Touring rear suspension failures
05-15-2010, 04:35 AM
#71
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OK
Jumped in at the deep end and have completed the job in 1 1/2 hours
Went to Halfords and bought:
1m * Petrol line Hose with internal braiding, around 6mm internal diameter £2.99
2 clips to go with the hose £1.99
Car ramps (neeeded some anyway) £40
Job required:
snipe nose pliers, 8mm socket, 10mm socket, wheel nut socket, hose cutter (Garden Shears!) Ramps, Jack, axle stand
Loosened wheel nuts v slighty
Backed up onto ramps
Removed tray under rear bumper
Jacked up right side further and removed wheel
Made safe with axle support stand (please take care when underneath a car to 100% support the axle and put chocks under front wheels)
Removed rear inner wheel arch cover
At this point noticed the hose line was 90% broken from the connection onto the compressor!
Removed hose line from compressor and fed it out of the holding clamps (needs snipe nose pliers to remove clip)
Removed hose line from the union/connector from under the wheel arch (this end was badly corroded as well!)
Replaced with new hose with clip under the wheel arch
Feed hose back towards compressor
Clipped into existing clamps (these come out easily to allow you to put around the new hose and clip back in)
Cut hose to the right length
Connected to compressor with a new clip
Replaced all the covers and wheel (don't forget to tighten your wheel nuts!)
Turned on the ignition and hurrah no warning light, no loud compressor noise, right hand side suspension lifted the same as the left
Test drive all OK
Many thanks to all in this forum for advise and support
Now does anybody know how to fix my left and right parking light warning lights that come on every 1/2 hour?
The actual lights all work OK and all the angel eye lights are OK to...loose earth?
Jumped in at the deep end and have completed the job in 1 1/2 hours
Went to Halfords and bought:
1m * Petrol line Hose with internal braiding, around 6mm internal diameter £2.99
2 clips to go with the hose £1.99
Car ramps (neeeded some anyway) £40
Job required:
snipe nose pliers, 8mm socket, 10mm socket, wheel nut socket, hose cutter (Garden Shears!) Ramps, Jack, axle stand
Loosened wheel nuts v slighty
Backed up onto ramps
Removed tray under rear bumper
Jacked up right side further and removed wheel
Made safe with axle support stand (please take care when underneath a car to 100% support the axle and put chocks under front wheels)
Removed rear inner wheel arch cover
At this point noticed the hose line was 90% broken from the connection onto the compressor!
Removed hose line from compressor and fed it out of the holding clamps (needs snipe nose pliers to remove clip)
Removed hose line from the union/connector from under the wheel arch (this end was badly corroded as well!)
Replaced with new hose with clip under the wheel arch
Feed hose back towards compressor
Clipped into existing clamps (these come out easily to allow you to put around the new hose and clip back in)
Cut hose to the right length
Connected to compressor with a new clip
Replaced all the covers and wheel (don't forget to tighten your wheel nuts!)
Turned on the ignition and hurrah no warning light, no loud compressor noise, right hand side suspension lifted the same as the left
Test drive all OK
Many thanks to all in this forum for advise and support
Now does anybody know how to fix my left and right parking light warning lights that come on every 1/2 hour?
The actual lights all work OK and all the angel eye lights are OK to...loose earth?
07-17-2010, 06:53 AM
#72
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Had the warning light for the self levelling come on for me today and then the back end of the car dropped so that the wheels were inside the wheel arches.
As I know nothing about fixing cars as complex as the 5 series I jumped on this website to see if it was a common (and easily fixed) problem. Saw all the posts about the failed tube and possible repairs here and thought I'd have a look.
Sadly, (or is that luckily?) my car has a braided tube that looks in pretty much perfect condition and there doesn't appear to be any problem with it.
So next I wanted to see if the compresor was working so I turned the ignition on and I could definitely hear something making a blowy sound from that area which goes on for about 5-10 seconds before you hear a click (solanoid?) and it then stops, just as the warning message comes up and bongs from the dashboard. For a few seconds after that you can hear a slight hissing sound from the compressor area.
