Air suspension aftermarket replacement compressor options?

[nupak]

Hey, could you please send me specs on the air springs that you purchased on Amazon for $258

[james92se]

Originally Posted by nupak

Hey, could you please send me specs on the air springs that you purchased on Amazon for $258

Arnott A-2642

https://www.amazon.com/Arnott-2642-R...dp/B07FKP2VP4/

[nupak]

Thanks so much, ordered a set

[NERO X]

Awesome DIY. Love when people post this stuff. Congrats on the savings. I guess that toxic prick from earlier didn’t have any follow-up pricky comments. I guess he was pissed you saved $4k that he would’ve just blown at his dealer.

[OzzieF15]

Thanks @james92se for this writeup. I am seeing the back on my F15 X5 drop, but I don't seem to have airbag leaks. The bags were replaced a year ago. The back end seems to go down when I hit some bumps hard... which tells me the compressor is not inflating the bags. Checked the fuse - it was blown. Replaced it and bags inflated. Issue recurs in a few days. Blown through 3 fuses so far.
I'm going to try the desiccant bead replacement on the compressor first. Your pictures have helped me figure out where to look for the compressor!

[F15_SGM]

I was wondering do I have to jack the car up to our change compressor? My compressor won't bring the car up so I bought new one but was wondering if I need to jack my jack before I remove it. I already have my bags changed.

[james92se]

Originally Posted by osmansiddiqui95

I was wondering do I have to jack the car up to our change compressor? My compressor won't bring the car up so I bought new one but was wondering if I need to jack my jack before I remove it. I already have my bags changed.

If you know where it all is, you can prooobably manage it without without jacking the vehicle up, though I'm not sure why you'd want to try unless you just literally don't have a jack or something. It's been a while but going by the height when I'm doing oil changes on it, it's not all that high considering it's an SUV. I put a quick drain valve on it so I don't have to jack it up anymore, and the oil drain tub I use just barely fits under it. Is there some reason you're considering NOT just jacking it up?

[F15_SGM]

So over the winter storm I had a chassis restricted error on my idrive and both side of my air suspension was down. After research I took it too my indy shop and used his lift to change the dessicant beads and service the vent valve. After that the error light was gone and both sides came up. Than after i drove it and over bumps the car would go back down and the compressor would not pull the car up. So I ended up changing the relay and now its leveled and no longer drops mid driving but it's highly possible that it will do it in a day or so. I order a new compressor from Amazon for 235$ just incase. But now I don't want to bother my mechanic and I don't have any jacks and I also have not worked with jacks before so I thought it will be unsafe for me. Also I had my air bags replaced to arnott 3 months ago so no leak there. I was not sure if the jacks were important because once I unscrew the air spring lines on the compressor I wasn't sure if the car will drop and mess up. Thanks

[F15_SGM]

Also when we put the car up on lift last time my mechanic noticed oil on the cat and by oil pan. So I'm also not sure what oil is leaking there and from where. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[james92se]

Get some ramps - you just line up and drive onto them. If you're not comfortable with jacks/jackstand then this is your next best option. Be sure to put the parking brake on and I would also even get wheel chocks too to put behind the wheels that are on the ground. You can get both of these items at Harbor Freight.

[KeithWestPalm]

I know this is an old thread, but, is the only fuse the 40amp in the trunk? Is their a relay or other fuses?

[Kessler35is]

Originally Posted by KeithWestPalm

I know this is an old thread, but, is the only fuse the 40amp in the trunk? Is their a relay or other fuses?

There is a fuse and relay.

What issue are you having and I may be able to assist you since I have just been through my air system and working on correcting issues with the air springs?


I have changed my Ar Springs since both were leaking. I went with Arnott replacements since they are cheaper and I know this company specializes in air suspensions. I have used their products in the past.

Now my system airs up but will not deflate, this is normally the desiccant beads in the compressor air dryer. This issue seems to come up if you have leaking air springs and the compressor is used more to inflate the springs. The more air going through there adds more moisture to the dryer beads. I am replacing the beads this weekend in the hope it corrects the deflate issue which I confirmed with ISTA+.

