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juliantiger74

BMW M4 Air Suspension Failure: Expert Help Needed

Error message in the speedometer

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Bumpy ride

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Transmission slips/shifts erratically

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Fault stored

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The vehicle's air suspension no longer lifts

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Vehicle is not standing upright or is leaning to one side

Hey everyone! My 2016 BMW M4 (168k km) is giving me some suspension headaches. The car's sitting low on one side, riding really rough, and I'm getting error messages on the dash. Pretty sure it's the air suspension bellows, but after a bad experience with my last mechanic, I'm hesitant about where to take it. Has anyone dealt with similar air suspension issues on their M4? Would love to hear about your repair experiences and trustworthy mechanics you'd recommend. Thanks in advance!

4 comment(s)


jasminhartmann1

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2019 BMW M3 last winter. The symptoms match exactly what you're describing, uneven ride height and harsh suspension behavior. The air suspension valve was indeed defective, causing the air bag to lose pressure on one side. At the garage, they diagnosed it using their diagnostic computer, and the error codes confirmed the faulty valve assembly. They had to replace both the valve and the air spring unit on that corner. While they were at it, they inspected the other corners too, just to be safe. It wasn't a quick fix, took them about a day and a half to complete the work, mostly because they had to order the parts. It's definitely not something you want to ignore though, as it can lead to more serious suspension damage if left unchecked. The repair was pretty involved but totally worth it. The car's been riding perfectly since then, and all error messages disappeared. Just make sure you go to a shop that specializes in BMW air suspension systems. Hope this helps!

juliantiger74 (Author)

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone who went through the same thing. I went ahead and got it fixed at a BMW specialist shop, and they also found a faulty valve and had to replace the air spring unit. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? Also, has everything been running smooth since then, or have you noticed any other suspension-related issues pop up? Just trying to know what to expect down the road with my M4. Thanks again!

jasminhartmann1

Hey again! Happy to give you an update! Yes, got it all sorted and ended up paying 590 € for fixing that faulty air suspension valve. They found exactly what was wrong with mine, just like yours, it was that pesky valve causing all the trouble. Since the repair, my M3's been running absolutely perfect, like a dream, actually! The ride height's spot on now, and all those annoying error messages are gone. It's been about eight months since the fix, and I haven't had a single suspension issue pop up. The car feels just like new again. Tell you what, getting it fixed at a proper BMW specialist was definitely the right call. Even though it wasn't cheap, it's way better than letting it get worse and potentially causing more damage. These air suspension systems are pretty solid once they're properly fixed. Glad to hear you got yours sorted too! Let me know if anything else comes up, always happy to share what I've learned from my experience.

juliantiger74 (Author)

Thanks for that detailed feedback! Yeah, my repair just wrapped up today and it feels like I'm driving a completely different car. The shop charged me a bit more, around 750 € for the whole thing, but they did a really thorough job. The mechanic actually showed me the old valve and air spring, both were pretty worn out. He spent time explaining everything they found and fixed, which was a huge improvement from my last mechanic who barely communicated at all. The car's now perfectly level, and the ride is super smooth again. No more awkward bouncing or that annoying clunking noise over bumps. Really relieved I finally got it sorted! Hopefully, like yours, it'll stay problem-free for a good while. Thanks again for sharing your experience, definitely helped me feel more confident about getting this fixed. I'll keep an eye on things and post an update if anything changes. Take care!

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