Lowered and now loss an airbag?!

[Maverik259]

Ok rerouting all of my posts out of the DIY thread as to not muddy it up with my issues. So hopefully this will help get some answers.

Well F my face. Finally got my eibachs on and my entire driver side is an inch lower than the passenger. The rear driver is slammed lol. Idk wtf happened here.

My entire rear is also an inch lower than the respective front wheels as well. But that may just be the links.

But idk why it would be so off. I made sure the springs were set in the rubber spacers all the way till it stopped both top and bottom.

Just perplexing.

[Maverik259]

So long Story short I got some spacers for the rear and want to paint all my calipers and clean up all the rust in the rotors and calipers. So I needed to lift the rear and remove the wheels anyway. After doing so I found my driver side rear bag completely deflated which was causing it not to descend as low as the passenger side when I jacked up the rear.

I pulled the battery. Re attached and started the car to see if I could get it to fill with anything. No avail. Except for a ton of errors. My mistake for starting the car while jacked up lol. Clear as many as I could but still have a bunch so I gave up that venture.

Decided to get on with my project. Sanded down with a wire brush all my rotor rust (there was a ton on the rears for some reason. So much that I couldn't get the rims off.) and sanded down the calipers and painted black to match the fronts.

after it all dries for a few hours I'm going to attempt to reattach the rear wheels and start her up and see if she adjusts.

I do remember noticing how slammed the rear was after sitting for two days while the front was up on jacks as I swapped springs, painted the calipers and rotors, and installed a new control arm. But after I put her all back together and started it up I watched the rears lift. Well at least the one side that I was standing next too. I just don't remember which side that was now. Thought it was the driver side which is the side in which the air bag is empty.

Anyone know a way to force the pump to run so I can see if it's leaking somewhere? Does the engine have to be on, as it would be easier to listen for a leak without the exhaust and engine noise.

[Twin Peaks]

What are you using to clear codes, do you have bimmerlink or carly to check further into it? The diagnostics in both of those are pretty detailed. Wish I could help you more, good luck!

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Twin Peaks

What are you using to clear codes, do you have bimmerlink or carly to check further into it? The diagnostics in both of those are pretty detailed. Wish I could help you more, good luck!

I use BimmerLink. Not terribly worried about the codes as I know most of them were from the vehicle being jacked up in the rear when I started it. Most of them were angle sensors and accelerometers and the like.

I'm more concerned why a single bag all the sudden has no air in it lol and if I can activate the pump without the wheels being on to see if there's a leak. Just want to know if I'll be taking my wife's car and driver her to work before I head in. Lol

Also why aren't there any rear jack locations under the side skirts. Pretty stupid. Have I just missed where this is normal lol. I usually just jack the rear and front from the center vehicle points cuz it's easier but ya

[Maverik259]

Solved by detaching both rear links and fiddling with them to get the pump to fill the bag. To a bit of manipulation before I got it full. Sorry for not searching better. Simply couldn't find the correct words to search for.

[sj22]

You are one brave soul!

[Russmov]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Solved by detaching both rear links and fiddling with them to get the pump to fill the bag. To a bit of manipulation before I got it full. Sorry for not searching better. Simply couldn't find the correct words to search for.

Glad you were able to get it sorted out Mav.
Was it a sensor or something telling the bag it was already inflated? Either way, it's good you didn't need to replace it, or worse, take it to the dealership

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Russmov

Glad you were able to get it sorted out Mav.
Was it a sensor or something telling the bag it was already inflated? Either way, it's good you didn't need to replace it, or worse, take it to the dealership

I think the bags just got out of wack by being up on jacks at th front for two days. At one point I noticed it looked like I had just installed coil overs the rear was so low. So I think it just had an issue refilling with air for whatever reason especially once the passenger side was full.

I'm assuming I basically just gave it a kick in the nuts.

However here is my new problem. Looks like I hit a wire or something. Or maybe a plug I didn't reseat although the only plugs I know were messed with were the pad sensor and wires that go to the front shocks. Anyone have any idea why my parking brake, pedestrian detection, cruiser control, and chassis stability is all out of wack???? All I did was swap springs and paint the rotors and calipers lol.

Also note I've attempted to clear codes with BimmerLink and the car sat all night locked and still this this morning. Also can't change driving mode which isn't too surprising. But I hate the steering feel of comfort mode so I'd love to get this figured out lol

[Russmov]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I think the bags just got out of wack by being up on jacks at th front for two days. At one point I noticed it looked like I had just installed coil overs the rear was so low. So I think it just had an issue refilling with air for whatever reason especially once the passenger side was full.

I'm assuming I basically just gave it a kick in the nuts.

However here is my new problem. Looks like I hit a wire or something. Or maybe a plug I didn't reseat although the only plugs I know were messed with were the pad sensor and wires that go to the front shocks. Anyone have any idea why my parking brake, pedestrian detection, cruiser control, and chassis stability is all out of wack???? All I did was swap springs and paint the rotors and calipers lol.

