How To Reset BMW X5 Air Suspension? (Step by Step Guide)

When it comes to luxury SUVs, the BMW X5 is a tried and tested line. But even the most beloved SUV can face some difficulties. The case in point is an issue with the air suspension on the X5. How To Reset BMW X5 Air Suspension?

There are mainly two ways to reset the air suspension in case it fails. Either using a diagnostic scan tool or performing a hard reset of everything. We’ll discuss both the procedure and you may go about whichever works for you.

But that’s not all there is. There are some precautionary measures to ensure that you don’t have to reset the X5 every now and then. Read along as we explore everything there is about the air suspension issue of the BMW X5.

When to Reset the BMW X5 Air Suspension?

Whenever the air suspension on the BMW X5 fails, it’ll become instantly noticeable to the driver and the riders. 

Traditionally being an SUV, the X5 rides considerably higher than a normal sedan would. This higher positioning on the X5 is done using air suspension.

As a result, if the suspension is not working, you will see that the car is lowered, and you won’t be able to access the control option of shifting the car’s position. You will also notice that the car caves in on the wheels, making it essentially undrivable.

You may have to reset it if you have inadvertently deactivated the air suspension on your X5. 

There might be other internal problems like wear and tear on the strut assembly or an issue with the compressor module. In both cases, you will have to manually fix the issues.

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How To Reset The BMW X5 Air Suspension?

As we have already mentioned, there are two ways to go about resetting the air suspension on a BMW X5. Let us look at the diagnostic solution first.

Solution 1: Using a Diagnostic Scan Tool

For this solution, you will need a diagnostic scan tool first. Any standard euro scanner will do. After that, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Check Air Compression Error codes

The first task is to connect the scanner to the car dash and run a diagnostic on the air compressor. If there is an issue with the air suspension, you will see two fault codes. 

One should be 5F99 and another 5F9A. Each of these codes suggests an issue with the lifting of the car.

Step 2: Check the Suspension Data

Now that you have the fault codes, you can check for the suspension data from the diagnostic dashboard. The data tells you how much the car is drooping. 

If you see a negative value in either the right or left level sensor and deviation, chances are that the air suspension is not working at its optimum position, and you will need to reset it.

Step 3: Recalibrate the Air Suspension

The next step is to re-calibrate the air suspension. Before you start the process, make sure that the car is on a level surface. After that, also ensure that there is no extra load on the storage or back seat.

Step 4: Input Suspension Value

The last step is to input the suspension value on the recalibration process. For this, all you have to do is follow the instructions on the screen from the recalibration page. 

Ideally, the recalibration value should be between 500 to 1000 mm. Let’s say you input 750 mm on the rear left. Navigate to the rear right section and input the same value. 

After that click ‘calibrate’, and the car should be reset. As a precautionary measure, delete the error codes once the car has been reset.

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Solution 2: Hard Reset

This method will essentially reset everything in your car including the air suspension. All you have to do is follow the below-mentioned steps.

Step 1: Disconnect the Battery

The first thing you have to do is disconnect the battery from the car. After that, connect the car cables and let them sit for 10 minutes. This will remove the residual charge within the car.

Step 2: Reconnect the Battery

After the car has been drained, simply reconnect the battery and start up the car. This would have reset the air suspension. 

However, note that this will also reset every other preferential setting that you may have modified previously. We suggest using this method only in times of absolute necessity.

Miscellaneous

There is another common problem for which you might have to reset the air suspension is when the air suspension gets disengaged. 

While it’s typically suggested to perform a complete reset, you can simply push the rocker button and hold it in place for 7 seconds. 

Alternatively, you can just drive the car at 4 mph for a few seconds and it would engage automatically.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know everything there is about resetting the air suspension on an X5, let’s look at some of the user queries and see what they’re asking.

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Conclusion

As it may already be apparent, it’s not exactly very difficult to reset the air suspension on a BMW X5. 

Many people make the mistake of going to directly hard reset the X5 every time there is an issue with the air suspension. 

But it’s better to follow the diagnostic steps first to ensure that you don’t have to reset the suspension now and then.

And if the hard reset also fails, chances are that it’s an issue with the compressor tank or the strut mechanism. In any case, it would be better to take the car to a professional for a checkup.