air suspension , need help please
 

hello everyone
I have a X5 2006 4.8is with the two axle air suspension. My issue is kind of different , cant find any one how had the same problem, i did look
usually the car air suspension lose pressure over time, when i don't drive it for a week or so
but when i start it up, the system wakes up, pressure is restored, the car levels up and we r ready to go, today how ever i started the car , it tried to level up , i was not paying close attention but after warming up and started driving , man that car was jumping , parked at the side of the road, went out to take a look, and the front of the car was so low, my tyers almost hitting the finder arches.
went back in the car and used the buttons next to the steering wheel to lift the car, i can hear the compressor running and something is clicking, but the front will not rise, no hissing sound from the front and no massage on the cluster, no warning lights, went to the back to check at the compressor, as to was about to stop working, an air hiss came out like a release valve sound and the compressor was hot to the touch
i don't think the tow front airbags got damaged simultaneously, yet i cant get them to fill so i can test them

any ideas would be appreciated,
thnx

Could be the air pump or module..if it ends up being the module I have one for sale cheap and working...

thank you for the reply, i don't think it is the air pump, the rear air bags are pressurized so the air pump is providing enough pressure to lift the rear,
could be the module, is that like a electronic valve block distributor? where can i find it and how do i test it ?

For a two axle system is in the trunk area beside the pump. The four wheel module is under the dash. How do you test? I think you need a computer to do that. Just let me know as the module is here

Check the front sensors under the car, one on each side. If they are dislodged or damaged then the car won't go up, even if the pump is working. I wouldn't force the pump to start before checking this as it will wear out and you'd have to rebuild it.

By the way, are you getting a message on the dashboard?

I had symptoms similar to this - car down, start up and car levels of for a couple of days, then a sudden hiss and no response. I would expect a dash message 'Suspension system inactive'. Chances are its one of the front airbags. Look carefully where the bag curls under - if you can see any little cracks, there's your problem. Arnotts are better than OEM.

Chrisn7, that is exactly what happened, the strange thing it never gave the dashboard message, until i lifted the car, the tare became bigger and the hissing sound became very clear, it was the driver side, but i don't like the looks of the passenger side too, so i may as well change both just to be on the safe side
thank you all for the help it is very much appreciated

any ideas on ware to get some front air springs for a 2006 E53 ? and will ship overseas without braking the bank :D

Got mine here:
https://www.arnotteurope.com/bmw-x5(...-products.aspx

However, they are made in the US...can't help with shipping costs I'm afraid.

They are well made units. You will need a monster torque wrench, 22mm sockets and a very thin spanner/wrench to remove the link. Be sure to mark the position of the nuts on the strut towers before removal. Try not to break the little pin that secures the locating tab, when you separate the old unit from the strut. Don't lose any of the jointing parts where the air line attaches to the strut - you may need them.

You might want to check for play in the ball joints on the sensor levers, as they corrode quite badly which leads to play, and system error messages. The new air springs seal to the strut with double O rings - you will need some silicone lubricant on these - and they can be difficult to seat fully. Just be persistent.

Jack the car in the centre at the front, and lower once both are done. If you jack each side individually, the system gets confused. The fronts need to be lowered to the ground together. You can use INPA to set the ride heights if necessary

hello everyone
i took your advice and got me tow air suspension bags from Arnott, and they are gr8, took me about 2 hours to complete the installation, i only wish Arnott's packaging would include the small rubber rings that holds to the top of the thrust shaft, i reused the old ones
7 days now , the car did not go down ever, had it parked for 5 days to test it, and everything seemed ok, except for the massage on the dash " Self-Level Suspension Inactive" and the 4x4 traction light is on
how do i reset this?
i drove the car around for a fare time in different spreads hoping it would reset but no luck
any ideas ? :dunno:
thankx

Did you follow my last paragraph, with regard to lowering the car? Try jacking again in the centre of the car so both wheels clear the ground, then lower so that both touch ground again as near to same time as possible. Here's an extract from a BMW pdf about the system:

Vehicle jack
If the lowering speed at a wheel is too low during the lowering operation, the system
assumes that the wheel is jacked up. However, the downward velocity must be less than
a certain preprogrammed speed threshold. If the system detects a jacked wheel, it stores
the height of this wheel.
Car jack recognition is reset when the stored ride height is again undershot. When a travelling
speed of 40 km/h is maintained for at least 3 s, another control attempt is performed.
The car jack recognition can also be reset by button selection.
Please note that the system also controls ride height in diagnostic mode. For this reason,
Belt Mode must be activated before carrying out work on the system or before setting the
vehicle ride height.