XSeries-forum

Hi folks, have my 4.8is at the dealers due to another " SLS inactive" warning. No problem,i thought...still under warranty..they replaced the compressor last time it was in. Turns out an airbag is gone on OSF but BMW Warranty are saying NO because its over 60k AND they're saying airbag is a wear and tear item. . Odd that, because I bout the car with 61k on it and the compressor was changed without any hassle.

Anyway, new bag is 500-odd quid which i would fit myself so no labour. However, reading a few forums etc it seems folks are having repeated hassles with their SLS which prompted me to look at both the Arnott industries replacement bags and KW V3 coilovers. I reckon that the coilovers represent better long-term value for money so might explore this route but I notice KW website says "not for vehicles with SLS"....really...why??

First off though, has anyone gone down the road of KW coilovers who has had SLS? Also, I assume that its a direct replacement for the air struts? i.e. no additional faffing around? I also assume that the SLS electronics etc will need switching off?

Bottom line is, can anyone give me their experiences and what other things need to be done.

TT

Airbags are around £150-£180

Go on, give me a hint....

BMW want £620 for a strut as they dont do just the bag!!!!

The Arnott industries bags are $315 each with the full strut being $360. Seen a few reports of blown bags even with the Arnott replacements although their full struts seem to be OK. I am very tempted although i have a nagging feeling that in the longer term the air suspension is going to give me nothing but bother so im as well swapping it out for coilovers now.

Not decided one way or the other yet...

TT

Are you in about the e53? www.realoem.com will give you part numbers and exploded views. You'll probably get air suspension bags from eurocarparts or GSF. You can also get them on eBay. Main stealers love to bend people over. Air bags are DIY able. If your not too good with a set of spanners you need to find a good independent specialist... Where are you located? I'm sure there will be someone nearby who can recommend somewhere.

www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model= ... g=33&fg=50

Item no 1

I had the dreaded SLS inactive message in a ski resort in Austria just before Christmas on my 4.8iS with 63K. No obvious issue (ie visually fine) so drove home. Took it into my trusty indy on my return who said a sensor had simply got knocked in the snow ( I did aggressively drive it out of a snowdrift) and no issue or cost to reset. I'm very suspicious of the air suspension and main dealers - changing compressors/airbags/control units are nice earners for them in labour and parts whether under warranty or not. From reading the posts on this forum, there are a number of simple things that can go wrong - sensors, fuses, even extreme temperatures etc. Absolutely key to eliminate them first and get a proper diagnosis before expensive replacement parts start being mentioned.
Good luck and hope it gets sorted.

I was a mechanic many years ago so I'm pretty handy with spanners. Looked at Real OEM and my BMW TIS disk for hints.
Seems like a straightforward enough job to replace the bags and/or struts but Im seeing a lot of folks on forums who have had bags go again and again and again........

I was looking at the KW V3's as a more permanent replacement for the whole air system. Even the chap at KW UK didnt really have a clue whether they would fit cars with SLS. My intention would be to remove the 4 air struts and replace with coilovers. I would then have the DME fixed so it wasnt constantly looking for SLS sensor inputs.

I need to know whether the coilovers are phisically the same as the OEM items in terms of top mounts and bottom pickups? I'm assuming they would be......but then assumption is the mother (blah, blah!).

Anyone??

TT

fronts should be ok, but at the rear its a completely diffent set up on the suspension on air to springs so you would most likely need a complete rear arm setup, where are the coilovers for sale im after some for the front of mine

I havent come across many issues with the air bags other than anything age related. There made of rubber so they will perish after so long just like bushes etc. My car is around 7-8 years old and the bags look ok. I'd get the bags and swap them myself if it was me

Hi,i've replaced just about every part of the air suspension on my 4.8 in the last 12 months (Approx £2.5K) I fitted the Arnott replacement bags on the front,and the difference is night and day as far as build quality is concerned. As for coilovers the mechanical side of things is pretty straightforward according to the guys on the US forums. Its the coding side of things that is a complete nightmare. You have literally got to convince the car that the SLS is no longer fitted and the diagnostic and coding involved is immense.

Thanks Neil. Would you have a link to the US forums where they make reference to the coilovers. i have looked but cant for the life of me see any.

TT

I'll try search it out for you mate.

Try this mate:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/ ... hanks.html

Hope it helps in your decision

Well, decided to buy a pair of Arnott Industries front air struts rather than go down the coilover route.
Struts came to just over $1000 (inc shipping) and were delivered with exceptional speed even though I went with the cheaper courier option. Fitted them yesterday and job was a doddle...although both pairs of strut-hub bolts were a bitch. Thankfully my electric impact gun got them off...eventually.
After fitting, the compressor would not operate despite doing all the things suggested on most BM forums. Took it to my local indy who used DIS to command pump to inflate. Unfortunately, they could not sort out the ride height so will be going back to dealers to get that sorted. My primary concern was to get the struts inflated so they would not be damaged so Im happy thats been done.

TT

If they had no air in my guess would be that the self levelling lever wasn't within its range, if you had jacked it up a bit to switch the self levelling levers it would have fired the the pump into life..... I had similar when I swapped the compressor on my old e39 touring at the rear end