Hello Bimmerfest. First let me start by saying this is my very first post to the forum after stalking it over the last couple of years. I did search for my issue and found similar inquiries, but didn't find exactly what's going on with my vehicle so thought I'd start a new thread. Second I should mention that I am by no means a mechanic or good with cars in any way, so please take that into consideration in your reply!
Here's my story...
A few months ago I started getting the occasional "Level control system malfunction" error message when starting my vehicle. At first the message would go away with a stop/restart, but about 3 weeks ago the message stayed on and the rear of the car sat about 2-3 inches lower than it should. I immediately brought it to my local indy mechanic and they identified the problem as a bad compressor, quoting me $900 for the OEM part and $300 for labor ($1200 total). Not having that money for the repair, I requested replacing with a third party part which the mechanic was able to do, indicating it was a simple "plug and play" replacement. The garage did not have the necessary tools to reprogram the systems, so they had to hire an outside party to do the reprogramming. I came to pick up the vehicle and noticed the rear was still sitting low, so I started it up and after a couple of minutes the "Level control system malfunction" error came back before I even left the lot and the car didn't seem to level out. That being said I left the car at the garage for them to give the reprogramming another shot. The reprogram guy came back out, did his thing and I was told the vehicle was ready for pick-up. When I came to pick up the vehicle for the second time I noticed the rear end seemed to be 2-3 inches higher than the front end. I drove the car back to my house and could feel and hear every little bump in the road on the rear end as if I was bottoming out and the car never auto leveled out. Brought it back to the mechanic the following morning and they've indicated they'll have to get the reprogramming guy back out to see what the issue is which is scheduled for Wednesday of next week. Since then, the "Level control system malfunction" error has come back for a third time, which I would expect if the car seems to be stuck at the max height on the rear suspension. It almost feels like the suspension was programmed for the max height and the self leveling isn't engaging.
1) Giving the information above, does it sound like a reprogramming issue or something more to it?
2) Should I take it to a more reputable BMW mechanic that I know would have the necessary tools to reprogram the system or should I give my local guy one more crack at it?
Of course my main issue is trying to avoid paying an arm and leg for the repair, so any recommendations or things I can try myself would be great.
Thanks for everyone's time and sorry for the long-winded post.
Here's my story...
A few months ago I started getting the occasional "Level control system malfunction" error message when starting my vehicle. At first the message would go away with a stop/restart, but about 3 weeks ago the message stayed on and the rear of the car sat about 2-3 inches lower than it should. I immediately brought it to my local indy mechanic and they identified the problem as a bad compressor, quoting me $900 for the OEM part and $300 for labor ($1200 total). Not having that money for the repair, I requested replacing with a third party part which the mechanic was able to do, indicating it was a simple "plug and play" replacement. The garage did not have the necessary tools to reprogram the systems, so they had to hire an outside party to do the reprogramming. I came to pick up the vehicle and noticed the rear was still sitting low, so I started it up and after a couple of minutes the "Level control system malfunction" error came back before I even left the lot and the car didn't seem to level out. That being said I left the car at the garage for them to give the reprogramming another shot. The reprogram guy came back out, did his thing and I was told the vehicle was ready for pick-up. When I came to pick up the vehicle for the second time I noticed the rear end seemed to be 2-3 inches higher than the front end. I drove the car back to my house and could feel and hear every little bump in the road on the rear end as if I was bottoming out and the car never auto leveled out. Brought it back to the mechanic the following morning and they've indicated they'll have to get the reprogramming guy back out to see what the issue is which is scheduled for Wednesday of next week. Since then, the "Level control system malfunction" error has come back for a third time, which I would expect if the car seems to be stuck at the max height on the rear suspension. It almost feels like the suspension was programmed for the max height and the self leveling isn't engaging.
1) Giving the information above, does it sound like a reprogramming issue or something more to it?
2) Should I take it to a more reputable BMW mechanic that I know would have the necessary tools to reprogram the system or should I give my local guy one more crack at it?
Of course my main issue is trying to avoid paying an arm and leg for the repair, so any recommendations or things I can try myself would be great.
Thanks for everyone's time and sorry for the long-winded post.