Here are some replacement dryer beads that can be used. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The dealer quoted me 4kish to do the work, and I was able to buy the parts for less than $300 and do the work myself.

The replacement is not that hard and the most difficult part is getting the bottom clip to release. Once I figured out how to release one side (5-10 min) i was able to get the other side off immediately without issue.


Here are the springs (https://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/...770-V7578.aspx)

Here is a video of how to replace the dryer beads. (

)

You only need to do this if you get a Chassis Function error and when that error comes up you can still swap to sport mode. If you cannot swap to sport mode when that error comes up, it is a sensor at one of the wheels, that is a different chassis issue.

Here is a perfect writeup of the air spring replacement (https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1511949)

While he uses ISTA+ to do the deflate/inflate process I didn't need to since one of my air springs was flat and the other held little air so I just punctured it with a knife. Do not do this if they are fully inflated, you can pull the fuse for the compressor, access the lines at the valve, and remove them to deflate also.


I know this is a lot of info. However, if you can jack up a car and remove a wheel, this job is pretty easy. As I said above, the hardest part was getting the bottom clip on the spring to release. I used a large flathead to put a little pressure between the steel arm and bottom plate of the spring then I was able to just push in the 2 release clips one at a time, then it released and came off. The reinstall of the lower plate can be tough since you have to pull the spring down and get it to clip back in. Make sure you test that you can slightly rotate the bottom plate and it does not lift. Some people use a jack to lift the suspension on that side to make it easier. I did not need to do this and was able to work the spring down to reach.


All in all, it's a rather simple system and only a few things can be wrong that prevents it from working.

[Kessler35is]

There is now a 3rd party replacement compressor available for the F15.

https://www.arnottindustries.com/p-3...5-15-19-x6-f16

Still pricy, but cheaper than OEM.

[Kessler35is]

Originally Posted by osmansiddiqui95

So over the winter storm I had a chassis restricted error on my idrive and both side of my air suspension was down. After research I took it too my indy shop and used his lift to change the dessicant beads and service the vent valve. After that the error light was gone and both sides came up. Than after i drove it and over bumps the car would go back down and the compressor would not pull the car up. So I ended up changing the relay and now its leveled and no longer drops mid driving but it's highly possible that it will do it in a day or so. I order a new compressor from Amazon for 235$ just incase. But now I don't want to bother my mechanic and I don't have any jacks and I also have not worked with jacks before so I thought it will be unsafe for me. Also I had my air bags replaced to arnott 3 months ago so no leak there. I was not sure if the jacks were important because once I unscrew the air spring lines on the compressor I wasn't sure if the car will drop and mess up. Thanks

If you let the air out, do not let it rest on the suspension. People have reported damage from this.

It's hard to believe that BMW didn't add bump stops to prevent damage.

Mine was fully deflated in the garage and I had no damage that I could find. Also, the wife took it out for a quick drive without me knowing while they were deflated and I got lucky there was no damage from that either.

She did ask me why the back end was bouncing up and down so much..... Lesson learned, take the key away if you do not want it driven

[genuineguy]

I have Nov 2015 BMW X5 F15 xdrive 30d ( In india)

I have following observations with rear end saggin. Gearing up to collect the tools and purchase all relevant parts to carry out the repairs myself

In last 1 months, following is my observation

1. car driven out on my regular daily 10km office route, once the rear completely sagged. While on the road, allowed the car to be in stopped mode for 15 to 20 min. Then ignition on, open door and the compressor kicked in and the car raised fully. Before I reached home, the car was almost sagging again. In the parking, the car again raised fully
2. car parked in garage for more than a week, the rear wont sag

Since both the rear ends sag, I the problem may not be with the air bags but with the central valve leaking.

Any tips ?

Obviously, the dealer is going to be super expensive ( its much costlier than the USA dealers). Its not easy to order arnott etc in india so I have to get on a serious shopping experiment.

What is the size of the air line, connector size and thread ?

