BMW 5 Series (F11) Air Suspension Fix for £25 

Never attempted repairing car, but managed to do this with the help of this video! Amazing, thanks for sharing your knowledge… car is now happy again 😊

Thanks for taking the time to make this video and for the clear logical steps taken to rectify the issue. Much appreciated. My F11 goes down on one side so I can now have a narrower focus on finding the fault than without your help.

Thank you!!! My 2010 535i xdrive dropped like this and now I finally have a fix for under 1000. God Bless you sir.

You are a legend - thank you so much for this, I’d been to multiple garages who would only change out the full system. I’ve done 100km since doing this and it’s back to normal - took some time to find the right level but all good now. Thanks again.

Thanks Jon, your video resolved my issue. Also thank you for linking to the part you bought, resolved within 24 hours of fault occurring due to this video.

Gday John, over the years of driving trucks I’ve had a few dump valves fail, pain in the ass really, you did well finding the fault and saved yourself a shit load of money, it’s amazes me that dealerships what to replace the whole unit and not prepared to have a go at fixing the problem and look after the customer, no mechanics anymore there parts replacement specialists, great job mate and thanks for sharing, cheers

Enjoyed the video this morning. Excellent fault diagnosis Jon. I too have been working on the air suspension this weekend on my Range Rover when it dropped to its bump stops. Mine was a worn compressor piston seal. It has a very similar system to yours with compressor, valve block height sensors etc except air on all 4 corners. The air drier on mine is a replaceable part as you point out, water in the system is the main cause of problems. Keep up the good work Jon and hopefully we will see your shaper making chips soon.

Thank you, having the same symptoms on my x5 F15 with exactly the same compressor. Difference with mine was that the desiccant beads were soaking wet and had to be replaced. Your video is very helpful

Very helpful video - thanks. I completed the replacement in about 2h - a bit fiddly getting the cover off (plastic nuts that can strip easily) and the sponge soundproofing had gotten wet and dirty so needed to be cleaned and dried. The car, an F11 2013 has already had a 2 new airbags and an OEM compressor about 5 yrs ago - but yesterday the rear suspension dropped on to both bump stops whilst out on the road so I knew it wasn't the air bags leaking. Also the compressor was still running which is an obvious indicator it was the input solenoid. As I was under time pressure I simply undid the input pipe, solenoid connector and the 2 screws holding the air drier tank to the main body. I then swapped out the solenoid. Thus, there is no need to remove the whole compressor unit which makes it easier and less likely to break something else. So all fixed for £23 and 2 hours work. Changing out the whole compressor (had it not been running) would not have been much harder - you can buy reconditioned original for £160 on ebay plus £80 deposit on your old unit. So even then the job would have cost £160 not the £2000 plus a stealership would have wanted (or the £1000 a specialist charged me last time).. Thanks again for your video.

Very good video Jon, great diagnosis and fault finding. I like doing things like that. All the more satisfying when you can save yourself "a chunk of change". I enjoyed watching.

Ay up Jon, nice fix! I am so pleased you were able to get a part to fix the problem. So many times these days you hear that you cant get part of a unit and the whole thing has to be purchased. Take care mate, Tony

Epic video, car went down during the day parked down. Did the nursery run with it on bump stops in town, rode like a horse cart. Came home, watched your video, ordered the solenoid on Amazon for £20. Next day I removed the compressor and the solenoid in 15 minutes, the delivery arrived that exact time, I put it together in another 15 minutes. Suspension sorted. Thanks!

Thanks for a great video with a very good and detailed explanation of the system 👍 I had my 520d 2013 up on the lift and was just about to replace the airbags, when i came across your video, and realized that it more likely was the solenoide that was broken. My BMW was also sitting on the ground, and when it was started the compressor would start for a few seconds, without anything happening. I took the solenoide off and found out that it was in the closed position which it should be. When i checked the resistance of the two pins of the solenoide the resistance was 12,8 ohm, which seemed pretty normal. I then connected the two pins of the solenoide to a 12V battery but it remained in the closed position, until i did connect it maybe 20 times and then it suddenly started to work, and i could now blow air through the solenoide when it was connected to 12V. I then assembled it again and the car worked perfect and still does, and i could even return the unused airbags 😊

This is exactly the symptoms I have on my 5 series estate which is also the same colour as yours. Many thanks, my local garage didn't want to touch it because they weren't confident that they would find the issue and I won't go anywhere near a stealer. Looking on BMW forums they all seem to be pointing at new bags even though the issue is intermittent and both sides. I'll order a new valve now. Can't thank you enough for sharing this.

