4.8is Self Levelling Suspension

[Ricko]

Looks like I am the first member to post about the dreaded self levelling suspension.

Took the X out for a drive last night………Parked up with the engine running whilst the other half used the cash point……….Pulled away and felt a jolt.

The Self level susp. Inact warning and the tyre pressure warning light came on………….Straight a way the handling from the front was extremely bouncy…….Kept to a low speed all the way home but when turning a corner you could hear the tyre rubbing the wheel arch.

I know that the air suspension can be problematic on the X5 but look at these photos







Both the front off side and near side wings are virtually sitting on the tyre, the rear tyres are about 4 inches below the wheel arch. There is also now no LED indication on the suspension level switch.

I spent some time on Outpost searching for similar problems and found quite a bit. The general consensus was it could be a fuse, levelling sensors, air bags or control unit………Virtually every or any component then……

As I have extended my AUC warranty (albeit with a £100 excess) the car goes in tomorrow to my local BMW dealer. Now I will see how good this warranty is……..

Will post update tomorrow………

[Pewters]

WOW.......lucky you got a warrenty fella.

Let us know the problem

[Sanj]

Bloody hell! Picture paints a thousand words!

Let us know what caused the problem in the end.

Did you get any warning, of any sort...?

Best of luck (but hoping you won't need it).

[Ricko]

Got the call from the dealers tonight about the car.

From the diagnostic checks carried out it requires two new sensors on the front. They have to order the parts in so it will be repaired on Monday next week.

Whilst I have to accept what they say it does not fill me full of confidence. I had no warning whatsoever that the suspension was going to fail and working in an electro/ mechanical field for a number of years find it hard to accept that two sensors would fail at exactly the same time……….Good job BMW don’t build anything that flies……

[CondorX5]

Hope its still under warranty........I absolutely love my 4.8, but I guess when the time comes in a years time to renew the AUC warranty, I'll go with BMW despite the high cost.....the 4.8 is a very complex machine and certainly not cheap to maintain, even more so than the Xes........

[Ricko]

Well this is well weird............

Being interested in the parts that have failed on my car I punched their numbers into Realom...........This from the work estimate document that I was given.

According to Realom the part number B37.14.6.784.696 is a level sensor related to headlight vertical aim system.........

I'm not going to look anymore............I'll wait and see what happens on Monday

[ITBarbie]

Hi ricko

That is weird are you sure it's not a typo. If not something certainly stinks !

[lezmtaylor]

Crikey, how can a headlight sensor affect the suspension ????????
Lez

[Ricko]

Well I had to check again......In case of typo error.........

I was right and wrong........It appears that the level sensor quoted under that part number is used in both the headlight alignment system and for the self levelling suspension. Looking at the diagrams both sensors are the same............

Phew....Not so worried now..........

[Ricko]

Update…………

I went to collect my car yesterday after getting no feedback whatsoever from the dealer – I had asked to be kept informed as I had to travel 130 miles back from where I was working………..Bloody useless………….I had to rang them twice and was told that it was still being worked on……..

My partner dropped me off and waited in her car…………I went in to the reception to find out what was happening………

While I was waiting my partner came in……..quite indignant……She had just seen my car being thrashed through the car park, out of the entrance and up the road. All this whilst the driver was trying to put a seat belt on…….

That was it for me……..No feedback and treating my car like that (with a fault that in the handbook says that you should drive carefully and no more than 37mph)……..They got a right mouth full in front of 3 other customers…The fault still isn’t resolved…….They told me that they now think that the control module is faulty and would I leave the car with them for further testing……….No chance……..I am working away until Thursday and told them I would not leave the car with them for that long when they treat customers car’s like that………They were very embarrassed and apologetic and said they would talk to the driver…For me that’s not good enough and I have since sent a two page letter to the service manager. Once this gets sorted there will be another letter going off to BMW UK……

The car goes back in on Friday…….But I’m not hopeful it will be sorted…….

[CondorX5]

Once you've sorted it to your satisfaction, please let us know which dealer you are using - is it Hexagon where you bought the car or a local BMW dealer to yurself? And also the responses from them / BMW UK. - We should all take a stand against shoddy service levels and not accept the usual brush-offs. At the very least, you need to be getting some extension to your warranty or free servicing or something with this behaviour. At least with the warranty they will HAVE to sort the problem out, no matter how many expnsive modules are replaced.

[Turks]

I thought it could be control module looking at the pics as both the front are down and the back is up. As you say, two sensors failing at the same time - doubt it!

Bad news about the dealers thrashing your car! Funny, I know my Indy wouldn't treat my car that way but my car would be somehow more desirable with FBMWSH!

Hope it gets sorted pal.


Turks.

[Chompers]

Ricko, very sorry to hear about this sort of treatment from a main dealer, it really is quite shocking and they should be named and shamed when and after all is sorted. I wish you luck

[Nat]

Hi,

Thats been seen before. WE need to have a Name and Shame section on this forum to ensure the rest of us don't go there.
Good luck and I hope you have a result with BMW UK.

Regards

Nat.

[Ricko]

Further and final update…..Hopefully……..

My letter to the service manager prompted a response. He rang me and arranged to see me when I dropped the car off. He was very apologetic – Explained that whilst the technician driving my car like a bat out of hell didn’t deny it, his reason for doing it was to get the car to lift from the lowered position……Mmmmmm so that’s all right then…..

I asked why it took so many attempts to diagnose faults – His response was that they have to use diagnostic system processes. If they change or work on equipment or parts that are not within the diagnostic process they will not get paid by BMW UK.

I was also told that when BMW cars are plugged in to the diagnostic computer – this connects to BMW servers that monitor and record the diagnostic process.

My car has now been repaired sucessfully – (Touch extremely large bits of wood) It was explained to me that the fault raised by the diagnostic after replacing the levelling sensors was due to a loose electrical connection.

As this was all under the extended BMW warranty I only had to pay £100.

I have driven 100 miles since without problem…It’s still a bloody great car and brings a massive smile to my face every time I start the engine.

To Condor X5, Turks, Chompers and Nat……….Thanks for further input.

I did buy my car from Hexagon but do not use them for my repairs or service work.

I live near Basingstoke and have been using BMW Harwoods. To be fair to them I have had an oil service, brake fluid change and MOT carried out without any problems. It’s just the warranty work that I have experienced issues with.

All my brake pads and front discs will need replacing soon but I will not be using Harwoods. There are a couple of other BMW dealers in my locality and will I be trying them out.

I will be writing to BMW UK about my experiencing of owning an approved used BMW with less than 25000 miles on the clock. My car has been into Harwoods 11 times for repair work – once on the back of a transporter because it wouldn’t start.

I don’t know if I will get anywhere but if there was ever a case for some goodwill my experiences must count.