This video came in handy a month or so ago when I changed the solenoid in my compressor (it was stuck in the open position and the compressor couldn't pump the car up) I'll be using this video as a guide again when i change my F11 with Arnott bags this weekend (if they arrive!) Muchas Gracious!
Hello Dan. No worries. I hope it helps you pal 👍 Just uploading my latest vid about replacing driveshafts abs rings - check it out. It would be great if you subscribe too that way when I make other F11 videos you will be the first to know. Make sure you inflate the bags with the wheels off the ground and be mindful as the Arnotts dont clip in tight at the bottom.
SUPER IMPORTANT GUYS!!! the relay is in the side of the battery (bmw f11 european model) if your compressor WONT STOP pumping, check the relay first. SERIOUSLY!!!! my old compressor blow away because of this.
Thanks for the video. I have a 2016 X5 f15 that sags once in a while and raises when i start it. But on 2 occasions in the last 2 months, it didn't raise. I drove it back home while sagging, let it sit overnight and it raised fine again. So I'm not sure if it's the compressor or the airbags
Just wondering if you had fixed the issue? I have a similar issue and think it is the height sensor. (both bags and compressor were replaced 15.000 km - 2,5 years ago. )
@@trilosima9952After I replaced Booth Air bags and compressor as well, car drove fine for a few weeks till I carried 2 large suitcases in the trunk. I tried replacing the green relay in the back-- nothing. So I took it to the shop and I realized that there is another fuse box located under the glove box. There is a 40 amps fuse in there that keeps blowing due to high current going through every time there is something too heavy in the back. As soon as it was replaced, the car rose again. Since then, I had driven with people in the back without issue (3 months so far), but I carry a pack of fuse in the car just in case. Sorry for the long comment, hope it helps.
@@StevenIvoire Thanks for the quick and detailed reply. I have a F11 and have 2 fuses located in the back (152 and 182), I am aware of the other fuse box but as far as i know there is no fuse for the suspension. For others: I did some more diagnosing with a professional scanner and had to recalibrated the ride height multiple times (after test drives and even had to use the scanner to force the EHC/ICM to pump the left side back up). Kept getting fault codes saying incorrect voltage of rear left sensor and it put the suspension in transport mode. So for me it seems a bad sensor.
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding Thanks for pitching in! That was also my first impression, but with the proper scanner i can instruct the refill the bag and it just goes up and stays up for at least a week without driving. Then at some point it will just collapse OR i also had twice that it went in full tractor mode - fully inflated and much higher then the opposite site. (make me think the sensor is throwing bad readings to the module so that decides to just fully deflate or inflate the bag)
Great video, i have a 2016 g12 750ix few days ago i noticed the front left suspension flat down, the next day it was still down and now its both front left and right. 2 days after, i press the ride height button by the gear lever and they both raise up for a few hours. But i hear a hiss sound by from right wheel. Is it my compress or shock?
Totally different suspension system mate. The whole leg with EDC is about 1500 Eur but Aerosus do a replacement for just the air bellow where you re-use your old EDC strut. The problem is cracking rubber leaking bellows at the bottom not possible to leak test as they are enclosed in a casing tube 🙂 You need new air bellow. Seen this in 2019 cars. PLEASE CONSIDER A SMALL "donation" on the Super thanks if this advice helped you. Even 3 Euros to buy a coffee. I dont like giving free info away.
Hi Jon. Thank you for the compliment. Well in Finland we usually buy from Örum or Koivunen. The brand is Arnott and the quality is very good. Relay we use BMW ones 🙂
@@jonsmith8582 😅 Good guess! I was brought up 10 miles from Bolton❤️ Love home and miss it but I have lived in Finland over 10 years. I was back home a month back and sadly stayed only 2 weeks but it was great to be home. Yes they say I sound like Fred Dibnah - an honour indeed if I was half the engineer he was.
i had a problem where the suspension kept going down and the compressor was always working and the 40amp fuse kept blowing. i replaced the airbags and replaced the compressor . i found there was no power going to the compressor so i unplugged the power plug and hooked an electical wire to the compressor and up to the engine bay. I touch wire to the battery connector and it gets the compressor working. when it's up i take it off and tuck it away.. For the life of me i can't figure out why there is now power to the compressor.
