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Rear Air Suspension Problem

Discuss the problems with your BMW X5 (E70).
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TORTUGA
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Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by TORTUGA » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:38 pm

Hi

A couple of months ago while on holiday and the third row seats in use, the warning light kept coming on saying there was a leveling fault, it happened about 9 times out of ten when in use.  However visually there was no drop to be seen in the level at the rear.  Once I returned and stopped using the seats, it stopped.  However now a couple of months on the rear has dropped sometimes over night, and sometimes after a few days of no use.  The left and right sides seem to have dropped the same height, and once the car is started the car raises. 

My question is would one bag leaking drop both sides or is it something else in the system that will cause both sides to drop at the same time?

Cheers

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X5Sport
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Re: Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by X5Sport » Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:47 pm

One bag leaking should not cause the whole rear to drop.  It could be a level sensor is unhappy, or a leak higher up in the system somewhere.  The fact that it's coming back up to level now with no error message is at least a good sign.

The self levelling will also show a fault if you exceed the specified weight limits of seven seats in use as it may not be able to level the car up.

Richard
:ant: Never anthropomorphise computers. They hate that.

TORTUGA
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Re: Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by TORTUGA » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:00 pm

Cheers

One thing it was doing in France when this was happening and occasionally since we have been back is, when you stop you can hear the pump working for about 10-20 seconds before making a fart noise.  I only had the kids in the boot seats so no over loading, but it makes me think that when a little extra weight is put over the rear it struggles to maintain the height.  Strange how it did not always do it, and also since getting back sometimes it drops over night, sometimes not????

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Steamyrotter
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Re: Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by Steamyrotter » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:13 pm

Could be your compressor seals are wearing a little thin?
Or the solenoid valve seats getting a bit worn.
Doesn't take much for air to escape as you probably know.

The fact the compressor pumps it up means the system is recognising the need and trying to do something about it, but not being able to..
If things were meant to be easy, then I will soon complicate them....
Please note...
Anything I say is only from my personal experience and knowledge..
I don't assume to know everything, and know there is a lot I don't know..
But then I could be talking bollox.. O:-)

TORTUGA
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Re: Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by TORTUGA » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:31 pm

[quote="Steamyrotter"]
Could be your compressor seals are wearing a little thin?
Or the solenoid valve seats getting a bit worn.
Doesn't take much for air to escape as you probably know.

The fact the compressor pumps it up means the system is recognising the need and trying to do something about it, but not being able to..
[/quote]

Cheers

Is that an expensive fix?  I have looked at new bags in case it was that and they don't seem to bad or difficult.

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Re: Rear Air Suspension Problem

Post by Steamyrotter » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:10 pm

not looked personnally, but wouldn't have thought it was that hard

But have read that it is cheaper if you get the land rover specced ones...
they apparently are the same. 
Not sure of the models they are from (Prob the range rover L322)
Will try to remember where i read it.
If things were meant to be easy, then I will soon complicate them....
Please note...
Anything I say is only from my personal experience and knowledge..
I don't assume to know everything, and know there is a lot I don't know..
But then I could be talking bollox.. O:-)

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