Self-Leveling Suspension

[bimmerskickass2]

Does anyone know how the E32 750iL's self leveling suspension work?
Do problems arise with them all the time?
Is it worth having?

[libertylover]

Here's a little bit about the self-leveling rear suspension:

The 740iL and 750iL have a self-leveling rear suspension called LAD (Load Absorbtion Damping). The system has an additional pump piggy-backed to the power steering pump, a reservoir shared with the power steering system filled with a special fluid, an accumulator at the rear for each side, and special (translation: expen$ive) struts at the rear. It's completely hydraulic and mechanical except for an electrical switch that detects when the system is overloaded and there is too much camber, like when you fill the trunk concrete. If this happens a warning is displayed, “SUSPN LEVELLING”.

However, it's a reliable system and there's absolutely no reason to replace the rear struts unless they leak. Regular struts, like those in front, require some periodic change, say every 60,000 miles.

If the system develops a problem, there are replacement parts to eliminate LAD and replace it with conventional suspension parts. However, so many things have to be replaced that you save only about $200 over what it would cost to repair the LAD. To me, it's well worth $200 to have the great ride that BMW engineered into the car in the first place.

You should buy a Bentley's repiar manual for the E32 BMWs (1988-1994 7-series). It has a lot of info about the car's systems and hundreds of pages of valuable electrical diagrams. http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/forum.jspa?forumID=66
You can usually find them on ebay for $75-100.