Hello Jim. You need to change the green relay as it can become pitted as your leaking airbags caused the old compressor to run more often than it should have. The relay gets very burnt on the contact faces so we always change them each time we replace compressors. If it was not working and now it is it might be just an intermittently failing relay. If it failed to power the compressor again follow my video and see Terminal 87 which is marked on the relay. Using a normal test light, even a basic one hooked upnto battery negative terminal, you can see if it lights up or not. If not then troubleshoot if terminal 30 has a live, if terminal 86 has a live and finally take your test light and put it on the positive battery terminal and see if terminal 85 is grounded. Those tests will diagnose it. If you have those change the relay. Jim be aware that powering the compressor will not inflate the airbags as there are the the main isolating valve and one for left one for right side. All you can do by powering compressor directly is to check a) it powers on and b) it draws normal current (21 Amps is good) One last thing - the EHC which is the height control module will switch off relay activation if it detects overloading. Hope this helps Jim. Best wishes - Ben
Hey, my left rear bag is empty but my right bag is filled and when i start my car, the compressor wont turn on, but when i do the compressor 20sec test then compressor runs but dosent fill the bag, also my battery is dead 11.8 and my alternator output is also 10.9v, so what can be the problem? car is f11 2012 535xd
@@NOCHEERINGSECTION Actually, the e38 BMW dos not come with air suspension. So the noise might come from many different sources. My suggestion is If you're unable to diagnose yourself or if you're not sure, it'll be best to have it diagnosed by a mechanic. They usually charge between $100 and $150 or sometime for free. After you know with part is needed, try replacing it with an aftermarket one. You'll save a lot of money. That's what I do on my BMWs
Yesterday I changed front springs into H&R springs and it came with back adjustment little things i dont know the name on English 🙂 everthing was ok until i change the left one which was the last one.. at firt was car to high i think on maximum then i drive it to test it and both sides felt dow but specialy left one its completly down do you know maybe what cause that? Is it sensor compresor or luft bags? Bmw F11 2012
No need really to do it but when powering up the compressor manually via the relay I dont think its a good idea introducing voltage that can backflow to the ehc control unit. Might cause no issues but better safe than sorry 🙂How? Just remove the connectors. To take it out pinch the holder tabs and slide the ehc unit forwards 🙂👍
Not sure if you will reply in time, as im going back to bmw tomorrow. 2 months ago, i noticed car was lowered. I turned engine on and it rasied itself back to normal. This then continued, could lower after an hour or sometimes days and then every time i start engine it would go back to normal. So i bit the bullet, took to bmw and then diagnosed as it needing a new air compressor which i paid around £1.3.k to have sorted. Got car back and week later, it lowered. Gutted i am, because i go back tomorrow for them to take car back and look again and tell me know what they think is wrong. Ive suggested they got it wrong and they relaced a part which dodnt need replacing. They are digging heels in and saying a new fault has happened which is causing it to lower again. Have you got any ideas on how i can approach this. Thanks
Has it had new air bellows? They need to be leak tested. I had an X5 last week that I replaced compressor but one side kept dropping. I found 5 corroded wires to solenoid valves. You need to get them to spray soapy water on the air bellows. You also need to know did they replace the valve block and conpressor or just the valve block? And height sensors need to be checked. Hard to say without being there. Dealers are bloody useless mostly. Indies like us are often way more clued up
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding not changed bellows no, they just said needed new compressor. Then it dropped like before, so I was gutted as feel like they just guessed at it to get loads of money, but I can't prove anything. Receipt says they don't air supply and relay
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding I've looked up other videos, to me as it always raised back up on once started engine, that tells me the compressor is working and that they shouldn't have changed that to begin with and it was always something else like bellows or solenoid which controls when the compressor kicks in or not kinda thing
@astuteventures Usually the compressor wears out prematurely due to the constant activation of it as it attempts to maintain the correct ride height which is constantly dropping due to leaking bags. Even when driving it can activate too often. Bellows or airbags as they call them can pass a leak test but when you remove them lo and behold they will be cracked to buggery once you pull them out and extend their length. If you have owned the vehicle a number of years and have never replaced the air bellows I think there you will find the issue. Please let me know if you find the issue. Ps - arnott bellows are better and cheaper than the originals.
