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Tool for setting twin axle ride height please.
Friends
I am stuck. My 4.8is Ride Height is all over the place, when viewed with INPA. Each corner is showing a massive variation in the numbers and my attempts to re-calibrate it using INPA have all failed. I have dedicated weeks to reading and searching the forums in a vain attempt to correct my ride heights using INPA and it is just not happening. I measure the height from the ground to the middle of the arch/fender in a vertical through the wheel centre. I then note the difference between that measurement and the INPA default for my car (20" wheels on Sports suspension) this is 707 for the fronts & 709 for the rears. I then enter the calibration mode and enter the difference into each section. Result? The car is still not resetting to it's default and is out of range on INPA which in turn causes the suspension to go 'inactive'. I have tried different routes and different suggestions but none work. Door Open. Door Closed. Engine On. Engine Off. Ignition Position I Ignition Position II It is driving me insane. My compressor is working fine and has just been rebuilt with the fantastic bagpipingandy kit. I can raise and lower it using INPA and test each valve etc. The corner sensors are all good and I have no leaks. It just needs re-calibrating. But I cannot get it to reset to the default values/height. What is the simplest tool that I can use to reset the heights to default and get it calibrated correctly so that it stops the 'Self Leveling Suspension Inactive' kicking in all the time? I have a WIndows 10 machine that is running INPA and a cable with pins 7&8 linked. |
The correct measurements are from the bottom of the rim too the fender lip. You may be feeding it "implausible" results.
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It is not that. Thank you.
If you enter an “implausible” value it rejects it as “implausible”. I have measured the height as per BMW’s recimmendations. But even allowing for any deviation there, it just does not work. If I enter -50. The car will raise by 50. That is not the issue. The issue is: it is so far out of range I cannot get it back to default. |
INPA is a good tool for performing this calibration. I think you have something else going on with your system.
When you say 'Each corner is showing a massive variation in the numbers', what do you mean by that? If your sensors are OK but out of calibration, each time you hook up INPA, you should see similar results at each wheel that you saw before (+ or - a few mm due to temp variation, etc.). They should also move smoothly when you jack up or push down on each corner (or raise/lower by activating within INPA). You probably already know this, but note that you're not trying to achieve the 707/709 numbers on the sensor readings in INPA. You do the manual measurement, and take the difference between your measured # and the 707/709 #. Enter that number in INPA as an adjustment, and that's your calibration. Reset the fault light, and then key the ignition and re-measure the height manually. Your manual measurement should now be at or close to 707/709, and you don't care what numbers INPA is showing as it's a relative measurement at that point. Also, what code(s) are stored when you get the SLI light? |
Thank you for this. I will try again following your post exactly and report back.
The only error I get on INPA is 116. If I clear it it comes back immediately. But I can use the “hand control” in INPA to raise or lower, bleed, pump up, etc with no issues. The re-built compressor includes cleaned solenoids and pumps well lifting the car quickly. I also have zero sag, even if I leave the car for a week. So the thinking is that it it errors when it thinks it is out of range on the calibration. Trying to post a pic from my iphone but can’t sorry. |
OK, that 116 error likely means you still have a problem with your compressor. I fought this one a while back for like 6 months and it was very frustrating as everything always tested out OK in INPA, but that damn error kept coming back, usually after a few days to a week.
I could raise & lower each corner, dump each valve, fill the tank and watch the pressure go up, dump the tank pressure, etc. All seemed fine. In the end, I took my INPA laptop on a 1,000 mile road trip, and finally "caught it in the act". I pulled over the moment the SLI light came on and ran my INPA tests. This time, I could see that if I activated the pump with the tank valves in the right state, the tank wasn't filling. It only takes one of these instances to trip the SLI indicator, and the system will not try again until it's reset. A new compressor from Arnott (rebuild kits weren't available back then), and I've been without in SLI light for about 6 years now! (really shouldn't have just typed that 'cuz I know what's going to happen...) |
That is great info. Thank you. The issue I just now is that as quickly as I clear the error, it comes back. I found another post where it was said that this is the ‘top solenoid’ sticking and needing a clean. So I removed and cleaned both solenoids which did not look dirty or appear sticky. It is massively frustrating. I rebuilt the compressor and it is very strong. But no use if it cannot get past this error.
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The "HEIGHT OFFSET" is adjusted using the DIS or MoDiC. The procedure is as follows: • Place the vehicle on a level surface unloaded. • Access the Height Offset program in the service function menu. • Measure the base ride height from the lower edge of the wheel housing to the center of the wheel hub. • Check measured height against the specifications listed. • Use the DIS/MoDiC to correct the ride height if the value differs from the listed specification. I know you don't have access to DIS/MoDIC but it's interesting that it uses "lower edge of wheel housing to the centre of the hub" as the measurement of interest... I'm assuming lower edge of wheel housing means the fender. |
Following. Will be attempting this soon in INPA. Just soldered my cable pins. My compressor is not kicking on at all though. I believe I have at least one bad height sensor based on a previous scan report the shop recently did. I expect the EHC module should report this error code when I am finally able to connect.
