BMW X1 Height Control Issues, Warning Lights & Suspension

Hi there! I have some experience working on BMWs, and I actually faced something similar with my 2012 BMW X3 last year. I had the same warning lights and uneven suspension issues. Took it to my workshop, and it turned out to be a faulty control rod sensor. The whole diagnostic and repair process took about half a day. They replaced the defective sensor, recalibrated the system, and it solved all the symptoms, warning light, misaligned headlights, and the uneven suspension height. The repair cost me around 110 Euro, which wasn't too bad considering the hassle it was causing. Before I can give more specific advice though, could you share: Have you noticed any unusual noises? Did the issue appear suddenly or gradually? Have you had any recent suspension work done? By the way, if you have a 2010 X1, we pretty much have sister cars since I also had a non-diesel one. Let me know those details and I can share more about what to expect during the repair process.

Thanks for the detailed response! My X1 has 17249 KM on the clock and was last serviced about 3 months ago. The issue started quite suddenly, no unusual noises, just woke up one morning and noticed the uneven stance. I haven't had any recent suspension work done, it's been running perfectly fine until now. The fact that you had a similar issue with your sensor gives me hope it's not something major. Did you notice any warning signs before your sensor completely failed? I'm hoping to get this sorted quickly before it potentially causes any other problems.

Hey again! Yes, I remember my sensor issue very well. With my X3, I actually had a similar experience, woke up one morning and boom, there it was. The funny thing is, my car had almost the exact same mileage when it happened (around 17500 KM). Looking back, I probably missed some early warning signs. For about a week before the complete failure, I noticed the car sitting slightly lower on one side after being parked overnight, but it would sort itself out after driving for a few minutes. I just brushed it off as nothing serious, big mistake! Since you mentioned your car was serviced recently, it might be worth checking if anything was disturbed during that service. In my case, the mechanic mentioned that sometimes these sensors can get affected if there's any work done near them, even if it's not directly related to the suspension system. The good news is, once I got it fixed, I haven't had any issues since. Just make sure whoever works on it uses genuine BMW parts, I learned that lesson the hard way when I initially tried to save money with an aftermarket sensor that lasted only two months. By the way, is your warning light flashing or constantly on? Mine was flashing, which apparently indicates a different severity level than a solid light.

Thanks for all this detailed info, it's super helpful! My warning light is actually flashing too, just like yours was. It's quite reassuring to hear that we had such similar experiences, especially with the mileage being so close. You've really put my mind at ease about this whole situation. I'll definitely take your advice about using genuine BMW parts. No point trying to save a few bucks if it means dealing with this issue again in a couple of months! I've already called my regular workshop and booked it in for tomorrow morning. They're familiar with BMWs, so hopefully they'll sort it out as quickly as yours was fixed. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's helped me understand what I'm dealing with. I'll make sure to ask them to check if anything was disturbed during the recent service too. Thanks again for all your help!