2005 4.8is front left airbag squishy
 

The other day I began getting a "clunking" sound from the front left of the car when going over small bumps and such. I looked at the X and noticed it sits lower in the front left as well. I checked and noticed the airbag on that wheel is soft and squishy while the one on the right is firm. Any ideas on whether or not this is a bad shock or airbag or what? I have an appointment with the Stealer on Tuesday to check it out. Just wanted some opinions before I head in there on what it might be after reading some issues some people have had with similar things. It's still under the CPO warranty and it seems like people on here have had varying degrees of success with getting similar repairs done under the warranty with some Stealers covering it, some covering part, and some covering none. Thoughts? Thanks in advance!!

its probably a leaky airbag. I used the ride height switch to raise it up then sprayed the bag with soapy water and looked for bubbles. the did a good will with me and paid for parts and i paid for labor.

update
 

So I took the X in to have it looked at last Tuesday. On Wednesday they called me to come pick it up and I went in and they told me that they found nothing wrong with it. They confirmed that the front drivers side was riding low and they ran some diagnostics on it and reset the ride height, charging me $250. They let it sit over night and the X stayed level. I didn't have any issues with it for 5 days. Then yesterday it started throwing out the "low tire pressure" warning, which made me check it out. Once again the front drivers side was lower. It isn't quite as bad as before but it sits a good 1/2 inch lower. The vehicle doesn't give me a self leveling suspension error or anything. The airbag is still firm unlike earlier when it was squishy. Could this be a problem with the self leveling sensor? Is it possible that it thinks it is at the proper height when in fact it is not? The dealer said the airbag was good. Could it be the compressor even though the front passenger side has no issues? I don't think it's the fuse since I'm not getting the error displayed. Anyone have any ideas? And could it be related to the new battery that I had them install about 3-4 weeks ago? Maybe messed up some sort of programming? I have no clue! Which is why I am asking you all! :p: I would hate to take it back in and pay another $250 to have them do the same thing and have it last for another week! Thanks!

update 2: If I use the adjustable ride height button and raise the vehicle all the way up it will raise the drivers side. When I lower it back to the middle driving setting the right side lowers to the correct height even with the passenger side. So still not sure if the X just thinks that it is level when in fact it is not, but then pumps more air in when it is told to adjust manually. I still have no clue! lol!

This sounds like the early stages of a failing air strut in my opinion. It is not uncommon for the level of deflation while parked to be random. When my air struts failed they did not fail over night. One side slowly started to get lower than the other. Some times, it would sit in the garage over night or for multiple days with out loosing any pressure. The plastic air bag is dry rotting and leaking. Sometimes when it is parked it happens to seal and not leak and other times it doesn't seal. Resetting the ride height was a way to gloss over actually checking the air strut. If they have a smoke diagnostic tool that would reveal the leak immediately. This is a tool that you hook up to any sealed system such as our air struts or a vacuum system. If there is a leak smoke will come out.

Sounds like your air strut is failing to me. There are several posts about it if you do a search. You can see if your symptoms match up to those that many others have experienced/

BMW Seattle was pretty good at diagnosing the problem. Mine is a 05 4.8is, they replaced several parts and has been fine since. I really have a sinking feeling about the air ride system. It is the only real issue I have had with my X5.

Sounds like a leaking air strut to me. Mine had same symptoms / settled down over night, sometimes would stay OK for a few days, then sag. Had the same rattle in the suspemnsion when going over small depressions in road ( manhole lids, pavement cuts ). Go to Arnott Industries for rebuilt struts - $ 299 vs. $900 @ stealer. Might want to get on order as they sometimes have a backlog. Just to give you something else to think about, shortly after I replaced the left side, the right side let go.

I'm thinking of something, maybe a bit getho, but...
If someone finds the leak by inflating the airbag and use a soap solution like it has been said, then, with the bag removed from the X, would it work if a 'fix-a-flat' goo be squirted inside the bag and rotated to cover the area where the leak is :dunno:

update
 

Well, after two months of problems I think I may have the airbag situation corrected. Initially the dealer couldn't find anything wrong with the shocks/airbags/suspension. They told me that the next time it was crazy to bring the car in and leave it running so they could check it out. I brought it in late December and they finally decided to replace the front left air shock to see if that corrected the problem. After the replacement I had no issues for 5 days, and then the left from dropped low. I had never had an issue with the right front up until this point. I took it back in and they replaced it as well. So far, so good! The best part was, it was all covered under the CPO warranty! Now for new rotors, brake pads, tires, and thrust arm bushings...

Most definitely it is the air strut. Don't waste your time and change both of them with Arnott (see other threads about it). Superior quality (better than OEM), fairly easy replacement using most of your own strut pieces. The longer you wait more chances to have other units/module to fail on you. SLS problems often cascades down and tends to involve more expensive electrical components. This is exactly what happened to me. I waited too long to replace "bags", and now have to replace and recode module as well.

Gooooood for you. A bit too late with my advice. Ha.