BMW i5 Air Suspension Nightmare, Lifting & Control Issues

Hey there! I've got some experience with these issues as I own a 2022 BMW i4 (also had an iX). I'd say I have low experience with repairs, but I recently dealt with something very similar. Had the same symptoms, uneven ride height, rough ride, and warning messages. Took it to my trusted workshop and they diagnosed a faulty air suspension valve. The whole repair, including diagnostics and parts, set me back about 590 Euro. The mechanic explained that these valves can fail over time, causing the system to lose proper pressure control. Before I can share more specific details about your case, could you share: How many miles/kilometers on your i5? When did you first notice the symptoms? Are you getting any specific error codes? Have you noticed any hissing sounds? This would help me understand if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for your input! My i5 has 193941 KM on the clock, just had its service last month. I started noticing these problems about two weeks ago, no hissing sounds, but I'm getting "Air Suspension System Malfunction" on the dash. It started with slight unevenness in the morning, but now it's pretty much constant. Really good to know about your valve repair cost, gives me a ballpark figure to work with. Did your car also take longer to adjust height after stopping? That's another thing I'm experiencing.

Hey again! Yes, I totally know what you're talking about with that height adjustment delay. My i4 did exactly the same thing before I got it fixed, it would take forever to level out after parking, which was pretty annoying. Looking at your mileage (mine had about 180000 KM when it happened), and those symptoms you're describing, I'm even more convinced it's the same valve issue I had. That "Air Suspension System Malfunction" message is exactly what I got too. One thing I didn't mention in my first response, after they replaced the valve, my mechanic actually found that the delay in height adjustment was the first sign of the valve failing. Would have saved me some hassle if I'd gotten it checked right when that started happening. Since you're getting the same error message and symptoms, I'd definitely recommend getting it checked soon. The rough shifting I experienced got worse pretty quickly after the height adjustment issues started. In my case, waiting longer just meant more stress on other components. Just curious, have you noticed if it's worse in any particular weather? Mine acted up more in cold mornings, which is apparently pretty typical for these valve issues.

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's really interesting about the cold weather connection, now that you mention it, it has been acting up more during these chilly mornings. I'm definitely going to get it checked out ASAP, especially hearing how yours got worse pretty quickly. Don't want to risk any more damage to other parts. Actually just called my local BMW specialist and booked it in for tomorrow morning. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, saved me a lot of worrying about potentially bigger issues. At least now I've got a good idea of what to expect both problem-wise and cost-wise. Will probably update the forum once I get it sorted, in case anyone else runs into the same problem. Thanks again for taking the time to help out!