BMW 530d XDrive 2018 G31, Hi I’ve just this second finished replacing the very same part on my car, couldn’t find anything for the G31 but it was the exact same principle. Big thank you 🙏

Hi Jon, just want to say a big thank your video, both informative and logical. I had the same issue on my F11. Having purchased the part from Amazon, installed and hey presto, working suspension at a faction of the dealer cost. again THANK YOU 👍

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. I’m looking forward to giving it a go.

Hi Jon, had the same failure on my X5 this week, took the compressor off checked the balls in the vessel and they were soaked. Took them all out put them on an old quality street tin lid and dried them using a blow torch from a distance. Put them back in reinstalled the compressor but no change. Had already ordered the solenoid valve just in case as I didn’t want the car out of action for long, that turned up in a day or so and only cost £20, swapped it this morning started it up and boom, all working perfectly.. thanks for the vid saved me a load of cash and was surprising easy to do. Happy new year fella.

nice one Jon. nice diagnosis and KISS at its best. I bet there’s loads who would disappeared down the electronic rabbit hole.

Hi Jon, that's why they're called "the main stealer"! Great video as usual.

Thanks man. I'm watching u from 🇩🇪 and just ordered both of the valves. Hopefully they gone work.

Great job done Jon. Quick & easy. I guess some folk would just take it to the dealers & pay through the nose. Regards. Steve.

Thanks for the Video. Did mine this weekend.. Pretty easy job to do. Longest part of the job was drying the Desiccant out. Microwave seemed to work best.

Superb explanation and great result with my car this evening. Thanks

Absolute SUPER STAR Thank you ❤ Also didn't get to work yesterday but thanks to your video and the link it's all fixed at £21 😂😂😂

Nice cheap fix Jon. The same system as was fitted to my Discovery, but it was the air bags that failed. You can't really blame the dealer. They have to warranty the system if they repair it and they can't do that if they've delved into the pump, so they fit a new one which is warrantied. The consumer has driven this type of activity, it's just a response to what the market wants as a whole and is an expensive business. There are few garages these days that have the time and would take the risk of breaking into a component. Best wishes, Dean.

Thank you, mine did same, and your advice fixed it! Thank god! Perfect! Cheers Steve from Stranraer! ❤

Hi there, thanks for the helpful video! What is the best way to de pressurise the system, i think mine is going back sits on bump stops, and when sat for 3 or 4 hours is there a simple way to safely de pressurise it without the car having a fit? Cheers!!

Good video Jon, the price doesn’t surprise me I was quoted over £900 to flush a cooling system by Skoda dealer.

Brilliant video John, many thenks

Top man I was the same this morning abit rough to work but was totally gone on way home park up and order the part

HI Jon thank you excellent, informative usefull helpful video 👍 I have a F11 and i might get into the same issue in the future.

Great informative Video Jon!! I learned a lot from this expose! I have a Wabco air compressor that came from my Brothers BMW powered Land Rover and wondered about various aspects of it. It works fine by the way, he took out the air bag and put coils in his Discovery as a better option. I was given the pump and turned into an air compressor for pumping up the tires on my Nissan Patrol. I put in an Ally box with a pressure tank and and made a fitting so that I could dump all the air from the tank in a split second to be able to re-seat the beads back on the rim should that happen when I was going or coming back from Beach Fishing. I also did some homework on Wabco and found that they have or perhaps had a large Manufacturing Plant in CHINA. Makes me wonder about BMW's price justification!? PS: A good use for one of these pumps if you can lay your hands on one for less than 2100 or 550! Just need a few tools and have a think. John, Australia.