Enjoy your evening with all your family around you,BMW Mechanic-AllMech 👍 CANNY,BMW Mechanic-AllMech Take care,BMW Mechanic-AllMech From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 17::28pm
The customer complaint - car drops overnight. Leak sprayed the bags which as you see leaked badly. Bags changed and compressor was found to be extremely weak and took too long to inflate the new bags. The problem is people leave the bags to leak for ages and the compressor runs on constantly until it times out via feedback from height sensors. This is the usual cause. Compressors can wear in two ways - motor windings or more common the piston and bore wear out causing leaks internally and no pressure build up. You can easily test pressure build up by removing the black hose from compressor to valve block and make up a fitting to use a pressure gauge to check delivery pressure. In this car it had a worn cylinder and the motor was starting to draw quite alot of current.
Most likely you have rust in the left solenoid that exhausts air to control the level - it will be stuck open draining air out of the left circuit. The drier desiccant lasts about 8 years usually. Replace the valve block, break open the scrubber in compressor and add silica desiccant - valve block available separately if the height sensor on the left is working correctly then usually its the valve block issue
@@allmech_BMW_fault_findingI’ve replaced solenoid that connects blue & red pipes yesterday still drops about couple inches on left.. I’ll take the air pump off today and look over everything
@Quick2004 Live data would be handy. Is the height sensor axle ok? On some aftermarket bags the brass nut can be loose and leak air. Had alot of them. Fairy liquid mild soapy mix and check for leaks too. You may have a dodgy height sensor
This video came in handy a month or so ago when I changed the solenoid in my compressor (it was stuck in the open position and the compressor couldn't pump the car up)
I'll be using this video as a guide again when i change my F11 with Arnott bags this weekend (if they arrive!)
Muchas Gracious!
Hello Dan. No worries. I hope it helps you pal 👍 Just uploading my latest vid about replacing driveshafts abs rings - check it out. It would be great if you subscribe too that way when I make other F11 videos you will be the first to know. Make sure you inflate the bags with the wheels off the ground and be mindful as the Arnotts dont clip in tight at the bottom.
SUPER IMPORTANT GUYS!!! the relay is in the side of the battery (bmw f11 european model) if your compressor WONT STOP pumping, check the relay first. SERIOUSLY!!!! my old compressor blow away because of this.
Thanks for the video. I have a 2016 X5 f15 that sags once in a while and raises when i start it. But on 2 occasions in the last 2 months, it didn't raise. I drove it back home while sagging, let it sit overnight and it raised fine again. So I'm not sure if it's the compressor or the airbags
Just wondering if you had fixed the issue? I have a similar issue and think it is the height sensor. (both bags and compressor were replaced 15.000 km - 2,5 years ago. )
@@trilosima9952After I replaced Booth Air bags and compressor as well, car drove fine for a few weeks till I carried 2 large suitcases in the trunk. I tried replacing the green relay in the back-- nothing. So I took it to the shop and I realized that there is another fuse box located under the glove box. There is a 40 amps fuse in there that keeps blowing due to high current going through every time there is something too heavy in the back. As soon as it was replaced, the car rose again. Since then, I had driven with people in the back without issue (3 months so far), but I carry a pack of fuse in the car just in case. Sorry for the long comment, hope it helps.
@@StevenIvoire Thanks for the quick and detailed reply. I have a F11 and have 2 fuses located in the back (152 and 182), I am aware of the other fuse box but as far as i know there is no fuse for the suspension.
For others: I did some more diagnosing with a professional scanner and had to recalibrated the ride height multiple times (after test drives and even had to use the scanner to force the EHC/ICM to pump the left side back up). Kept getting fault codes saying incorrect voltage of rear left sensor and it put the suspension in transport mode. So for me it seems a bad sensor.
@trilosima9952 it sounds to me that the left airbag is leaking
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding Thanks for pitching in! That was also my first impression, but with the proper scanner i can instruct the refill the bag and it just goes up and stays up for at least a week without driving. Then at some point it will just collapse OR i also had twice that it went in full tractor mode - fully inflated and much higher then the opposite site. (make me think the sensor is throwing bad readings to the module so that decides to just fully deflate or inflate the bag)
Hey there, just bought a touring with the same issue, what will it cost me ?
Hello everyone, I have a 2018 X5 50i, I’m having issues with my rear suspension sagging, I’m wondering what the past number is for the compressor.
