1996 BMW 525I TOURING sensor

28
Level Control Systems
System components
The X5 Two Axle Air Suspension System (EHC2) utilizes the air supply unit from EHC
mounted in the luggage compartment, with the following components added or modified:
 Air Supply Unit (with redesigned compressor and drier)
 Pressure Accumulator
 Valve Unit
 Ride Height Sensor
 Air Suspension Strut
 Control Unit
 Switch Assembly
Air Supply Unit
As on vehicles with single axle air suspension, the air supply unit is located in the luggage
compartment under the spare wheel. As with the single axle air suspension, the auxiliary
tanks for the rear air spring bellows are located in the luggage compartment.
The air supply unit is configured similarly to the single axle air supply unit for the ride-height
control system of the E39, which is currently in production.
The functions are implemented by activating a compressor and various valves in the air
supply unit and on the air accumulator valve unit.
The maximum pressure of the air supply unit is 21 bar.
1. Air Supply Unit
2. Rear Axle Air Bellows
3. Ride Height Sensors
4. Pressure Accumulator/
Valve Unit
5. Front Axle Air Bellows
6. Control Unit
Pneumatic System of EHC2

30
Level Control Systems
Compressor
Compressor operation is the same as in EHC with the following technical improvements:
 Addition of a temperature sensor (Located on the compressor cylinder head)
Temperature sensor switches off the compressor at temperatures above 110
0C.
 Extended compressor ON time (180 seconds)
 Redesigned air drier to compensate for additional air volume.
Pressure Accumulator
The twin axle air suspension system now features a pressure accumulator which forms an
air accumulator valve unit in combination with the valve. The air accumulator valve unit is
located beneath the vehicle floorpan in the right-hand sill area.
Top: Air Drying
Bottom: Dissipation of water to airCompressor with Drier
Pressure Accumulator Unit which
includes:
Pressure Accumulator
Pressure Sensor
Valve Unit
Front

31
Level Control Systems
The pressure accumulator decreases the load on the compressor and significantly reduces
the time required for large changes in ride height.
The EHC 2 control module monitors system pressure via a pressure sensor mounted on
the accumulator. Normal system pressure is 15.7 +/- 0.7 bar. Minimum system pressure
is 9 bar.
The pressure accumulator's charge is sufficient to fill the four suspension struts once from
the Access position to the normal position and compensate for vehicle load up to maximum
gross weight.
Valve Unit
In the valve unit, four bellows valves and the pressure accumulator valve are activated.
The bellows valves and the pressure accumulator valve are solenoid valves which are
closed under spring pressure when de-energized.
Accumulator/Valve Unit
1. Air Lines
Yellow-Black Front
Red-Blue Rear
2. Pressure Accumulator
3. Connecting Cable
4. Pressure Sensor
5. Valve Unit
Valve Unit
1. Connections for Air Lines
2. Pressure Accumulator valve
Pneumatic Layout of Control Valve
1. Pressure Accumulator
2. Accumulator Pressure Sensor
3. Pressure Accumulator Valve
4. Bellows Valves
5. From the Air Supply Unit
NW Size of opening/tubing size in mm.

32
Level Control Systems
Ride Height Sensor
The control unit obtains information about the ride height of the vehicle via a ride height sen-
sor attached to each of the four wheels.
The ride height sensor is an angle Hall sensor which is activated by a ring magnet. The ring
magnet is polarized vertically from north to south.
The magnetic field line of the ring magnets intersect a Hall cell. The Hall cell is arranged in
such a way that only the horizontal components of the field lines are evaluated. This results
in different field line strengths at different positions of the ring magnet. The Hall cell mea-
sures the field strength of the magnetic flux and converts it into an analog signal with a volt-
age level between 0.5 and 4.5 V.
600Rear Axle
350Front Axle
350Front Axle
600Rear Axle
Ride Height Sensor
Sensor Principle of
Operation
1. Ring Magnet
2. Hall Cell
3. Longitudinal magnetic
field lines, low voltage
0.5V
4. Transverse magnetic
field lines, high voltage
4.5V