Great Video Jon, ordered the part / replaced. Could almost pour the water out of the dessicant, but 3 minutes in the microwave all sorted. Put it all back togehre and all worked perfectly........3 days on and the 40 a fuse has blown ....any ideas what now ?( other than drop the compresor and check it all over.)

Hi Jon, I do rmember the compressor used to start after i have started my. Lately I did not hear anything from the compressor. Do you have any suggestion how to check?

thanks your sharing， i face the same problems in my x5 , both side drop at the same time, is possible which valve faulty ? Thanks bro.

Nice video Jon, slightly different topic to usual and saving yourself some £’s

Hi Jon, nice fix and well done on the diagnosis. RU-vid is such a wealth of information. Main dealers these days are such a rip off..... Regards Kevin

Thanks Jon, very informative video. The BMW guys are probably not very keen on someone like you sharing this hack. I have the same BMW F11 and I have already replaced both spring airbags and new compressor over 2 years ago (all have failed). Recently I’ve been getting a message on the dashboard saying “Chassis Function Restricted” and it looks like the suspension is stuck in fully up position making the ride uncomfortable above 60-70 mph. Do you think the same discharge valve could be responsible for this scenario?

Very well done. Will help me to fix my one. Thank you

I have the same issue but have changed the valve still drops but ver intermittent sometimes over night but not always I was told that compressors crack often and cause this.

Hello, I have changed the compressor but the car does not lift, do I have to lift one side? The compressor stops very quickly and does not have time to get up

I replaced the solenoid valve and everything seemed to be good, rear end lifted up. Then I started getting same chassis faults, but rear end was up and good. With diagnostics I found out, that now my compressor can only lift rear end and not lower anymore. Do You think the new solenoid valve could be responsible for that? That the old one was stuck open and new one is stuck closed?

thank you very much!! I followed the instructions and repaired it at home) respect👌👍👍👍

Hi Jon great video,I'm experiencing the same issue where can I buy these valves and what are the official term for them please.

Nice job Jon, dealerships are only there to make money and take the easy route, good diagnosis 👍👴🏻

Hi, did the both side springs gone down or one side? The problem I m having one side of spring is more noticeable than other. Also tyre is getting scratches.

what do you do if it pumps the air bags to the point of popping everytime after fixing this issue ?

Excellent Video.. Im just experiencing problems now.. Every morning recently Im getting in and drive off, feels like the car has no suspension. eventually the car picks the back end up and it rides fine.. I suspect my valve is on its way out.. Thanks for you Video and the link..!

Thx for the video, it was really usefull !

Well done excellent video all detailed thanks Jon

And that's why I don't go to mechanics anymore lol. Well done! 👍😊👍 Cheers!

My f11 is sitting lower on the drivers side. Any ideas on that? Could it be an air bag or compressor? Cheers

Good for you, Jon! That sort of fault is much more diagnosis-friendly than a problem somewhere within an inscrutable electronic control module. Now, in your opinion, is that driver-adjustable suspension system worth having? I’ve never owned one, and it seems like a lot of potential trouble.

Well done John .. Good video very informative 👍

2000+bet that nearly gave you a heart attack. Nicely done as usual

Hi Jon I have been having big problems with air suspension compressor unit it has been replaced but keeps blowing fuses for a few months it was perfect no problem now it's starting to blow fuses n the pump just continues to make noise and takes about 10 15 mins. What could it be?

My air suspension goes down periodically on the passenger side. As it is intermittent what do you think is the most likely fault - leaking solenoid?

Can the solonoid be swapped without removing the compressor from the car? I just changed my airbags and it's still dropping overnight.

I have the exact same issue on my G31, do you know if that Solenoid will fit a 2017 G31?

Hi I have a 530 D F11 has similar problem car sometimes (Not always) falls to rear its odd as this is sometimes , Last night parked up got in this morning car war was normal ride hight, drove down road parked for 30min had fallen to bump stops. We changed Solonoid release valve , Had it on ramp garge said its bags but cant understand why its infrequent ...