Great video, i have a 2016 g12 750ix few days ago i noticed the front left suspension flat down, the next day it was still down and now its both front left and right. 2 days after, i press the ride height button by the gear lever and they both raise up for a few hours. But i hear a hiss sound by from right wheel. Is it my compress or shock?
Totally different suspension system mate. The whole leg with EDC is about 1500 Eur but Aerosus do a replacement for just the air bellow where you re-use your old EDC strut. The problem is cracking rubber leaking bellows at the bottom not possible to leak test as they are enclosed in a casing tube 🙂 You need new air bellow. Seen this in 2019 cars.
PLEASE CONSIDER A SMALL "donation" on the Super thanks if this advice helped you. Even 3 Euros to buy a coffee. I dont like giving free info away.
Really thank you for your help..
My pleasure 🙂
Good job there , can I ask where you got the compressor and air bag from ? cheers Jon
Hi Jon. Thank you for the compliment. Well in Finland we usually buy from Örum or Koivunen. The brand is Arnott and the quality is very good. Relay we use BMW ones 🙂
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding Thanks , wasn't expecting you to be in Finland , my guess was Bolton !
@@jonsmith8582 😅 Good guess! I was brought up 10 miles from Bolton❤️ Love home and miss it but I have lived in Finland over 10 years. I was back home a month back and sadly stayed only 2 weeks but it was great to be home. Yes they say I sound like Fred Dibnah - an honour indeed if I was half the engineer he was.
i had a problem where the suspension kept going down and the compressor was always working and the 40amp fuse kept blowing. i replaced the airbags and replaced the compressor . i found there was no power going to the compressor so i unplugged the power plug and hooked an electical wire to the compressor and up to the engine bay. I touch wire to the battery connector and it gets the compressor working. when it's up i take it off and tuck it away.. For the life of me i can't figure out why there is now power to the compressor.
Hello Jim. You need to change the green relay as it can become pitted as your leaking airbags caused the old compressor to run more often than it should have.
The relay gets very burnt on the contact faces so we always change them each time we replace compressors.
If it was not working and now it is it might be just an intermittently failing relay.
If it failed to power the compressor again follow my video and see Terminal 87 which is marked on the relay. Using a normal test light, even a basic one hooked upnto battery negative terminal, you can see if it lights up or not. If not then troubleshoot if terminal 30 has a live, if terminal 86 has a live and finally take your test light and put it on the positive battery terminal and see if terminal 85 is grounded.
Those tests will diagnose it.
If you have those change the relay.
Jim be aware that powering the compressor will not inflate the airbags as there are the the main isolating valve and one for left one for right side. All you can do by powering compressor directly is to check a) it powers on and b) it draws normal current (21 Amps is good)
One last thing - the EHC which is the height control module will switch off relay activation if it detects overloading.
Hope this helps Jim.
Best wishes - Ben
Hey, my left rear bag is empty but my right bag is filled and when i start my car, the compressor wont turn on, but when i do the compressor 20sec test then compressor runs but dosent fill the bag, also my battery is dead 11.8 and my alternator output is also 10.9v, so what can be the problem? car is f11 2012 535xd
Im gonna replace my battery and alternator but i hope i dont have to replace my compressor
I have a 2000 740i, how can I tell if my air ride is going bad?
Is the rear of the car sagging?
@@StevenIvoire not really but it’s a buzzing noise coming from under the car,
@@NOCHEERINGSECTION Actually, the e38 BMW dos not come with air suspension. So the noise might come from many different sources. My suggestion is If you're unable to diagnose yourself or if you're not sure, it'll be best to have it diagnosed by a mechanic. They usually charge between $100 and $150 or sometime for free. After you know with part is needed, try replacing it with an aftermarket one. You'll save a lot of money. That's what I do on my BMWs
The left side goes down overnight but is ok when the engine is on. Any ideas?
Yeah you have either a leaky bag or one of the valves is stuck open.
Actually it hasn't done it for a couple of days so it's intermittent really
Yesterday I changed front springs into H&R springs and it came with back adjustment little things i dont know the name on English 🙂 everthing was ok until i change the left one which was the last one.. at firt was car to high i think on maximum then i drive it to test it and both sides felt dow but specialy left one its completly down do you know maybe what cause that? Is it sensor compresor or luft bags? Bmw F11 2012
How do you disconnect the EHC control unit, and why? Thanks :)
No need really to do it but when powering up the compressor manually via the relay I dont think its a good idea introducing voltage that can backflow to the ehc control unit. Might cause no issues but better safe than sorry 🙂How? Just remove the connectors. To take it out pinch the holder tabs and slide the ehc unit forwards 🙂👍
Not sure if you will reply in time, as im going back to bmw tomorrow.
