04 X5 4.8 SELF LEVELING SUSPENSION PROBLEMS

[hcz2]

Bumer, I really feel for you.

Apart from the SLS, these cars are great. I can't understand what is wrong with coil springs. Why BMW had to experiment at our cost with this air suspension lark is beyond me.

Just to let you know I have now been diving for over 6 months sucessfully since my air supply was replaced.

It seems these air supplys are not made to last, especially if they're over worked at some point due to a leaky strut.

These are expensive items but it seems there's no way round it, leaky strut will probably result in strut, air supply and pprobably the control mudule having to be replaced. Or at least that's my experience.

BMW seem to be aware of this as the very first time I went to my authorised dealer re this I was advised that the whole lot was needing replced at MY expense. I couldn't understand why if I had a leak, everything would need replaced and I thought the dealer was just failing to diagnose which part was at fault. What the dealer failed to explain was that the system is such that when there's a leak from a strut that it results in knackering the air supply and somehow the control unit as well.

Good Luck

[318i318is328i645i745ix5]

I have had this problem with the susp level inactive warning light coming on and my ride height adjustment button not working.

Just thought i would share my history on this...i have had it hooked upto the computer a few times before. The error appeared but when the errors were cleared it did not appear again and the ride height adjustment button started working again and the warning on the dash disappeared...for a few days....then went back to not working.

I had it hooked upto the computer again today at a local indie. He managed to clear the error and the warning has disappeared and the ride height button is working again.

I am expecting for the inactive susp level warning to come back and for the ride height button to stop working again....HOWEVER what this does tell me is that it is not the fuse, and it is not the pump...could it be the relay or the ECU module ?

How can i check if its the relay ? Are there any tell-tale signs on the relay itself that would tell me its not working ?

Any thoughts ?

[springdellx]

Ditto. My problems have been very similar. Reset works for about a week then goes back to inact but green LED is still on but switch will not raise or lower the car. I also still hear the compressor running when we shut the car off or first get in the car.

Another thing I have noticed is that when it gets reset and is working properly I can hear the compressor running while driving the car but once it has gone inact again I no longer hear the compressor running while driving, only when shutting car down or getting in.

And here is another good one. I changed the rear left wheel for a flat. When I lowered the car down off the jack the entire car dropped to the stops on all four corners. Had to have car towed to my indy for a reset. Once reset, back to the usual one week of joy and then inact again.

Will the control module fix this. Indy said he thought maybe the compressor but not sure and the compressor seems to be working fine. He thought maybe compressor is working but not to spec so not giving the system enough air.

Oh, and I've already replaced 3 of 4 shocks and the air distribution control unit (if that is the proper term) and the relay in the back.

HELP!!! All this on top of a new water leak after fixing the sunroof drains about a year ago. Like so many on this forum, I love this car but is it worth it?

[springdellx]

And another thing.

I think someone mentions it earlier in this thread. How about a recall. This is ridiculous especially at the cost we are talking about and if the suspension craps out while your driving it is unquestionably a safety issue.

RECALL!

[Weasel]

If the compressor is running that often, there is a leak somewhere. Find the leak and you fix the first part of the problem. The compressor is activated by a basic relay, which like all relays that activate components with decent power usage get dirty/burnt contacts inside. With the compressor activating ten fold more often than it normally does (because of a leak) the relay gets funky quicker than normally. Replace the relay (in the black metal dome under the spare tire) and you fix the second part of the problem. (at least in most cases)

This isn't the type of issue that warrants a recall, it is vehicles that have been on the road for long enough for the rubber air springs to wear/age enough to start leaking. For gods sake they are thin rubber bags filled with air that hold up the whole vehicle, they do the job done by steel on other vehicles... yet we are somehow surprised when they wear enough to develop a slow leak after so many years and miles? These vehicles are more expensive than others to maintain, but that is the cost to have all these great features that others dont.

[springdellx]

Thanks for the reply Weasel. How often should the compressor be coming on? It doesn't come on every time I shut the car off or start up that's just when it comes on when I have the inact message. When the computer has been reset and everything is working I might hear the compressor come on once or twice during a half hour drive. Also, if I have any leaks I can't find them at this point. I and my Indy have done many leak down tests overnight and even over a couple of days and have seen no leak down in the system. I replaced the relay at your suggestion from an earlier post and in fact the old one was a bit fried but low and behold the message was back about a week later.

And as far as the recall, maybe your right. I'm just a little frustrated because based on all the posts in this thread alone (and there are dozens more threads on this subject) there doesn't seem to be a consistent way to diagnose the problems regardless of the amount of money you spend.

[Weasel]

With no leaks the compressor almost never comes on... it is for self leveling, so it would come on if you load some extra weight in the back. And what has been the easiest way to find leaks oddly enough is to just spray the bags with a soap water mix in a spray bottle with the car on a lift.

[springdellx]

Thanks a ton man! This is an incredibly valuable piece of information. I think all my air bags are good and 3 of the 4 are new(although its been a few months since I have checked them) but maybe there is a leak somewhere else in the system.

Thanks again!!!!!

[hcz2]

Springdellx

I concur largely with what weasel says but there are a few differences in my case.

Firstly, when your indy clears the "self level inact." message what errors doe he read from the car? The onboard diagnostics which activated the message should give error codes pointing you in the direction of the fault.

In my case over several months I got various faults including;
-CAN bus errors. Suggesting control module error
-constant request for filling. Suggesting a leak or air supply which wasn't buliding correct pressure quickly enough. Mine started as a leak in front nearside strut but when the strut was taken out and submerged in water and infated, no leak could be found. It turned out that it was that strut which was intermittently leaking. It went on so long I had to replace my air supply too. Presumeably knackered by having been over worked by the leaky strut. I too found that when I got in and out of the car I could hear the air supply working. Since my strut and air supply were replaced I only hear the pump working when a load is applied or when I manually raise the car using the driver's control.

My car went down too after being jacked up. Strangely if I drove the car to over 50MPH (VERY ROUGH RIDE) the car righted its self and reinflated instantly but the SLS light stayed on. (So I assumed wrongly that the air supply was fine).

Get a diagnostic done on the pressure of the air supply. The car will test this itself if you use the correct diagnostic module. If there isn't the correct pressure then your air supply is on its way out and the "self level inact." will keep appearing.

Unfortunately immediately after I got mine sorted then the control module went too!

Very expensive repiar bills and it seriously tarnished my enjoyment of the car!

[pezho405]

Bump!!! i need this too