Eyup jon Nice bit of detective work, a miniscual price of the so called professionals cost, just like my conservartory warm roof i've just done!!!! don't know how they sleep at night, there's profit and extortion and everyone wants the latter in all walks of life nowadays, nobody's satisfied with just earning a honest living, so just stepping off my soap box now!!!😬😬🤣🤣🙌🙌👍👍 By the way, was the pumping up time it;s normal rate, it took over a minute on the video great repair job take care Kev

So John I really a gallon of water spilled in In my trunk then I started having issues now my car is dropped to the floor and I can't what do i do 5351 twin turbo all-wheel drive 2010 wagon

Nice one Jon. Cheers

Hi, What's the betting the dealer part is a "factory" recon part and the faulty part has to be sent back for a £25 valve to fitted and a lick of paint ready for the next customer. Thanks for the interesting video. John

Hi Do you know which value is for realise pressure and lower suspension?

Thanks so much for this Jon. Just about to attempt the repair myself. I've seen some talk of having to bleed the system. Did you find that?

Great informative video. I have the same issue. Can I just ask, how easy is it to get the unit off? Does the bumper have to come off? I’m happy doing the repair when it’s off but just wanted to check how to get the unit off. 👍🏻

Does anyone know '1' how the BMW air suspension should work, mine drops down after been unused for a good few hours, the compressor kicks in when the engine is running but takes at least 5 minutes to rise to the correct height, is this normal? & '2' I got a replacement solenoid valve like recommended in the video, the rod through the middle of the new one is lose and comes out, is that normal as the rod in the old one was stuck in and took a bit of shifting, also would stick in again when put back in, is this rod meant to be stuck in or not please?

Hi guys. Anyone know what it means when there is moisture in the decant. I opened mine but in the video the beads were clear and it did not have the problem I have. The beads are all brown and stuck together. Any fixes guys? Thanks

Hi Jon! My bmw 730D 2016 has same issue one side went down. live in Glasgow. wondering if there is any way to contact you directly. Many Thanks

Great video regarding issue with bmw suspension think my bmw touring M5 is suffering from same issues was wondering were did get part for £25 would be grateful if you could help out cheers.

I would just like to ask where you got the solenoid from?

Hey jon! great video, i have kinda same problem on my BMW trying to find the fault, dont know if u checked but my comp makes no sound at all, did urs make a working sound even tho the valve was bad? or was it silent? thanks in advance.

Hi Jon, Hope I can post properly this week ! Very interesting video, makes you wonder how much BMW's would cost if they took the hype out of it all. Surprised you didn't go for a new compressor though, let's face it five hundred & fifty quid and you've still saved yourself one thousand five hundred and fifty quid. Tight, that's what I reckon ! twenty-five quid Huh ! Been looking for your video for a couple of hours, until I realised, do you think I need a new solenoid or something 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hi Jon. Great video, but wondering if you can offer any advice as my issue is slightly different. So I started to notice my near side dropping right down, the offside dropped a little, but not nearly as much, so assumed it was just being dragged down as a consequence of the NS. Anyway, I replaced both air bags at the same time, but still happening :( Was fine for the first 5 days, but the NS went completely down overnight. It pumps up really quickly again when the engine is on. Could it be one of the smaller solenoids you mentioned? Got a part number\link for those?

Jon, great insight, just about to purchase a 2012 5 series tourer, 55k miles & hasn't towed, the current owner mentioned that a prospective buyer declined to purchase because the air suspension hadn't in fact been replaced, although it is working fine. What age is your BMW?

Thank you for a job and video well done.

My local mechanic changed the balloons. Didn't help so he changed the compressor ,motor with solenoid. They solved the issue. Last combined valve was not changed. My old compressor is working but pressure is inadequate. No water in air chamber, piston ring is ok and solenoid is not leaking air. What else could be wrong?

Thanks for the video Jon. Well done for using your brain and not your wallet. Keep safe and stay well.

I just finished replacing the airbags on my 2012 X5 thought that would do the trick, it seems to have helped a little, in that now the suspension is not slamming when I go over a small bump, however, it is still a rough ride and the level still seems low. The thing you observed in your video is that both sides went out together, that seems to be the case on mine too, if it were one of the airbags then they would have failed separately, but both sides are low. It seems that my situation is similar would you agree? I am a car mechanic noob, so just want to know how hard it is to get the compressor out and what part did you order? I've got a jack and jack stands, from the airbag replacement so hopefully won't need much more.

