BMW Series Compressor Revision 5 6

WARNING: the compressor does not fail by itself.

It is therefore extremely important to understand the causes of its malfunction before replacing it with a new or reconditioned unit in order to avoid another failure.

The general causes are:

The relay is not replaced and the compressor continues to run until it seizes; always replace the relay.

Even a very small hole in the air spring, in the height adjustment valves, or in the system will cause the system to leak and the compressor to activate more than necessary to bring it back to pressure. The larger the hole, the faster the system will discharge. Therefore, carefully check that there are no leaks of any kind.

The compressor draws ambient air through an intake tube that is most often equipped with a filter. If this tube or the filter are damaged, the compressor could draw in debris, dust and water, resulting in internal breakage and corrosion of the piston and cylinder. Therefore check that the tube and filter are intact and dry inside.