33
Level Control Systems
Air Suspension Strut
Rear
Minor modifications were made to the rear axle air springs. The air springs and the dampers
are configured separately at the rear axle.
Front
The air suspension replaces the steel suspension at the front axle, i.e. the spring bellows is
attached to the damper. The front air suspension strut and the impact absorber form a
complete unit.
Control Unit
The EHC2 Control Unit is located behind the glovebox adjacent to the General Module.
The connector is a black 54 pin connector.
Inputs received directly into the control unit are:
Ride Height Level Sensor (X4) Up and Down requests from the switch assy.
General Module (Load cutout signal) CAN Bus Inputs
K Bus Inputs Pressure Sensor
Compressor Temperature
O Ou
ut
tp
pu
ut
ts
s
i
in
nc
cl
lu
ud
de
e:
:
Air Unit Control (Activation) Front and Rear Axle Valves
LED’s for Switch Unit Compressor Relay
Pressure Accumulator
Air Suspension Strut
1. Auxiliary Spring
2. Air Bellows
3. Damper

41
Level Control Systems
Single Axle Air Suspension (E65/E66)
Purpose of the System
The single axle air suspension system used on the the E65/E66 is a further enhancement
of the previous single axle air suspension system used on the the E39 and X5. The com-
ponents used are similar to the Single Axle EHC System on the E53. The E65/E66 Air sus-
pension consists of the following components:
 Air Supply System (LVA)
 Control Unit (EHC)
 Two Air Springs
 Two Ride Height Sensors
 CC Display/Telltale Icon

46
Level Control Systems
Ride Height Sensor
There are two ride height sensors, one for each rear wheel. The ride height sensor is actu-
ated by a coupling rod and sends a signal to the EHC control unit.
The sensor is a hall sensor which sends a DC Analog output voltage to the EHC module.
The voltage range is approximately .5 to 4.5 volts. The voltage increases with increasing
vehicle height and the nominal voltage at normal ride height is approximately 2.5 volts. The
right side rear sensor is a double sensor, the additional sensor is an input to the headlight
leveling systemand has it’s own power supply, ground and signal wires.
Check Control Messages
Control
UnitCauseVariable
Telltale IconCheck Control
MessageInformation in Control Display
EHC
Alive failure or
loss of function-
ality; transport
or belt mode setLevel Control
System failure“Level Control system failure”
Ground clearance and driving
comfort reduced. Avoid high
speed cornering. Have
checked by BMW Service as
soon as possible.
EHC
Level Control
System sensor
failure.Level Control
System Fault“Level Control System fault”
Possible reduction in driving
comfort. Have problem
checked by BMW Service.

51
Level Control Systems
Kerb (Curb) Mode
The Kerb mode prevents the inclination caused by the vehicle mounting an obstacle with
ine wheel from being compensated. Compensation would cause a renewed inclination of
the vehicle and result in a renewed control operation after the vehicle comes off the obsta-
cle.
The Kerb Mode is activated when the height difference between the left and right sides of
the vehicle is > 32mm for the E65/E66 with single axle air suspension and >24mm for the
E39/E53 with single axle air suspension and lasts longer than 0.9s. Twisting (also over both
axles) > 45mm must occur for the E53 with twin axle air suspension.
There must be no speed signal present. The system switches from single wheel control to
axle control.
The Kerb mode is quit when the difference between the left and right sides of the vehicle is
< 28mm for the single axle air suspension and lasts longer than 0.9s when the speed is
greater than > 1km/h.
If the system switches from Kerb mode to Sleep mode, this status is stored in the
EEPROM.
If the vehicle is loaded or unloaded in Kerb mode, the mean value of the axle is calculated
by the control unit. The value is calculated in the control unit from the changes in ride level
of the spring travel on the left and right sides.
A change in ride level is initiated if the mean value of compression or rebound at the axle is
outside the tolerance band of +/- 10mm. The left and right sides of the vehicle are raised
or lowered in parallel. The height difference between the two sides is maintained.
Curve
Since rolling motions have a direct impact on the measured ride level, an unwanted control
operation would be initiated during longer instances of cornering with an appropriate roll
angle in spite of the slow filtering of the Drive mode. The control operations during corner-
ing would cause displacement of the air volume from the outer side to the inner side of the
curve. Once the curve is completed, this would produce an inclination which would result
in a further control operation. The Curve mode prevents this control operation whereby
when cornering is recognized slow filtering is stopped and a potential control operation that
has started is terminated.
The Curve mode is activated for the E65/E66 single axle EHC and for the E53 twin axle
suspension for a lateral acceleration of > 2m/s
2and deactivated at < 1.5 m/s2.
The lateral acceleration is recorded by the rotation rate sensor.