Real Feel temp of -10F... Self level suspension
 

So I walk out to my X a little while ago. Notice that the front driver's side was sitting pretty low. I hit the unlock button on my key and low and behold the front driver's side levels out. Could this have anything to do with air pressure and extreme cold? I have receipts for the front bags being replaced before I bought the car.

Anyone else ever experience this in cold weather? It kills me almost every day just how many gremlins this truck has in cold weather, considering it has a cold weather package.

Brandon, sorry to read of your ongoing travails...
No help on your suspension situ.

You ref'd your 'cold weather package' in a few posts. Do you realize that the 'Cold Weather Package' is mostly cosmetic, and does nothing to make any X work or operate better in cold weather:

2004 Pricing and Pkg info:
Cold Weather (ZCW) $750
Ski Bag
Heated Front Seats
Headlamp Washer

I have the same in our '01, though no suspension issues in 12+ years/94k miles.
GL, mD

I do realize it is mostly cosmetic. Still find it odd that an suv or sav as bmw calls it has so many finicky problems in cold weather.

I hear you...imo, Xs have more than their fair share of cold temp induced glitches.
Not the least of which is the CCV situ.

Knock on wood, our old '01 has been remarkably problem free overall, though the first four years of its 'life' was spent in serious winter weather conditions, and somedays things would glitch in +10 deg to -10 deg F temps, even garaged.
GL, mD

Don't get me wrong, the only time the thing has actually broken down on me was when the Alternator took a dive. Other than that it has always started and gotten me where I had to go. Just little annoyances here and there, but always drives like a champ.

B, mine just started to do the same thing. Right front airbag going soft in the cold of the mountains. Got it back to sea level and it still goes down a little but nothing like it does in the mountains. As to why it does this, I'm at a loss. Gonna have it changed after X-mas.

The extreme cold temperature create an additional load on the battery and to prevent the battery from going flat non essential items such as self leveling goes off line until the car is waken up.

would cold weather cause the X to get a flat tire on its own ? lol the X got a flat tire from having 2 screws in it then the passenger rear tire went flat the next day... another thing is that the 2d tire that went flat never showed any signs of going flat or loosing air at all

ha ha... My tire pressure warning light came on when I ran to the store just now. I stopped, checked all the tires and the pressure was perfect.

Damn these X5's and their inability to handle a little winter.

That is usually an indication that the system requires resetting.

Can't help with the airbags, although upallnight's comment makes sense to me. I won't have air suspension; I never understood why bags, lines, controls, and a compressor were any better than spring steel.

Started our X3 fine yesterday after two nights parked outside in -20. No issues. It did take awhile to get heat to the rear seats. And the transmission was notchy for a km or so.

I'm just glad that once it gets warmed up everything is ok.

Nah, keep on eye on that corner now. I bet it is leaking, or the cold is making it leak. the fact that it didn't level, is because the car went to sleep, as per upallnight.

This is a sealed system, where the air compressor is generally OFF. It is used to adjust level, and heights, not sit there pump up a corner all night. If your corner dropped, there is a reason for it.

The other odd thing to consider, if the temp was the issue, why didn't the other corners not drop? Same reason, it is most likely a leak, not a fluke. Order yourself some Arnott Industries replacements.

I have receipts for new bags on the front that were done 2 months before I bought the car. If they are leaking, I'm taking it right back to the place that did them.

I'm wondering if it had something to do with my uneven driveway.

nah, the car will level itself out over night by dropping the highest corner. If that is the case, it is possible, but it won't raise it when you unlock.

This really seems like a leaky bag fault. Park it tonight with the suspension full UP height. See what happens in the morning.

I will give that a shot to see what happens.

Set the suspension to it's high setting last night.

This morning it's still completely raised up. So I doubt it's a leaking bag at this point. I think the X5 just shivered itself into a ball in the cold the other night.

and to top that off last night was a killer -25 with the wind chill.

I'm kind of convinced it's my crooked and hole filled driveway. I think maybe I parked in just the right spot and the car self leveled before I shut it off the other night.

What was the actual temperature?

Negative 7

Unlike people, cars do not experience the wind chill factor on their metallic skin.

It was warmer by the Lake.

Still keep an eye on it. Give the bag a squeeze from time to time, just to check on that corner. Mine would sometimes look normal, but the bag was soft. But yea, could be the car trying to level itself.

It's only strange because it raised up when you unlocked it. When our cars level, they tend to stay that way till you drive.

I don't think I'll be replacing the bags when they go. I think I will convert to sport springs and bilsteins or something.

I dont know i like it. I can raise and lower it with a push of a button. The ride is nice too. Access mode. Doesnt seem much of a burden to me.

I never use the adjustable height, pointless to me as when you start cruising it always sets back to the middle setting. I do enjoy the ride though, firm but forgiving over bumps.

I think I figured out the problem.

I believe my suspension settings need to be calibrated. I took a measuring tape and it seems that at normal ride height, the front driver's side always sits a tad lower than the rest of the car. It doesn't sink over night, when I raise it high and park it overnight it's still all the way up in the morning.

Anyone in the Chicago area have the coding/diag software to do this? I ordered the setup from Romania, but haven't received it yet and really would like to get this done soon. I'll buy the beer!!

Recalibration is necessary especially when bags are replaced, etc. The system is sensitive. I had a random error popping up a few months back because one of my corners ride height deviated too much from the accepted range, I think it was a 1/2" off and the system allows for 3/8".

Recalibrated and been fine since, i'd help but i'm in Jersey.

That's what is known as cross-loading (basically you can have a situation where you have the vehicle 'level' on 2 of the 4 bags while the other 2 are supporting very little)...I thought bmw's system didn't allow that to happen, and had measures in place to prevent it.

Yup, it did it. But my bag was leaking so that could be the reason.