I think my compressor may be burned out so I likely will be getting a rebuild kit. I was thinking of directly connecting power to it to see if it comes on (if necessary). PITA |
Okay. Here is the latest:
* Sat the car on perfectly level concrete (my garage floor) * Measured from the ground vertically through the wheel center to the wheel arch (fender) and wrote down that measurement for each wheel. * Worked out the difference between my measurements and the BMW Default Measurements for my car =709 rear. 707 front, and wrote that down. * Using INPA I go to >>Chassis >> Twin Axle Suspension >> 1) I clear the error from memory (this allows the suspension to be activated) on the car and from INPA. 2) I then go to >>Set Height>> and make sure it is >>Normal>> 3) Then go to >> Calibrate Height>> and Enter my values for each corner. NB. To raise the car you enter your value with a Minus in front of the value, as in " -22" To lower the car you enter the value as it is "20" To make no change you must enter "0" do not leave it blank, that confuses the brain. With all four values entered, and no errors on the suspension!! the car should do a dance as it re-calibrates. My car raised up very high >> then dropped very low >> then settled on the new measurements I had just entered. Walk around the car and re-measure your heights. They should now be the same as you expected. I now have one problem. 1) Error 116 returned after about 15 minutes of the re-set. My next step is to check the output air pressure from my compressor at the main <speed fit> connector. This needs to be between 120 & 220 psi. I hope to be able to do this using a tyre gauge? I suspect that my piston bore is scored and needs replacing? The plan then is to replace both the bore and the piston (again) from the wonderful bagpipingandy.com Andy has been a great help here. I had already replaced the piston ring but we suspect that bore is scored and we are just not generating enough air pressure to lift the car. Replacing both will eradicate that from the equation. MY car has sat all night (almost 24 hours) and not lost height from where I set it yesterday. So I suspect that I have no leaks. |
Is the Piston bore replacement different than the Piston ring replacement? Where do you get it? I think I might have the same problem hopefully will find out soon when I get my new blue/silver VAG COM KKL cable.
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bagpipingandy.com sells the bore and ring kits. Take a look at his website and drop him an email.
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Ok thank you will give this a look.
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Drop Andy an email.
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Friends, Romans, fellow X5 Owners.
As I cling on the remnants of my sanity that the Air Suspension has left me with on my 4.8is - Yes that is the twin axle set up. I am still determined to fix my 'Self Leveling Suspension Inactive' message & fault. So, what do we know? Well it is NOT the compressor. When I clear the error using INPA I can raise & lower the car and testing pressure at the line out will give a healthy push of air. It is NOT leaking. Leaving the car standing for 7 days on level ground, it does not sag or sink. It is not the fuses. Which I have no idea what they do in the trunk as both are not connected to anything. I see from another poster that this is correct on the 4.8is. Also my compressor will fire up with or without the fuses in the trunk. This leaves me looking at the leveling sensors. A search on Google confused the hell out of me: Does the 4.8is E53 have a level sensor in each corner of the car? Or, Does it have one front & one rear? and if so which sides are they located on? Finally. Is it a wheel off job to get at them or can they be accessed with the wheels still on the car (please God, think of my aching back and gold game here) |
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*Edit* Maybe 4 of them, right side shared with headlight level sensors. I wish I had the self leveling and I would go out and look for you but my X5 has the coil spring suspension. Sorry. http://www.e38.org/selflevel.pdf http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...5&d=1320011532 |
There are 4 sensors. Iirc, they're ready to get at with the wheels on.
If you're still getting that 116 error code, my money is on a failing compressor. I just dug up my old thread where I went through the same frustrations you're having. https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...ct-thread.html |
Yes I think they are the same height sensors the headlights use.
I am pretty sure my issue is related to my driver side rear level sensor on my single axle SLS. What's strange is that even with this code both my bags were still pumping up level last March when it was scanned at the shop. I parked the car shortly after that and it sat for about 6 months. Not sure when it stopped working. I would start the car every so often until the battery died. Can you test these sensors with a multimeter? Does the sensor itself need to be calibrated when replaced or should it just start working when replacing the defective one(s)? I have a replacement here so I might just try replacing it and see what happens. I didn't think it works be possible to replace these sensors with the wheel on but they are easily accessible with the wheel off. Quote:
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I am going to rebuild my compressor including a new piston ring, O-rings and a new Piston Bore. Bagpipingandy sells all the parts to completely rebuild it so I will give that a try. I just want to be sure that I have zero other issues before I spend out (again). Thank you for the help and post that you put up.
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Another thing that apparently was important to watch, though I didn't know it at the time, is the compressor temp viewable in inpa. My failing compressor would increase in temp as it was pumping while the temps on my new replacement compressor would barely budge after several test cycles.
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I have now refurbished my compressor. This included:
A new cylinder/bore New drier Springs De-rusted and cleaned out the blocked drier internals. New piston ring New seals & O-Rings All parts were available from the wonderful www.bagpipingandy.com Errors cleared and she runs like a dream. The car raises and lowers really quickly with the compressor shuts off correctly. No errors. Thank you all for your help. |
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You know this makes you the resident expert on this now, don't you...? :bustingup |
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The cost of the kit is £70 + Postage.
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Good luck. I should have added that the whole job took less than 1 hour, including removing and re-installing the compressor from the car.
This thing drove me crazy. I realise now that this was mostly down to my own reluctance to do what was staring me in the face and rebuild the thing. I spent way too much time trying "stuff" and fiddling with inpa. It really was a shock to see ust how badly messed up the innards were with rust. But at the same time a relief to find the issue. I had previously replaced the piston on it's own and not looked at the drier. I assumed that a lack of air would be a down to bad ring. Andy at bagpipingandy helped me to understand that the whole thing needed re-building or certainly was worth inspecting. I figured if I am taking it apart to inspect? I only want to do that once, so I just bought the kit and got it done. |
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