long it knackered the air supply. There went another £600 to replace it.

Now not only was the SLS inact. showing on the dash but the tyre monitor light was now showing amber!

I was at this stage loosing the will to live. We were now 1 yr on since the deal charged £400 for the diagnostic and about 2 yrs since the first air strut had been replaced. But now we were getting a new error on the control module! Constant request for filling error had now been replaced by unexpected ride height.

The Control module which costs £670 has now been replaced and the car has now driven 250 miles with no messages on the dash.

We're hopeing that this is the end of it.

On an up side, the car hasn't handled like this since the very first air strut deflated!

It will be a very long time before I purchace another car with air suspension and although when it's working, the car handles a dream, it seems the system they have put in the 4.8is X5's is way too unreliable and too costly to maintain.

The reason I have put all of this on here is to hopefully guide some of you through your SLS issues. To put it bluntly, if your car goes down on a corner, first check the ride height sensor, if it's not that replace the air strut, even if you can't find a leak as if you don't it'll knacker your air supply too

[bumer]

My saga has been continued. Finally 6 mo. later (see my earlier posts: after bags, sensors were replaced with multiple attempts to reset module) got tired of the message on the dash board, and decided to take care of it for good (so naive) at the stealers paying "fool" price. The Control module which costs $700 (it is sweet deal, MSRP of that thing is $963) was replaced 2 weeks ago plus $500 for calibration labor. Everything and I mean everything worked for exactly 1 week. Not a day longer.
Back to square 1 now. Message is on. No LED light on the switch. Raise-lower function does not work. "Stealers" now wants to replace the pump, air accumulator (over $1200 just in parts plus labor). According to my service adviser even after all of the components are replaced, I still can have warning light, and very well might have to replace control module once again with new calibration and sh...t (2 year part warranty will cover module replacement but not the labor to recode it). I asked one good man there in the part dept. how many of these EHC2 modules have been sold lately. And you know what he said: “At least one a month sometimes two". It's unreal; this is not a light bulb @ $963 a pop. BMW headquarters must be aware of this. But no recall on the issue yet.
At that point I would really appreciate if people can share some stories how they successfully got rid of the car with all mods and kits. What do you suggest: auction it off with all the gadgets or take it a part, and sell it all separately? I truly don’t believe anybody can repair X5 SELF LEVELING AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS permanently.