Cost of repairing air suspension? Update: BMW quote obtained...

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:38 pm

Was out in the X5 today and after about 15 mins of driving I got a control message saying something along the lines of level check error...

Managed to get to my destination and noticed on the rear passenger side that there was a hissing noise coupled with that side of the car looking lower than normal. I'm guessing the air suspension has developed a leak.

Not the most welcoming of news in less than 3 months ownership and around 600 miles...I'm hoping it is covered by warranty but if not, does anyone know how much I can expect it to cost to repair? I just want to prepare for the worse so to speak :-[

Thanks

Black X5 · Post by **Black X5** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:04 pm

Sounds like a failed Air spring. Air spring on my E53 was around £140 from the dealers + fitting (less than half hour!). I'm guessing E70 will be similar.

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:15 am

Pretty sure the dealer warranty will cover it. If not then not a huge cost associated with the rear. If it were front then that would be a different story.

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:03 am

Thanks for the information guys...puts my mind a little at ease

Will get onto the dealers / warranty company and see how it goes...

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:31 pm

Using my wonderful AA membership I had to have roadside out before they would recover the vehicle.

However, although I've noticed the hissing noise from the rear, its now very apparent that the whole passenger side is sitting lower. I'm just wondering if it's the failure at the rear putting more strain on the front to give the appearance of lower ride height at the front also rather that failure there too?! Would the car just sitting there cause any more problems?

Also, didn't get another control message after starting the vehicle for the roadside man so not sure if things are starting to go even more pear shaped :blink:

Right so had a call from BMW today who has finished looking over the car to see what the issues are...

So as expected the rear air spring has a hole but I've also found out the 2 front springs have snapped and also need replacing :blink:

The warranty has proven useless like most 3rd party ones, authorising cover for 0% of the diagnosis cost, 66% for replacement of the rear air spring and 0% of the front springs...all in all its c20% of the 1,500 bill i'm expecting...

Just waiting to hear back from the selling dealer, hopefully with some good news!!

leosayer · Post by **leosayer** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:37 pm

Any idea what you did to snap the front springs?

I've heard this is fairly common on the 3 series and I had to replace a broken spring on a sports car last year but it's harder to imagine what you would need to do on an X5 which has so much suspension travel. I guess X5s are pretty heavy and so are the wheels and tyres but I'm still surprised.

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:28 pm

Our E46 has a serious habit of breaking rear coil springs - and as said it's a common issue (which BMW deny completely but Parts seem to always carry as spares....hmmmm). And it's not as if there's any bl@@dy give in the damned things anyway. The 'vert' being an M Sport has suspension that is rock hard!! I think it's had three or four rears in 50k miles.

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:19 pm

Speaking to BMW they told me there was some corrosion which may have weakened the springs enough for them to snap...I was a little surprised to find out they'd both gone though...

I don't think the bumpy roads and wealth fo speed bumps around here helped matters either although I did use to take it pretty easy.

The car has been fixed and is waiting for me to collect but I'm told the front springs now have an seperate cover fitted to stop corrosion etc. I'm hoping they simply last until I chop the car in for another.

All ended well as I was grateful to have Sytner Audi (the selling dealer) covering all the costs that the warranty company didn't

rjkc600 · Post by **rjkc600** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:27 pm

Coil springs fail on all cars. Rust is the cause, they corrode and then snap either at the top coil or bottom coil. Most people don't notice until its spotted at MOT or service time. Your new springs will be good for some time.

Ive heard some stories of punctured tyres though where the snapped spring forces into the tyre wall.

£1500 for that lot sounds a lot, but thats BMW pricing sadly, charging fortunes as usual.

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:43 pm

[quote="rjkc600"]

£1500 for that lot sounds a lot, but thats BMW pricing sadly, charging fortunes as usual.

[/quote]

It was interesting to see that what I was to be charged £1300 for (as the cost of the air spring was covered by the warranty company), was charged to the selling dealer as £750!!

Not a bad mark up on the labour rate for customers :blink:

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:36 am

Which warranty company was that by the way?

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:15 pm

The warranty is part of the Sytner Select used car program underwritten by WMS / VGS group.

Basically they agreed to cover £284 of the c£1500 bill I was expecting...however, Leeds Audi stepped in to ensure I did not have to pay a penny

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:57 pm

Well so they should - in the first six months of ownership after buying a used car from a dealer, any fault will be deemed to have been there when purchased, so pleased for you that the dealer didn't quibble and it was all covered.

VGS do third party warranties, we have a three year one on our very ancient Caravelle, she of the starship mileage (nearly 300 000 and still whizzing about like a new one!). The alternator packed up about a month after purchase, warranty initially weaseled out of it under the old wear and tear nonsense, but once I dumped the problem firmly with the dealers, we received a cheque for £250 from VGS a few weeks later which was 50% of VWs costs for a brand new one. None of these aftermarket warranties seem to pay much without a fight. I am also pondering whether to carry on with the very expensive BMW. Extended warranty (£101 a month for my 4.

and have been looking at aftermarkets again, but I have not really had a good experience with any of them, they are all a bunch of shysters!
.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:59 pm

How long are you planning to keep it Condor? If it is a year or 2, you might be better with the BMW one, if longer than perhaps the after market one.

DW35 · Post by **DW35** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:10 pm

Yep i've been reading any fault that appears within 6 months is deemed to be present at point of sale.

Got issues with my battery going flat now...what are the chances I can get this covered by the dealer too?? I know this is excluded under the WMS warranty.

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