1990 BMW 535i with ASC? Help please!

[karab95]

Hello, I just got a 1990 BMW 535i (automatic) with 155k miles on it. But I noticed a feature on the dashboard called "ASC", I know it's a form of traction control, but so far I never seen it lit up, and didn't know if it's available on a 1990 E34 with the M30 engine. The car manual made no mention of it. I don't know how to verify if the feature works, never tried anything crazy, don't wanna hurt my baby mind you... :) So I would like anyone to clarify for me on this matter. Anyone else have a 1990 BMW E34 with ASC feature? Please advise. Thanks!

[mankiks323i]

this feature will light up when it detects wheel slippage then you will see light flash on and off which means its doing its job . Thats how it works on my 3 series pretty sure same concept for yours

[Torque]

there should be a button for you to turn it on/off next to the other controls at the center panel... look in the manual, they have a picture. i am 100 % sure, although i dont have asc

[karab95]

Ok, since you mentioned about the ASC feature being mentioned in the manual and having that switch near the ashtray, I definetly don't have that feature. But on the other hand, my car is built on 12/89...so I assume thats just a few days from being a '1991' BMW 535i, and the BMW engineers already came up with the ASC feature and for the sake of simplicy and cost savings, they added the newer model dash on the just-before-1991-model? Just my .2 cents...

[Torque]

production date on mine is 7/90 and it is 90...so yours is pretty far from being a 91

[Leicesterboy15]

My car was built in 12/89 and registered in 01/90, I have the light as well but as far as I am aware these cars didn't come with asc at the time. I have had the back end slip in the wet and the light has not come on (although I've gotten the abs light to come on). But mine is a UK car so maybe yours is different.

As for why the light is there when it was never available....thats anyones guess

[karab95]

Well torque0, unlike your 525i, mines a 535i which is a upper-end model. Also it says on the tag that it's built in Munich, Germany, so that's why there could be a slight difference. But still never got the ABS light go on. Leicesterboy15 mentioned about having the same thing as I did, but he has a 535i as well. Go figure.

[heifetz17]

Unless these cars have some weird system, you don't want the ABS light to come on. Unless BMW's are different than every other car I've seen with ABS, when the light comes on, that means it's NOT working, as opposed to the flashing ASC light when that's working.

[Leicesterboy15]

I guess I'd better check my abs then. In my girlfriends clk i've been told the warning light comes on for both abs and asc. I just figured they were the same - or maybe I was misinformed. The abs works fine though (as i found out in the snow, which is when I found out there was definately no asc) so maybe its a dirty sensor.