Kazzchris

Hello Fellow Beamer Fam
I recently bought a 2006 530xi with 110xxx miles have got a lot of maintenance done in a 2 month span which has been mainly mechanic done and focused on the engine as well as the 100k services that I know will affect the life span of the vehicle.
As well as minor DIY stuff like coolant reservoir replacement.
It is getting costly fixing one thing after another as the car was sitting on a lot for more than a year so I am dedicated to DIY a lot more
I know my front Struts are due to be replaced at least that's what the Shop said and that can cost me close to 2000$ if I have them do it and from my limited knowledge and research this is not that hard to DIY and I have access to a lift.
2 days ago I fixed my coolant leak I felt good about that. This morning I was not getting air to the passenger airbag and went outside to inspect on start up and heard loud hissing and the compressor trying for 3 mins to pump air before stopping.

My long drawn out question is should I just replace the air suspension with a more traditional Spring setup like strut or coil overs on the rear and front? since I know it will come up soon.
This is my first BMW and It is my daily and I expected to have to really learn and be patient and do as much DIY possible it is not my only car so I can survive while I work on it.
If it is not a good idea to drive while that rear air bag doesn't inflate please let me know that from some research I've seen it just makes ride quality rough which I suspect I've had small leak a while as the ride quality is the same as when I got it 2 months ago.
Obviously the longer it stays leaning on that rear passenger side the more issues it can cause so that is why I am thinking of replacing with more traditional suspension options as those will be permanent fixes.
I also have 20' rims on the rear as I bought it like that and 19s up front would that impact what type of suspension setup I should think of going forward?

Thank you, any help and advice is very much appreciated.

habbyguy

The first thing I want to mention is that you seem to have wildly different wheels front to rear. Fine on a -i model, potential death on an -xi. The common wisdom is that the outside diameter of the tires should be within 0.5% front-to-rear. I'd check that before doing ANYTHING else, since smoking your transfer case or one of your differentials is going to make the whole project a whole lot less fun. ;-)

I'd root around and figure out where all that air is getting out, THEN make a decision. I do like the auto-leveling feature on my car, and the ability to move the rear height up or down a bit (via ISTA or INPA - I forget which I used). The bags aren't horribly expensive, and it could be as simple as a line or fitting. Even if it's something in the pump assembly, you can probably find one of those used or rebuilt for a lot less than a set of new springs.

And finally - don't drive anywhere with a leaky system. When they REALLY leak, that corner is going to be on the ground, and you're going to need not only a flatbed, but one with an operator who knows how to load the car without causing a lot more damage.

Kazzchris

@habbyguy Appreciate it yeah I thought about the AWD aspect of my Wheels being off so I plan on getting 20's upfront to match the back as those are the newer wheels the previous owner had 2 completely different sets I think they cracked a rim and just bought 19s for the cheap. I also just got my transfer case serviced so yeah Id prefer not to buy a new one.

After scouring forums it seems repairing the Air system of a leak is the cheapest route and from the way its leaking it could be a line or the bag so this weekend ill get it up and check for the lines being loose and cracks in the bag. I may just order 2 new bags and replace both as if 1 went the other may follow.

I will definitely heed your warning as far as driving It isn't all the way slammed right now but since in a days time it went from not a problem to almost on the tire I don't want to risk it.

Also in your opinion what scan tool should I invest in? cause clearly they are incredibly helpful.

habbyguy

Definitely replace both bags if either one leaks at all - the second one won't be far behind. Good luck chasing down the leak. Hopefully it's leaking bad enough that you'll be able to hear it. If not, a spray bottle with soapy water works well (just look for the bubbles).

I ended up going two ways for my tools - I have ISTA and INPA set up on a laptop (fiddly and frustrating to set up, but worth it). I also bought an Autophix 7910. It seems to do pretty much everything the more expensive scanners can do, and is a lot easier to leave in the car and to use for "non-dramatic stuff", which is 90% of it, really.

Kazzchris

Appreciate the Advice I found the leak it is toward the bottom and I could hear and feel it just pushing air out so Ill be getting both bags and do it my self there are plenty of videos on how to do it.
As far as ISTA and INPA I have heard the names so ill do some research because i would prefer the car sit at a different baseline height but during owning it I may have had a small leak the whole time making it sit weird.

habbyguy

I've never actually taken the bags out of my E61, but have aired them completely down to do other rear suspension work, and it appears that swapping them out shouldn't be a huge job at all. I really can't complain about the rear suspension in my E61 - the ride quality and handling are as good as anything I could ask for, and the self-leveling is a really nice feature (especially when we're loaded up for a long road trip).

I was relieved to find that there are some pretty affordable new bags out there, too (I've seen some German cars that had bag prices that could only be described as punitive). ;-)

Kazzchris

Yeah after I swap out the old I have a feeling the ride quality will feel great so Im excited for the bags and new wheels up front.