It doesn't happen every time I start the car, but I sometimes get a combination of the following dash warning lights when I turn the car on. Either:
1. The red "Brake", yellow "ABS", and yellow DSC "Triangle with !" all come on and dont' turn off. Doesn't matter where the emergency brake handle is, and they alway stay on until I shut the car off. OR
2. Only the yellow "ABS", and yellow DSC "Triangle with !" come on. If only these two come on, when I pass through about 8 mph :driving , they always both go off until the next time I start it.
It sounds like a sensor in the emergency brake is intermittent upon startup self-test... I live an hour from the nearest dealer, and have done/can do some maintenance myself. Wondering if it's something I can replace without having to hope the stealer has the part in stock...
My 2001 330Ci is doing the exact same thing!!!! I have had the dealer scan it repeatedly and it comes up with nothing! They think it might be the Traction control modual, but it hasn't set a code yet. If it is the modual, they told me it would be over $1000 to fix. I thought it might be a bad wheel sensor, but your idea about the e-brake sensor sounds very likely, as one of my e-brake adjustors is siezed. I am taking to the dealer again in a week or so. I will let you know what I find out, if you hear anything, please pass it on too.
Reg
When i first bought my Bmw New in 2 weeks that light came on and all they told me was just that the car had some sensors that werent fuctioning due to the roads here in El Paso he said since there built in Germany Ofcurse there roads are made for speed not like here in El Paso Pot holes everywhere ect, but i serious think its no more than a 1,000 to get fix i Say about a good 200.00 , check around first.
I am pretty much sure , that faulty wheel speed sensor cause these symptoms, what you experience on your car. Check it first! It is funny, but sometimes it does not throw out any faulty codes when scaned , eventough is faulty.
How do I check the wheel speed sensor? Pull the wheel off and then what? Texas Joe, do you remember which sensor(s) they fixed on your car?
Thanks so much guys!
Same thing happens with me.
One day three lights come on and stay on.
Next day two lights come on and once underway they go off.
What is the fix, I would like to clear this up as well without going to the stealership.
How do you replace the wheel speed sensors?
Read this info, could help!
ABS, ASC, AND ASC+T MALFUNCTION
MODELS AFFECTED: All models equipped with ABS,ASC OR ASC+T
FAULT: Any of the ABS ASC and ASC+T systems inoperative, intermittently inoperative, or illuminating
the warning lamp.
CAUSE: All BMW'S with slip control systems use 4 wheel speed sensors which monitor each wheels
speed of rotation with a high accuracy. The system control unit uses this information to calculate a
vehicle speed. In this way it detects wheel speed variation. If the inputs vary from each other by a certain
amount, the control unit is not able to do the calculation reliably (plausibility fault) and takes its self
off-line as a safety precaution(fail-safe).This can be because the wheels and tires are non-approved partsand therefore do not agree with the system.SOLUTION: Make sure the vehicle is fitted with BMW approved wheels and tires. Then do further
diagnostic testing to check if fault is resolved.
ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON
MODELS AFFECTED: All with ABS
FAULT: ABS warning light comes on intermittently. Normal troubleshooting procedures find no defect.
CAUSE: If cars have recently had two new tires, or snow tires put on. Sometimes when the car is driven
over 50 MPH.
SOLUTION: Check all four tires on the car, make sure they are the same brand, style, and size. Check if
any of the new tires have substantially more tread than the rest. These differences may cause enough
variance in rolling diameters to confuse the ABS control unit, which intern gives a false signal to the ABS
warning light.
2001BMW330iRob, Sounds like we have the exact same problem...
I almost got in an accident today when someone two cars ahead suddenly stopped and the guy in front of me jammed on the brakes. Thank goodness all the lights were off this time!
Interesting sycow. I have OEM whells and have Falken ZIEX tires on my BMW; they're not all that new, but less than 10000 miles. This is my second set of the exact same tires, but the first problem with the lights...
The lights never come on once the startup-self-test is good, however... Only on initial power up.
Going to check the air pressure of each tire.
Possibly the tire pressures are not the same.
If that is the case I can see that possibly throwing off the speed sensors for each wheel.
Might result in the tires spinning at different speeds, looks like even a small difference could set the sensors off.
I notice the lights come on after I drive to work, 65 kms each way.
Good luck. :thumbs
Hi Guys ! Before you tear appart any of these things like speed sensors(4 of them!)each for wheel and because comp did not throw out any error codes in your case, I would try first clean up all contact points for DSC and ABS, like wire socket for each sensor and also check out wire them self for any crack , split, rust and loose. Things like that can sometime resolve the problem inexpensive way. Good luck!
All my tires are the exact same size. However, they ARE the alternate size listed in the owners manual, and on the placard on the drivers door frame (the tread is a little wider than original)
2001BMW330iRob, your lights come on after you have been driving for half an hour or more? If so, I can see a wheel speed sensor being at fault.
However, mine only come on with the initial self-test when I first turn the car on (and even then, it is not all the time), and never go out until I turn the car off, and re-start it from scratch, except as listed in my original post:
2. Only the yellow "ABS", and yellow DSC "Triangle with !" come on. If only these two come on, when I pass through about 8 mph , they always both go off until the next time I start it.
Again, I'm NOT a mechanic, but it doesn't seem like it would be a wheel speed sensor, since it's upon intial 'boot up', unless it was sometimes not making contact/communicating with the sensor itself.
Does anyone know how/where to check these sensors contacts, as Zibby suggests???
I would look at the bowden cable going the DSC throttle housing. Check the end at the throttle housing. Often this cable breaks at the plastic fitting and when the self test of the throttle runs, the cable interferes.Then take off all wheels and check and clean all contacts and conection points as I said before.
The way my lights come on is this...
I drive to work...65kms the lights don't come on while driving.
When I start the car to go home the three lights come on, and stay on the whole trip home.
The next morning 2 lights are on, the emergency brake light is not lit, after driving for about 100 feet forward the 2 lights go off, and don't come on during the trip.
This continues day in day out.
Somedays no lights other days that series of events happens with the lights.
Not sure what the problem is but I dont think it is serious.
Take care, and if you find a DIY fix online let me know. :thumbs
How is your charging system?(battery, alternator)
You might have an alternator or battery problem. Electronics do funny things when their supply voltage starts to drop; in one car, I have seen the ABS and traction control lights came on and the radio started to turn itself on and off randomly when voltage was to low due to alternator problem
Can you put a volto meter on the battery and check the voltage with the engine off and on? Off you should see around 12 volts and running you should see around 13.5. Much less than 13.5 and your alternator isn't charging your battery.
Is worth to try, before you throw away cash at the stealership !
I called the stealer. It is 1 hour labour to inspect all 4 wheels speed sensors ($80 canadian). The sensors are $159 canadian each, plus tax and .5 hours to install (another $40 canadian). All said and done, with one faulty sensor, the grand total should be about $310 canadian, or roughly $260 USD. With all four gone your looking just under a g note canadian or about $850 USD. Hope this helps.
In the last three weeks of daily driving the lights only malfunctioned for one day, the rest of the time they were off.
I am driving the car a lot more now.
I used to have a 1997 318I daily driver which I just sold, now the 2001 330i is the daily driver (50km each way to work, all highway)
Puts a smile on my face everytime I get behind the wheel. :driving
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