Mine was up and down - both sides - intermittently. So I had a go and found the dessicant waterlogged. Replaced the solenoid with Amazon new one also. Put back together and fitted back on. Except when I turned the ignition on.. Nothing. No sound from the compressor. just an error on the dash computer. I wired it up right I think. I'm not very electrically minded but now I'm scratching my head.

Hi there where did you source the part from please.. thank you I'm following you forever if I can get this sorted... thank you

I have the same problem only on the left side, wheel is inside the weelarch but only sometimes. this week i will se what to do

good video Jon

Hello. What if car dropped at driver side only?

Nice one my 5Gt has started intermittently sagging on passenger side then both . But then on other days it stays up so I bet it’s the solenoid 😢

Wow great video

Well BMW 5 series quite decadent - LOL. As you might guess I did a lot of this type of work. The design of the compressor is very clean and elegant. I was curious if the two solenoids on the left are the only isolation between the compressor and the bags? Or, are there additional solenoids at the bag itself? Those have to be the lowest height ramps ever created. Clearly you and my Scottish cousins must be a bit more trim than we Americans… LOL. The height trimming logic can be a sneaky thing. If the height cannot be reached on one side the code writer (Hans) may command the opposing side to lower to the failing side height. This is to maintain dynamics in the error state. Inverse is true if it can’t lower properly it may force both sides to max height (snow bank logic as it thinks you have lowered to an obstruction). Well done Jon! Hoping it behaves henceforth. 2,100 is stiff for parts. However, just wait for the carbonless generation coming up that will be an entire new level of repair cost.

Brilliant video John, I got back to the car this morning after leaving it for 5 hours and it had dropped on the drivers side. Started it up and it went back to normal in seconds. Do you think it's a problem with the valve you swapped out or one of the other 2 ? (the right supply) Only had the car 3 weeks from a dealer might take it back but don't want them charging me £2100 when I'm capable of doing it my self with the help of your video.

Do u know if the the blue pipe is negative or positive?

Great video, i have been told i need to replace the one on my f11 - is it easy to replace the actual unit, do you have a video on this?

if youre able to fix things youreself you can save a ton of money , my washing machine pump failed after 15 years , repairguy told me it would be about 150 euro's to fix and i was better off buying a new machine took the pump out of the machine whent online to aliexpress and took a look around at the photos checking the electric points bolt mounting points and the hose hookups turns out that LG is long sumting and a chineese brand (sold here by phillips i believe) the new pump was 15 euro including shipping and the washing machine is running like new again the newer part lacked some of the covering around the electric motor but fitted exactly like the old one did friends fridge , same thing repair guy told him to buy new , shorted the temperature switch and the machine ran so the switch was broken , bought a new switch for 20 euro and he had a working fridge again its allso nice to be able to say : i fixed it myself now my kitchen tap is leaking , new tap is 140euro new cardridge to fix the leak is 8 euro ,have to take the tap a part to find out wat cardrige i need but still

Where can I get the new valves from Jon?

Fantastic work Jon, the majority of the big car garages are just scammers these days. I see a £2000 tool addition for the workshop, wink wink. Tony

Something a bit different Jon and I'll bet very useful to anyone looking to fix that problem. That unit is complex. Cheers

Hi Jon, great video and analysis . I used it to hep changing the dump solenoid on my F11 this morning. For the past 6 months I have had an intermittent fault with the car sitting down on its haunches. More obvious and immediate on the offside. Sometimes this happens within 10 minutes after switch off, sometimes it will hold pressure for a week. Once down , the car won’t rise up completely on start up on the first journey but after I stop and start the car again it does. Anyway, changing the solenoid made no difference. I have replacement airbags on standby but based on the intermittent nature of the problem I am of the opinion they are not at fault. What do you think? Perhaps the individual solenoids where the red/ blue pipes connect?

Coo your engine sounds rough, chugs like a diesel. My Series 3 Tourer compressor was under the spare wheel, easy to get at. I had to have both gas bags replaced because they were split. No problem with my compressor at all. Regards from Australia,

Great ! Thank You

Do.u have part number for valve