BMW Z3 Height & Warning Light Issues, Need Help!

Hey there! I had some experience with this on my 1998 BMW M3 (I'd say I have low experience with cars, mostly basic maintenance). The symptoms you're describing sound very similar to what I dealt with. The warning lights, uneven stance, and misaligned headlights were exactly my issues too. Took it to my regular workshop and turns out it was a defective control rod sensor. Total repair cost me 110 Euro and fixed all those issues at once. Weird how one small part can cause so many problems, right? Before I can help more specifically, could you share if you've noticed any other symptoms? Also, what engine variant is your Z3, and have you had any recent work done on the suspension? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the exact same issue I had. Let me know these details and I'll share more about what my mechanic did to diagnose and fix it.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's got 26692 KM on the clock and was just serviced last month. I'm actually getting those exact same symptoms you described with your M3. Funnily enough, my mechanic mentioned something about the control rod sensor too, but wanted a second opinion before going ahead with the repair. Did you notice if your issues got worse over time? Really helpful to hear the cost wasn't astronomical, was worried it might be something major with the entire suspension system.

Hey again! Yeah, I totally get why you wanted a second opinion, I was exactly the same when my M3 had these issues! And yes, the symptoms did get gradually worse over time. Started with just occasional warning lights, then the uneven stance became more noticeable, especially after longer drives. Just to confirm what I experienced, my car was sitting about an inch lower on one side, headlights were pointing all over the place, and the warning light would come on pretty much every time I started the car. Sound familiar? Since you mentioned your recent service, did they adjust anything with the suspension then? Because in my case, the problems started showing up more after a routine service. Turned out the sensor was already on its way out, and the service just kind of... pushed it over the edge, if that makes sense? The repair was actually pretty straightforward, took about two hours at my workshop. And honestly, it was such a relief when everything went back to normal. The car's been running perfectly since then, no more warning lights, even stance, and properly aligned headlights. If your symptoms match what I described, I'd say go for the control rod sensor replacement. It's way cheaper than throwing parts at the problem hoping something fixes it. Just make sure they check the wiring too, my mechanic found some minor corrosion while he was in there. Let me know if you need any other details about my experience with this!

Thanks so much for breaking that down! Yeah, you've basically described my car's symptoms to a T, the lower side, wonky headlights, and that annoying warning light every startup. Really glad to hear the repair solved everything for you. You actually raised a good point about the recent service, they did adjust the suspension settings as part of the routine maintenance. Thinking about it now, the warning light started appearing more frequently right after that. Makes total sense what you said about the service pushing an already weak sensor over the edge. I feel much more confident now about going ahead with the control rod sensor replacement. Will definitely ask them to check the wiring too, thanks for that tip! Super relieved it's not some major suspension overhaul. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. I'll update once I get it fixed!