Air Suspension Specialist
Remember to secure your sedan with jack stands underneath.
How to Replace a Defective BMW 5 F07/F11 Air Spring
Related articles
ALL TOPICS
18 June 2020
How to Replace a Defective BMW 5 F07/F11 Air Spring
Is your BMW 5 series riding rough?
The 5 series combines smooth drives with track-level power. But all it takes is a small air spring leak. Suddenly, that dignified stance slopes to one side. That smooth ride becomes a bumpy mess. Let these faulty air springs persist, and you’re looking at ultra-expensive fixes. So, let’s prevent this issue by looking at how to replace your air springs today.
Why Your Air Springs Matter
Why would faulty air springs make such a difference for your drives?
The short answer is that air springs play a major role in your BMW 5’s air suspension. This feature is what allows your luxury car to glide over any bump in the road. It’s part of what creates such a relaxes ride.
The air springs inflate to absorb shocks, adjust your ride height, and much more. And when problems arise here, you lose that calm and smooth drive.
What Causes Damaged Air Springs?
In most cases, the air springs wear out over time. After all, that rubber seal can only take so many hits before it cracks and causes air leaks.
A good rule of thumb is to replace your air springs every decade or so. But this depends entirely on your driving habits and the springs that you purchase.
How to Diagnose Faulty Air Springs
- Your BMW slopes to one side
With an air spring leak, your air bags can’t inflate. As a result, you’ll notice some ugly sagging to the side of the air spring that’s deflated.
- Compressor runs non-stop
When your air springs leak, your compressor tries to pick up the slack by keeping your air bags filled. The end result is your compressor straining and wearing, leading to more repairs. And more repairs means losing more hard-earned dosh from your pockets.
- Not so smooth of a ride
Your air springs take the full impact any time you hit a bump in the road. Without them, your suspension bottoms out. As a result, you’ll feel every bounce when driving over potholes or unpaved roads. It’s not a luxurious ride by any means. And in some cases, it hurts.
How to Replace Your BMW 5 F07/F11 Air Springs
Tools You’ll Need:
- Lug wrench
- Jack
- Replacement F07/F11 air spring
What to Do:
1. Use your lug wrench to loosen your tyres. No need to remove the wheels yet. For now, loosening the bolts is all you need.
2. Jack up your BMW 5 series.
3. Block your front wheels
4. Remove your rear tyre. After this step, you’ll have a full view of your air spring.
5. Remove all air from your air system. Or… at least make sure there’s no air in your air system. Otherwise, you risk personal injury and damage to your beautiful BMW 5 series.
The easiest way to remove air is by accessing your valve block and removing the air line. You’ll know you drained the air when you stop hearing a hissing sound.
6. Turn your air spring counter-clockwise for half a turn.
7. Remove the air spring.
8. Use your wrench to unscrew the plastic fitting around the top of the air spring connected to the air line. Be careful not to remove the brass ring at the end of the air line. Otherwise, this process becomes more complicated and troublesome.
9. Remove the plastic protector piece at the top of the new air spring and unscrew the fitting.
10. From here, insert the new air spring into the air line. All you need to do is push until the air line stops.
11. Screw your fitting into place and tighten the fitting into the air spring.
12. Place your air spring in its designated area. It’s the reverse from when you removed the initial air spring. Now, you’ll do a clockwise turn to lock your air spring into position.
13. Refasten your tyre to your BMW 5 series.
14. Lower your sedan back to the ground.
15. Restart your car and pump your brakes. This will recalibrate your brakes. Also, your new air bags will refill within a minute time.
Do your BMW 5’s faulty air struts need replacing?
Then visit the Aerosus online store. We have the BMW 5 F07 and F11 air springs you’ll need. Buy them in a pair for a discount. And if you need them now, don’t forget to opt for express shipping.
You bought your BMW 5 series for that fun luxurious ride. Don’t let your worn-out air springs keep you from enjoying that fine piece of German engineering. Order your air springs today.