This makes me think that the compressor is working and that the car tries to pump up the suspension, realises that its not going to happen and then shuts itself off to ensure the compressor doesn't burn out. The last hissing sound I assume is whatever air was in the system escaping through a leak.
Anybody have any thoughts or experience on where else there could be a leak?
Also, if I carry on commuting 10 miles a day to work and back while I wait to get it booked into a garage is there a danger of me really screwing things up?
As I know nothing about fixing cars as complex as the 5 series I jumped on this website to see if it was a common (and easily fixed) problem. Saw all the posts about the failed tube and possible repairs here and thought I'd have a look.
Sadly, (or is that luckily?) my car has a braided tube that looks in pretty much perfect condition and there doesn't appear to be any problem with it.
So next I wanted to see if the compresor was working so I turned the ignition on and I could definitely hear something making a blowy sound from that area which goes on for about 5-10 seconds before you hear a click (solanoid?) and it then stops, just as the warning message comes up and bongs from the dashboard. For a few seconds after that you can hear a slight hissing sound from the compressor area.
This makes me think that the compressor is working and that the car tries to pump up the suspension, realises that its not going to happen and then shuts itself off to ensure the compressor doesn't burn out. The last hissing sound I assume is whatever air was in the system escaping through a leak.
Anybody have any thoughts or experience on where else there could be a leak?
Also, if I carry on commuting 10 miles a day to work and back while I wait to get it booked into a garage is there a danger of me really screwing things up?
07-19-2010, 02:58 AM
#73
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My Ride: 2005 530d M Sport Touring : Carbon Black : Half Leather : Pro DVD Sav Nav : TV : Active Cruise : Front/Rear Parking : Bluetooth Phone : 6 CD : Dark Poplar Wood : Folding Mirrors : 5 year Servicing Pack
If the car's dropped as much as you say it has (and indeed as much as mine did) then you won't be able to drive it anything like that sort of distance.
Mine ended up on the bump stops and just driving it around 1 mile to get fixed was agony. I also read that driving it in this state could damage the airballs (airbags) that actually control the levelling.
Mine ended up on the bump stops and just driving it around 1 mile to get fixed was agony. I also read that driving it in this state could damage the airballs (airbags) that actually control the levelling.
07-27-2010, 12:52 PM
#74
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Hi all,
Finally got the suspension sorted on my car today.
Turned out that the compressor was burnt out and I needed a new one. £650+vat :thumbsdown:
Worse than that is the reason why the compressor failed in the first place. The electronic control unit that controls the compressor had shorted out and this in turn led to the compressor burning out (£120+vat). The reason it shorted out is because it was sat in a puddle of filthy, slimey water.
The Independant BMW specialist who fixed it knew where and what to look for as its a surprisingly common fault with the E61. The root-cause is the drain-lines from the doors and sunroof run down the rear pillars and discharge via a one way flap on the underside of the car near the rear wheels. Over time these lines/flaps can get clogged up and the water doesn't drain properly and finds its way into the car. It then finds the lowest point in which to collect, under the spare wheel in the boot, which happens to be where BMW decided to put a whole array of electronics. Apparently its then a bit of pot luck as to which bit of the electronics gets fried first. I was asked if my I-drive was working properly as this often gets zapped this way and can cost a fortune to repair.
Its an incredibly stupid design. Putting an unsealed electronic device in the lowest point of the car, which doesn't have any way of being drained, is very unlikely to ever be checked, next to the bodywork drains, and where any liquid you spill in the boot would collect is a touch of real class. I'm an aeronautical engineer and if one of my engineers brought me a drawing this riddled with potential failures in it I'd roll it up and smack him around the head with it.
Perhaps what's most telling is the fact that my mechanics were able to get a replacement part from the local dealer very quickly as its something they keep in stock. Why would they need to keep a stock of ECU's that should never need replacing if it wasn't a known fault that they should have fixed.
Still, its all done now. Really has dented my faith in the car though. Its one of several examples of areas where BMW has over-engineered something for a small performance improvement without considering the full impact of what they're doing.