Man you can not catch a break lol. If it's not one thing it's another. You must be due for some better luck, buy a lottery ticket!

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Russmov

Man you can not catch a break lol. If it's not one thing it's another. You must be due for some better luck, buy a lottery ticket!

Haha maybe I will!

[Maverik259]

So here are the codes that I can't clear. All seems to deal with vehicle level sensors which is odd.

So I have a confession. I did not disconnect the battery before installing the springs and links. Could this be the issue? I thought it might which is why I disconnected it last night but when I reconnected and started they were all still there. Any thoughts as to what I can do to clear these errors?

[Maverik259]

No love is starting to depress me lol. Anyone know where the parking brake wires are? I'm wondering if maybe I knicked one when I was grinding off the rust on the rotors and calipers.

[sj22]

If you have rheingold, I would start that and see if calculates a test plan for clearing out the errors. It will kind of walk you through it most of the times with sensor calibration.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by sahiljain22

If you have rheingold, I would start that and see if calculates a test plan for clearing out the errors. It will kind of walk you through it most of the times with sensor calibration.

I do not have rheingold. Is that a diagnostic SW that the dealers use?

[Doberman16]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I do not have rheingold. Is that a diagnostic SW that the dealers use?

Glad you got this figured out! If I had seen this sooner I definitely would have suspected a bad bag.

I'm no expert, but most of the codes look like it was pretty pissed about the bags being out of whack. I've noticed that when you piss off a BMW, there are often many fault codes that are triggered by the primary fault, but aren't necessarily or logically related. You should see the codes that are triggered by a tune. Parking brake gets triggered for that as well.

If I were you, I'd clear with Rheingold and worry about if you nicked something if/when the codes return.

Speaking of Rheingold...:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1220039

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Doberman16

Glad you got this figured out! If I had seen this sooner I definitely would have suspected a bad bag.

I'm no expert, but most of the codes look like it was pretty pissed about the bags being out of whack. I've noticed that when you piss off a BMW, there are often many fault codes that are triggered by the primary fault, but aren't necessarily or logically related. You should see the codes that are triggered by a tune. Parking brake gets triggered for that as well.

If I were you, I'd clear with Rheingold and worry about if you nicked something if/when the codes return.

Speaking of Rheingold...:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1220039

Cool thank you. So you think the rheingold SW will be able to do more to clear than say BimmerLink or anything like that?

Can you briefly explain what rheingold is too cuz I didn't see it mentioned in that link but VM3. I've also heard of people mentioned ISTA. Are they all the same thing? I remember people talking about needing ISTA for a bag replacement and brake fluid flush to activate the ABS. Is this all just the same program?

[Doberman16]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Cool thank you. So you think the rheingold SW will be able to do more to clear than say BimmerLink or anything like that?

Can you briefly explain what rheingold is too cuz I didn't see it mentioned in that link but VM3. I've also heard of people mentioned ISTA. Are they all the same thing? I remember people talking about needing ISTA for a bag replacement and brake fluid flush to activate the ABS. Is this all just the same program?

Rheingold is basically ISTA/D + ISTA/P + ICOM A. All of these are for BMW diagnostics/service.

The link mentioning V3 is referring to the 3rd version of the virtual machine which has Rheingold installed on it.

If you don't have any experience with virtual machines, you may want some assistance in getting it set up. If that's that case, let me know and I'll do my best to assist!

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Doberman16

Rheingold is basically ISTA/D + ISTA/P + ICOM A. All of these are for BMW diagnostics/service.

The link mentioning V3 is referring to the 3rd version of the virtual machine which has Rheingold installed on it.

If you don't have any experience with virtual machines, you may want some assistance in getting it set up. If that's that case, let me know and I'll do my best to assist!

Haha well yes I've never touched a VM before. Am I good just to download their "lite" version or should I just download the full version?

[Doberman16]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Haha well yes I've never touched a VM before. Am I good just to download their "lite" version or should I just download the full version?

I would go with the full version. Hate to download Lite and have it missing the one thing you need.

Sorry for the late response, I thought I subscribed to the thread. Subbed now!

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Doberman16

I would go with the full version. Hate to download Lite and have it missing the one thing you need.

Sorry for the late response, I thought I subscribed to the thread. Subbed now!

Haha no worries. Will look to download tonight to my external HDD

[Maverik259]

And what I woke up to today lol. FML only this could happen to me. This time all air gone from driver side.

[Maverik259]

So it would appear my link rattled loose and disconnected. Got it hooked back up and got the bag to fill again.

Did some more investigating and found this beauty. I had a hunch this happened and it appears I was correct. $106 for a new one and will be here Tuesday. ABS sensor wire got cut.