Air Suspension Delete/Conversion/Repair

BoilerMakerATX · 07-23-2023, 10:30 AM

Hello guys!

Negotiating on a 2020 X5 50i with air suspension and 65k mile on the clock. Car is fully loaded minus alcantara headliner (not sure if it was an option) and as a DIY'er I am looking ahead for the air suspension issues that will pop up. I am not finding anyone talking about repairing or converting their air suspension.

Anyone has an experience with this so far? I checked FCPEuro and they do not sell air shocks and struts... probably because of their lifetime warranty. Where are people getting air shocks/struts from besides the dealer?

I also found a KW V3 coilover kit for the G05 and was wondering if anyone has used it? If so, what did you do with the air suspension "stuff" and electronics? Can the air suspension be deleted by coding it out to avoid dashboard errors? KW makes excellent coilovers and I wouldn't mind to use them once the air suspension stops working.

The car is X-Line model so I understand why PO ordered it with air suspension, otherwise if it had M package then I would not want air ride in it... just defeats the purpose of M pack.

Hope to hear your experiences with this issue. TIA!

mlurker · 09-28-2023, 02:01 PM

I don't have any issues so far, sharing my 5 cents: having a car in a warm climate without salt roads in winters should significantly prolong the life of a air suspension. Salt and sand act as a sandpaper thinning the rubber part.

BMW has added a cover layer to the main rubber part, check this post for pictures:
https://www.drive2.ru/l/639534512782467115/

Gene Horr · 10-04-2023, 01:02 PM

Not BMW but have had a few vehicles with air bags. My general experience:

1) They tend to start leaking around 100k miles or 10 years.
2) Assuming the problem is normal wear don't just replace one (or two). Usually the rest will go within a year anyway.
3) I haven't priced your vehicle but in general the non-dealer prices aren't too bad, even for OEM. The compressor OTOH can get up there in price. If you have a very tiny leak don't put off repairs just because it takes a few days to drop. That compressor is not really made to be working all of the time and a slow leak is putting a lot more stress on it. In other words don't wait on repairs.

As to replacement, I've done it once on a Cadillac. There was increased noise from the springs which I hated. The ride in general was wasn't too bad but I didn't like how it felt when getting closer to limits - sharp curves, bumpy roads for example. The kit came with an adapter to fool the computer into thinking it still had airbags. All in all I would not do this again.

07-23-2023, 10:30 AM	#1
BoilerMakerATX New Member 6 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 2012 X5d, F90 COMP Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	Air Suspension Delete/Conversion/Repair Hello guys! Negotiating on a 2020 X5 50i with air suspension and 65k mile on the clock. Car is fully loaded minus alcantara headliner (not sure if it was an option) and as a DIY'er I am looking ahead for the air suspension issues that will pop up. I am not finding anyone talking about repairing or converting their air suspension. Anyone has an experience with this so far? I checked FCPEuro and they do not sell air shocks and struts... probably because of their lifetime warranty. Where are people getting air shocks/struts from besides the dealer? I also found a KW V3 coilover kit for the G05 and was wondering if anyone has used it? If so, what did you do with the air suspension "stuff" and electronics? Can the air suspension be deleted by coding it out to avoid dashboard errors? KW makes excellent coilovers and I wouldn't mind to use them once the air suspension stops working. The car is X-Line model so I understand why PO ordered it with air suspension, otherwise if it had M package then I would not want air ride in it... just defeats the purpose of M pack. Hope to hear your experiences with this issue. TIA!
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09-28-2023, 02:01 PM	#2
mlurker First Lieutenant 146 Rep 337 Posts Drives: BMW G05 X5 45e Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Houston, Texas iTrader: (0)	I don't have any issues so far, sharing my 5 cents: having a car in a warm climate without salt roads in winters should significantly prolong the life of a air suspension. Salt and sand act as a sandpaper thinning the rubber part. BMW has added a cover layer to the main rubber part, check this post for pictures: https://www.drive2.ru/l/639534512782467115/
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10-04-2023, 01:02 PM	#3
Gene Horr Private 77 Rep 99 Posts Drives: X5 50e Join Date: Aug 2023 Location: McAllen & Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	Not BMW but have had a few vehicles with air bags. My general experience: 1) They tend to start leaking around 100k miles or 10 years. 2) Assuming the problem is normal wear don't just replace one (or two). Usually the rest will go within a year anyway. 3) I haven't priced your vehicle but in general the non-dealer prices aren't too bad, even for OEM. The compressor OTOH can get up there in price. If you have a very tiny leak don't put off repairs just because it takes a few days to drop. That compressor is not really made to be working all of the time and a slow leak is putting a lot more stress on it. In other words don't wait on repairs. As to replacement, I've done it once on a Cadillac. There was increased noise from the springs which I hated. The ride in general was wasn't too bad but I didn't like how it felt when getting closer to limits - sharp curves, bumpy roads for example. The kit came with an adapter to fool the computer into thinking it still had airbags. All in all I would not do this again.
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