Finally got the suspension sorted on my car today.
Turned out that the compressor was burnt out and I needed a new one. £650+vat :thumbsdown:
Worse than that is the reason why the compressor failed in the first place. The electronic control unit that controls the compressor had shorted out and this in turn led to the compressor burning out (£120+vat). The reason it shorted out is because it was sat in a puddle of filthy, slimey water.
The Independant BMW specialist who fixed it knew where and what to look for as its a surprisingly common fault with the E61. The root-cause is the drain-lines from the doors and sunroof run down the rear pillars and discharge via a one way flap on the underside of the car near the rear wheels. Over time these lines/flaps can get clogged up and the water doesn't drain properly and finds its way into the car. It then finds the lowest point in which to collect, under the spare wheel in the boot, which happens to be where BMW decided to put a whole array of electronics. Apparently its then a bit of pot luck as to which bit of the electronics gets fried first. I was asked if my I-drive was working properly as this often gets zapped this way and can cost a fortune to repair.
Its an incredibly stupid design. Putting an unsealed electronic device in the lowest point of the car, which doesn't have any way of being drained, is very unlikely to ever be checked, next to the bodywork drains, and where any liquid you spill in the boot would collect is a touch of real class. I'm an aeronautical engineer and if one of my engineers brought me a drawing this riddled with potential failures in it I'd roll it up and smack him around the head with it.
Perhaps what's most telling is the fact that my mechanics were able to get a replacement part from the local dealer very quickly as its something they keep in stock. Why would they need to keep a stock of ECU's that should never need replacing if it wasn't a known fault that they should have fixed.
Still, its all done now. Really has dented my faith in the car though. Its one of several examples of areas where BMW has over-engineered something for a small performance improvement without considering the full impact of what they're doing.
07-29-2010, 10:16 PM
#76
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Putting an unsealed electronic device in the lowest point of the car, which doesn't have any way of being drained, is very unlikely to ever be checked, next to the bodywork drains, and where any liquid you spill in the boot would collect is a touch of real class. I'm an aeronautical engineer and if one of my engineers brought me a drawing this riddled with potential failures in it I'd roll it up and smack him around the head with it.
Btw, if you want to fix the drains that filled your trunk with water in the first place, see post #26 in this thread, and also some other posts with pics on page 3:
https://5series.net/forums/topic/810...f/page__st__15
08-02-2010, 04:53 AM
#77
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My Ride: 2005 BMW 530d M-Sport TouringExterior: Titansilber Metallic, M5 mirrors, ACS rear roof spoiler, BMW Carbon Fiber rear diffuser, Adaptive Xenon headlights, AngeliBright v.3 Angel Eyes, F1 Autohaus Euphoria 6000K LED license plate lightsInterior: Black
Well crap.
"Self Leveling Suspension Failure. Drive at reduced speeds, handling may be compromised."
iDrive warning has come on twice in 5 days, so I guess that it is the beginning of the end of my compressor.
Tomorrow, my service department manager will call me with a date to bring it in.
"Self Leveling Suspension Failure. Drive at reduced speeds, handling may be compromised."
iDrive warning has come on twice in 5 days, so I guess that it is the beginning of the end of my compressor.
Tomorrow, my service department manager will call me with a date to bring it in.
08-02-2010, 11:25 AM
#78
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Llif,
After my system failed on a regular basis l was travelling circa 120 miles a day for about 4 weeks.
Basically, what happens is that the rubber airbag has 2 pressure levels. When the pump fails to inflate the bag due to issues, the bag has a minimum air pressure still in the bag to keep the wheels from rubbing on the wheel arches. When you actually carry out the repair and release the pressure at the solinoid (by removing red & blue hoses), the vehicale litterally collapses onto the wish bones, and the wheels touch the wheel arch plastic shroud.
It is for this reason the BMW guide advises that all weight is taken off the rear wheels at the point you release any air from the solinoid system. I had to jack mune up, (But be warned, upon lowering, ensure that an even lowering methodology is carried out! It was getting dark for me and l rushed towards the lowering, and my car fell off the trolley jack due to the wheels rolling!)