[squeedunkey]

Just got news that the chassis malfunction indicator I got ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER for brake fluid flush was the result of a "damaged air compressor causing thermal damage to relay and module." Quote is $3125: ~$1500 compressor, $30 relay, + $900 for module. Car is bottomed out on the floor of dealership, prob due to removing pressure and compressor from the system. Looks like I might have to eat this repair $$$ since it's pretty stranded at the dealer. Thoughts? (Service rep is working with parts to get "better" prices, but probably not going to be substantially lower.)

[RED_Y_]

Originally Posted by squeedunkey

Just got news that the chassis malfunction indicator I got ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER for brake fluid flush was the result of a "damaged air compressor causing thermal damage to relay and module." Quote is $3125: ~$1500 compressor, $30 relay, + $900 for module. Car is bottomed out on the floor of dealership, prob due to removing pressure and compressor from the system. Looks like I might have to eat this repair $$$ since it's pretty stranded at the dealer. Thoughts? (Service rep is working with parts to get "better" prices, but probably not going to be substantially lower.)

May be your airbags were leaking air for a while and it killed the compressor. If you don't want to pay the dealer you can still drive the car in the lowest position and bring it over to the indy shop of your choice or perform DIY repair.

[squeedunkey]

Originally Posted by RED_Y_

May be your airbags were leaking air for a while and it killed the compressor. If you don't want to pay the dealer you can still drive the car in the lowest position and bring it over to the indy shop of your choice or perform DIY repair.

Thanks, Red_Y_. I replaced the airbags about 2.5 years ago w/Arnott, and the tech noted that the relay on the compressor was noticeably damaged. Not sure how the tech knows that the module is bad. And thanks for the idea to drive it in lowest position *if I must* to get it to an indy or DIY location. Just got the call on lowered parts $$$ and total only went down about $200. Now doing some recon on other shops/DIY options.

[Abstracted]

Originally Posted by CatalinP

The compressor got burned because he neglected to replace the airbags once they started to lose air... Is this proper maintenance? Obviously not!

Buy a car you can afford to maintain...

Wow. I'm glad most people here aren't jerks.

[Abstracted]

Originally Posted by Kessler35is

There is now a 3rd party replacement compressor available for the F15.

https://www.arnottindustries.com/p-3...5-15-19-x6-f16

Still pricy, but cheaper than OEM.

Seems as though it's compatible with the F85 as well.

[F15_SGM]

So after 6 months of changing the desiccant beads and serviced the valve. Last week, the same message of chassis appeared. I still have a brand new compressor in my garage will install it later when I get time, for now, I reserviced the compressor desiccant beads this time I filled less than the last time I did this and I also extra lubed the vent valve-like before but did a better job. So after reinstall, everything is aired up and working very well. This should last another 6 months or longer after inspection I have determined the real issue is that the vent valve will get jammed causing it to fail with the addition of bad seals over time on the compressor. very easy job I did in my garage but i will be installing my new compressor soon so I don't have to deal with this again. I may also change the red airlines fitting or put the lock tight to make sure it sealed nicely if that's okay to do with the airline fitting?

[F15_SGM]

Originally Posted by squeedunkey

Just got news that the chassis malfunction indicator I got ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER for brake fluid flush was the result of a "damaged air compressor causing thermal damage to relay and module." Quote is $3125: ~$1500 compressor, $30 relay, + $900 for module. Car is bottomed out on the floor of dealership, prob due to removing pressure and compressor from the system. Looks like I might have to eat this repair $$$ since it's pretty stranded at the dealer. Thoughts? (Service rep is working with parts to get "better" prices, but probably not going to be substantially lower.)

Also, Im sure the module is not burnt on the system dealer is just trying to replace every component unnecessarily. Just get it towed back home and get to work. I can post pictures of all tools to complete tasks also it's easiest to replace the compressor if the car is already down and change the relay and fuse all at once. relay is found at all auto zones very basic. 4 Bolts 5 Screws and 4 tabs for the under-tray, then 2 screws for the airline then 3 bolts to remove the compressor assembly, and another 3 to remove the compressor from the assembly. Make sure the fuse is removed before uninstall. No need to jack up the car maybe 2 people will help since the compressor is a little heavy for one hand install but still doable. I bought the compressor on amazon SWSD brand. Labor time for this job at a shop should be 3 hours according to my indy shop. But when you do it once it's quite a quick job.