Urgent help needed! E39 Touring stuck in the middle of France
Discussion
Disaster! 1.5km from destination heard a loud bang from the rear of our heavily laden E39 Touring with self levelling rear suspension. BOTH sides of the rear of the car have collapsed and there is effectively no suspension at the rear. Have limped it to final destination. Three weeks ago had near side rear suspension air-bag thing replaced as this had failed causing one side to sit higher than the other but this is different....both sides have collapsed simultaneously! What could have happened?
Many thanks in advance.
Many thanks in advance.
Thanks Phelix
When I had the nearside bag replaced with a new one about 3 weeks ago I did ask if it would be worth me getting the other done at the sometime.
My specialist garage reckoned not as bag failure is apparently completely random and he couldn't recall having to do two on the same car (Moseley Motorsport).
Certainly the car was more heavily laden than it's ever been I.e two adults, three kids, boot-space stuffed, roofbox and then just added a whole load of groceries at the supermarket.
I was on an uneven country road, hit a slight pot-hole (nothing major) and "BANG!"....sudden event.....both sides collapsed simultaneously and instantly.
Have a UK Mechanic coming to have a look in about half an hour.
Would compressor failure be so sudden and make such bang? I don't really know much about how the system works. Could it be a burst airhose/connector common to both sides that has gone?
Thanks again.
When I had the nearside bag replaced with a new one about 3 weeks ago I did ask if it would be worth me getting the other done at the sometime.
My specialist garage reckoned not as bag failure is apparently completely random and he couldn't recall having to do two on the same car (Moseley Motorsport).
Certainly the car was more heavily laden than it's ever been I.e two adults, three kids, boot-space stuffed, roofbox and then just added a whole load of groceries at the supermarket.
I was on an uneven country road, hit a slight pot-hole (nothing major) and "BANG!"....sudden event.....both sides collapsed simultaneously and instantly.
Have a UK Mechanic coming to have a look in about half an hour.
Would compressor failure be so sudden and make such bang? I don't really know much about how the system works. Could it be a burst airhose/connector common to both sides that has gone?
Thanks again.
Diagnosis = the suspension airbag on the otherside has gone!
And of course it would be a Saturday and a maindealer only part.
Will have to phone round the nearest maindealers here in France on Monday morning. Need to have it fixed by Tuesday night
As have an appointment about 100km away at 9am Wednesday.
Thanks again for the reply.
And of course it would be a Saturday and a maindealer only part.
Will have to phone round the nearest maindealers here in France on Monday morning. Need to have it fixed by Tuesday night
As have an appointment about 100km away at 9am Wednesday.
Thanks again for the reply.
I had both of mine replaced when one went. They were in stock at Chandlers in Brighton. If you have a large-ish BMW dealer nearby I'd expect them to be in stock
When the compressor fails on an E60 both sides go down. Not sure about the E39. I'd replace the bag and see. Maybe a supply hose blew off the system when you hit the pothole?
Good luck!
Nick Froome
When the compressor fails on an E60 both sides go down. Not sure about the E39. I'd replace the bag and see. Maybe a supply hose blew off the system when you hit the pothole?
Good luck!
Nick Froome
Hi Nick
Well that's what I would have thought too...as both sides instantly collapsed. However, this local english mobile mechanic feels sure it is the bag on the driver's side. Certainly when we jacked it up the new bag on the passenger side still seemed inflated but you could put your hand inside the broken one on the driver's he reckoned....I was too pee'd off at this point to scrabble underneath myself at this point. Felt more like torching the whole car! The cruel irony is that we seriously did think about just buying that particular part and taking it with us on the off chance that it did fail.
Clearly now "seriously thinking about it" wasn't sufficient.
I'm now faced with the prospect of having to get on the phone to French dealers tomorrow first thing,hoping one has one of the shelf and can somehow get it to me by Tuesday. Failing that that I can get one here from the U.K in the same time frame.
All seems highly improbable to me?
Add to the above, when I went to close the car up at the end of the day I found that for some inexplicable reason the battery has gone completely flat (which has never happened before)....with all the windows left down!
Unfortunately, as the car is now completely immobile I can't even hope that someone does the Good Samaritan deed for me by nicking the bloody thing!
Cheers
Derin
Well that's what I would have thought too...as both sides instantly collapsed. However, this local english mobile mechanic feels sure it is the bag on the driver's side. Certainly when we jacked it up the new bag on the passenger side still seemed inflated but you could put your hand inside the broken one on the driver's he reckoned....I was too pee'd off at this point to scrabble underneath myself at this point. Felt more like torching the whole car! The cruel irony is that we seriously did think about just buying that particular part and taking it with us on the off chance that it did fail.
Clearly now "seriously thinking about it" wasn't sufficient.
I'm now faced with the prospect of having to get on the phone to French dealers tomorrow first thing,hoping one has one of the shelf and can somehow get it to me by Tuesday. Failing that that I can get one here from the U.K in the same time frame.
All seems highly improbable to me?
Add to the above, when I went to close the car up at the end of the day I found that for some inexplicable reason the battery has gone completely flat (which has never happened before)....with all the windows left down!
Unfortunately, as the car is now completely immobile I can't even hope that someone does the Good Samaritan deed for me by nicking the bloody thing!
Cheers
Derin
Fixed! Back on the road again!
BMW Angouleme came up with the goods spot on at 9am as promised.
Only with old part out could one see what a big hole had blown in it. The battery had run flat because the compressor continues to run trying to fill the airbag even when the ignition isn't on. Thus it had been constantly on whilst air was escaping through the hole.
So, big thanks to Barry the local mobile mechanic and BMW Parts dept.
Cheers
Derin
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