Long story short, l was lucky and no damage occurd as l had back up car jacks in place.
All said and done, l took my compressor to a hydraulic brake line repair center, and the guy replaced my plastic tube for £5.01!
I nearly wet my self laughing at the thought BMW almost bent me over the desk!!
After my system failed on a regular basis l was travelling circa 120 miles a day for about 4 weeks.
Basically, what happens is that the rubber airbag has 2 pressure levels. When the pump fails to inflate the bag due to issues, the bag has a minimum air pressure still in the bag to keep the wheels from rubbing on the wheel arches. When you actually carry out the repair and release the pressure at the solinoid (by removing red & blue hoses), the vehicale litterally collapses onto the wish bones, and the wheels touch the wheel arch plastic shroud. It is for this reason the BMW guide advises that all weight is taken off the rear wheels at the point you release any air from the solinoid system. I had to jack mune up, (But be warned, upon lowering, ensure that an even lowering methodology is carried out! It was getting dark for me and l rushed towards the lowering, and my car fell off the trolley jack due to the wheels rolling!)
Long story short, l was lucky and no damage occurd as l had back up car jacks in place.All said and done, l took my compressor to a hydraulic brake line repair center, and the guy replaced my plastic tube for £5.01!
I nearly wet my self laughing at the thought BMW almost bent me over the desk!!Had the warning light for the self levelling come on for me today and then the back end of the car dropped so that the wheels were inside the wheel arches.
As I know nothing about fixing cars as complex as the 5 series I jumped on this website to see if it was a common (and easily fixed) problem. Saw all the posts about the failed tube and possible repairs here and thought I'd have a look.
Sadly, (or is that luckily?) my car has a braided tube that looks in pretty much perfect condition and there doesn't appear to be any problem with it.
So next I wanted to see if the compresor was working so I turned the ignition on and I could definitely hear something making a blowy sound from that area which goes on for about 5-10 seconds before you hear a click (solanoid?) and it then stops, just as the warning message comes up and bongs from the dashboard. For a few seconds after that you can hear a slight hissing sound from the compressor area.
This makes me think that the compressor is working and that the car tries to pump up the suspension, realises that its not going to happen and then shuts itself off to ensure the compressor doesn't burn out. The last hissing sound I assume is whatever air was in the system escaping through a leak.
Anybody have any thoughts or experience on where else there could be a leak?
Also, if I carry on commuting 10 miles a day to work and back while I wait to get it booked into a garage is there a danger of me really screwing things up?
As I know nothing about fixing cars as complex as the 5 series I jumped on this website to see if it was a common (and easily fixed) problem. Saw all the posts about the failed tube and possible repairs here and thought I'd have a look.
Sadly, (or is that luckily?) my car has a braided tube that looks in pretty much perfect condition and there doesn't appear to be any problem with it.
So next I wanted to see if the compresor was working so I turned the ignition on and I could definitely hear something making a blowy sound from that area which goes on for about 5-10 seconds before you hear a click (solanoid?) and it then stops, just as the warning message comes up and bongs from the dashboard. For a few seconds after that you can hear a slight hissing sound from the compressor area.
This makes me think that the compressor is working and that the car tries to pump up the suspension, realises that its not going to happen and then shuts itself off to ensure the compressor doesn't burn out. The last hissing sound I assume is whatever air was in the system escaping through a leak.
Anybody have any thoughts or experience on where else there could be a leak?
Also, if I carry on commuting 10 miles a day to work and back while I wait to get it booked into a garage is there a danger of me really screwing things up?
08-02-2010, 12:06 PM
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Easyrider, how in the first place did you find out what exactly was wrong with your compressor and that the tube has to be replaced?
From what I know and my experience with my compressor, some valve inside goes bad and it cannot be repaired or replaced. Your solution sounds really tempting in the cases in which it is applicable.
From what I know and my experience with my compressor, some valve inside goes bad and it cannot be repaired or replaced. Your solution sounds really tempting in the cases in which it is applicable.