2 months ago, i noticed car was lowered.
I turned engine on and it rasied itself back to normal.
This then continued, could lower after an hour or sometimes days and then every time i start engine it would go back to normal.
So i bit the bullet, took to bmw and then diagnosed as it needing a new air compressor which i paid around £1.3.k to have sorted.
Got car back and week later, it lowered.
Gutted i am, because i go back tomorrow for them to take car back and look again and tell me know what they think is wrong.
Ive suggested they got it wrong and they relaced a part which dodnt need replacing.
They are digging heels in and saying a new fault has happened which is causing it to lower again.
Have you got any ideas on how i can approach this.
Thanks
Has it had new air bellows?
They need to be leak tested. I had an X5 last week that I replaced compressor but one side kept dropping. I found 5 corroded wires to solenoid valves.
You need to get them to spray soapy water on the air bellows. You also need to know did they replace the valve block and conpressor or just the valve block?
And height sensors need to be checked. Hard to say without being there. Dealers are bloody useless mostly. Indies like us are often way more clued up
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding not changed bellows no, they just said needed new compressor. Then it dropped like before, so I was gutted as feel like they just guessed at it to get loads of money, but I can't prove anything. Receipt says they don't air supply and relay
Done not don't
@@allmech_BMW_fault_finding I've looked up other videos, to me as it always raised back up on once started engine, that tells me the compressor is working and that they shouldn't have changed that to begin with and it was always something else like bellows or solenoid which controls when the compressor kicks in or not kinda thing
@astuteventures Usually the compressor wears out prematurely due to the constant activation of it as it attempts to maintain the correct ride height which is constantly dropping due to leaking bags. Even when driving it can activate too often.
Bellows or airbags as they call them can pass a leak test but when you remove them lo and behold they will be cracked to buggery once you pull them out and extend their length. If you have owned the vehicle a number of years and have never replaced the air bellows I think there you will find the issue.
Please let me know if you find the issue. Ps - arnott bellows are better and cheaper than the originals.
thanks ,diagnostic nootebook program?
Enjoy your evening with all your family around you,BMW Mechanic-AllMech
👍
CANNY,BMW Mechanic-AllMech
Take care,BMW Mechanic-AllMech
From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 17::28pm
Hi are you based in the UK? Thanks
Finland
what diagnosis did you use to determine this?TH
The customer complaint - car drops overnight.
Leak sprayed the bags which as you see leaked badly. Bags changed and compressor was found to be extremely weak and took too long to inflate the new bags.
The problem is people leave the bags to leak for ages and the compressor runs on constantly until it times out via feedback from height sensors. This is the usual cause.
Compressors can wear in two ways - motor windings or more common the piston and bore wear out causing leaks internally and no pressure build up.
You can easily test pressure build up by removing the black hose from compressor to valve block and make up a fitting to use a pressure gauge to check delivery pressure.
In this car it had a worn cylinder and the motor was starting to draw quite alot of current.
autologic tester name?
@@martinpour9267 I have autologic, thinktool and Ista
My e61 I’ve replaced both air bags but left side keeps dropping about 3 inches…could help me please
When actually it drops ? When you keep the car overnight ?
Most likely you have rust in the left solenoid that exhausts air to control the level - it will be stuck open draining air out of the left circuit. The drier desiccant lasts about 8 years usually. Replace the valve block, break open the scrubber in compressor and add silica desiccant - valve block available separately if the height sensor on the left is working correctly then usually its the valve block issue
@@allmech_BMW_fault_findingI’ve replaced solenoid that connects blue & red pipes yesterday still drops about couple inches on left.. I’ll take the air pump off today and look over everything
@@krp4473it drops even turn ignition off or over night
@Quick2004 Live data would be handy. Is the height sensor axle ok? On some aftermarket bags the brass nut can be loose and leak air. Had alot of them. Fairy liquid mild soapy mix and check for leaks too. You may have a dodgy height sensor