Hi folks, I Love my E34 M5! I've owned this beast for 10 years, clocked 170,000 miles in it & she still growls into action every morning. My dilemma is simple, I have spent a fortune on trying to get 2 simple repairs done & even BMW dealership can't fix them. These are 1) Suspension Levelling Alarm which kicks in after 2 miles of travelling & 2) Max 110mph warning that kicks in (even before the Susp Alarm comes on) Is there a guru out there who knows what the fix is & can get it done here in the UK? I don't want to sell the car but it's costing me loads!!
In reply to your dilemma another member found an electrical loom was chaffing against the rear subframe and has caused the said problem and others too
An ex BMW tech also told me as long as there is no "actual fault" the system can be "charged up" by overloading the boot and fill up the back seats with your buddies and drive around to let the system level itself. This failed on my car.
Check the older posts on EDC & Self levelling for more info
Hi Steve, many thanks for your help. I see from another post that there is a possibility that the wiring behind the back seat that goes over the subframe. The car itself drives superbly even though the alarms come up but what does concern me is that I believe the fuel pump feed is within this wiring! Have you got or can get a wiring diagram & do you know a garage with suitable experience to sort this lot out. I really can't thank you & the forum enough for such great help! I didn't realise the M5 has such a following.
Hi Alan, details as requested
The car is not low at the rear
Rear shocks replaced approx 10,000 miles ago
the car is a 3.8 - 5 speed with EDC
BMW dealership has had the car on the diagnostics & no fault has been found (even when the alarm comes up on the display) the car suffered with water on the rear passenger side floor due to a leak at the front. The wiring was dried out, checked & repaired where necessary. The EDC sesnsor on the steering has been replaced but fault still there. I don't think the wiring around the rear of the seats where it exits the car has been checked as yet. The car drives great & there is no noticeable difference whether the alarm is on or off. The only thing I do notice is when at speed & compression of the car the front shocks sort of groan under stress or at low speed creak especially over road ramps! The dealer in my area (Staffordshire) is useless to say the least!
Alan I appreciate the help. If you know someone who can sort this out the beers are on me Many thanks Cary
ok, it was me that posted about the rear EDC wiring...
It sounds to me like you have...
a) a faulty (or poorly adjusted) height sensor (on the rear suspension)
b) a wiring fault ,which i'd lay money (or a beer) on it being in the
same place as i had.
c) tired accumulators....did the dealer touch these ? however the
car would be low at the rear this being the case.
Are you mechanically minded ?
As checking the wiring requires jacking up the car and getting under the rear of it.
You need to release the loom as it is clipped to the underneath
of the car all the way across to the:
fuel pump,levelling sensor, speed sensor (diff) and shocks.
My problem was shorted wires, caused by chaffing & moisture
build up.It caused the EDC to default to Sport & the speedo
started to die !!
Once i released the loom, removed the insulation & repaired the
wires, everything was restored to perfect working order.
I'll e~mail the photos to Ivan who can post them here for you
to see.
If you're NOT a dab hand then i surgest Munich Legends
on 01825740456, they were most helpful, and even fault
read the memory for free (though i gave them a drink).
They are in Sussex, not a million miles away & a good drive to boot!
Alan, you are a top man! I can't believe that a reputable BMW dealership can't sort this out & yet an enthusiast who pays good money to these dealerships comes along & finds the problem! Well done. It sounds to me that the fault I have is what you have remedied, so it seems like going to Munich Legends is probably best for me. I am mechanically minded but do not have the facilities to work on the car to that extent. However if you want to call me feel free to do so my mobile no is 07780 956459 & we can discuss accordingly.
Many thanks & hopefully speak to you soon. Cary
Hi Folks, system fault repaired My thanks to Alan Archer for his acuurate description as to where to look for the fault. The fault on my car lay at the sensor located on the subframe. The connector block which has 3 wires into a plug arrangement had 1 cable (which is very small) which had broken. This cable is not covered with an overall insulated sheath which exposes the cable to all sorts of crud & crap. Obviously the environment had taken its toll on the cable. A quick soldering job & hey presto a fully working suspension system. Cheers guys & thanks for all your help. No doubt I will need you again at some point, hopefully for good points & not just repairs! Incidentally I'm keeping the car cos I love it!!
Bye for now
EDC Suspension & Max 110 mph Alarm
EDC Suspension & Max 110mph Alarm
My thanks to Alan Archer for his acuurate description as to where to look for the fault. The fault on my car lay at the sensor located on the subframe. The connector block which has 3 wires into a plug arrangement had 1 cable (which is very small) which had broken. This cable is not covered with an overall insulated sheath which exposes the cable to all sorts of crud & crap. Obviously the environment had taken its toll on the cable. A quick soldering job & hey presto a fully working suspension system. 
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