abs...traction light

[Dave Oddo]

I got A 99 z 2.5 , every since I've owned this car(about 6 months) the traction light and abs lights are on....
The other morning it was about 24* here in South Carolina....I got in the car headed to town I noticed the lights were off...I can use the Asc button and it was operating too....also the rear tire spun once and the traction light blinked then stopped....never seen that before.....
Question....what made these lights go off?.....I got to town cut off the car, and restarted the car later, and the lights are back on again.....any suggestions?

ODDOMAN
99z3
South Carolina, USA

 

[Brian4]

Hi Oddoman and welcome.

The asc and abs lights are usually down to one or more faulty wheel speed sensors (one in each wheel hub) or faulty ABS module/pump

If you can get the car plugged into some specific BMW diagnostic software it will be able to read any stored fault codes and point you more in the right direction.

There are firms about who can repair the asc modules but also bear in mind when the lights are illuminated the traction control and more importantly the abs system isn't working. The brakes will work but no abs. It does need sorting quickly.

 

[t-tony]

I got A 99 z 2.5 , every since I've owned this car(about 6 months) the traction light and abs lights are on....
The other morning it was about 24* here in South Carolina....I got in the car headed to town I noticed the lights were off...I can use the Asc button and it was operating too....also the rear tire spun once and the traction light blinked then stopped....never seen that before.....
Question....what made these lights go off?.....I got to town cut off the car, and restarted the car later, and the lights are back on again.....any suggestions?

ODDOMAN
99z3
South Carolina, USA

Hi Dave, can you post a photo of the light(s) when they are on. I get the light flashes on with wheel spin or after slow very sharp turns. The light usually goes off and stays off after the next start up, until the next slow turn puts it on again, may be weeks though.Thanks.

Tony.

 

[Dave Oddo]

Hi Dave, can you post a photo of the light(s) when they are on. I get the light flashes on with wheel spin or after slow very sharp turns. The light usually goes off and stays off after the next start up, until the next slow turn puts it on again, may be weeks though.Thanks.

Tony.

Tony....the lights are on at all times since I've had this car....traction and abs....but the othe cold day to my surprise the light were not burning.....until I stop and got out of car and restarted to go home, back on now....why did they cut off?....

 

[Brian4]

Hi Dave, can you post a photo of the light(s) when they are on. I get the light flashes on with wheel spin or after slow very sharp turns. The light usually goes off and stays off after the next start up, until the next slow turn puts it on again, may be weeks though.Thanks.

Tony.

Hi tony your abs/asc is working correctly Dave needs to get the codes read because if the lights are on all the time no ABS.
Dave not sure why lights go off but had something similar with ours but it has DSC and there was a module fault with it which occaisonaly reset itself.

 

[t-tony]

I appreciate mine is working Brian but I've never been able to get to the bottom of why it comes on after a very slow tight turn, usually a left turn. So I think there may be a fault but nothing Is stored in the memory.

Tony.

 

[Topperz]

Mine come on sometimes if the car has been standing for a few weeks,but normally a run out,a few heavy right footed starts on lose surface and it's all cleared

Been like it since I bought him .....works for me

 

[Dave Oddo]

Hi tony your abs/asc is working correctly Dave needs to get the codes read because if the lights are on all the time no ABS.
Dave not sure why lights go off but had something similar with ours but it has DSC and there was a module fault with it which occaisonaly reset itself.

I thought that I'd put this out there, hope that someone else had it also....
I bought a c110 scanner with the round adaptor, I used it but it didn't show which wheel the abs problem was at...I'll have to take it to the Bmw shop I suppose....and I hate it...I've been a hands on owner with all the other vehicles....oh well....but I heard the z3 is faster without the traction control or abs on....thanks guys

 

[Dave Oddo]

Thanks for all of your suggestion guys.....I appreciate it....

ODDOMAN
99BMW z3
South Carolina, USA

 

[t-tony]

I would say that as your car spun up the rear wheel, putting the light on, as my car does, it would point more towards an ABS fault. Does the ABS " kick in" when you brake hard? Have you checked the ABS cables to each wheel for damage or that one has previously been replaced before you took ownership of the car? May be worth looking?

Tony.

 

[swamper]

im going pump fault on this....my 1st Zed had exactly the same symptoms...lights on then off for a short..before coming back on after a while... after messing about with the wheel sensors ..which lets be honest are a pain to get out sometimes ..it turned out to be the pump.
from what i can remember the ABS pump doesn't seem to just fail it slowly seems to break down (dry solder joint perhaps )

 

[Dave Oddo]

I would say that as your car spun up the rear wheel, putting the light on, as my car does, it would point more towards an ABS fault. Does the ABS " kick in" when you brake hard? Have you checked the ABS cables to each wheel for damage or that one has previously been replaced before you took ownership of the car? May be worth looking?

Tony.

I checked all sensor wires at all wheels, and cleaned all sensor tips.....didn't ohm them out to see if they were good or not......but for it to start working out of the blue....got me scratching my head....I think I'll jack it up again and ohm test all of the sensors before I take it to the high dollar service department of bmw....thanks
Oh yeah....I haven't slammed the brakes as of yet to tell if ABS is working, I just took it for granted, it's not....

 

[swamper]

Any up date on this?

 

[Dave Oddo]

Tomorrow....I'm going to work on the sensor ohming....it going to be a rainy day....perfect time to work on it....I'll update soon, thanks Swamper

 

[Rha]

Only just read this thread and have some info which might help Brit owners. Bought the car in 2007 with 65000mls,after 13mths abs light came on but whent off after a couple of miles so wasn't concerned, next time out same again. Then not for some months untill on way to MOT, it stayed on and tester approached me saying it will fail if it doesn't go out on the rollers which it did and braked ok. This time I decided to get it coded and code was O/S/R wheel senser, changed it but light came on again after a few miles,this time codes were same wheel senser plus abs pump. On the net owners were saying BMW would charge in excess of £1200.00 for new pump fitted, so I scanned the net and found this company that would test and get back to me if it was faulty, it was and they rebuilt it with a lifetime guarantee for a fraction of the price. I'm talking a couple hundred quid so I changed the pump module myself and told them I wanted my module back and marked it so I would know. Apparently it's the soldered joints inside that fail. That was my experience, the company is;
www.ecutesting.com, if you think it might be the abs module get on the phone to these people who deal with all makes of module and will test yours before carrying out any repairs,if it requires repair then the test is free.

 

[t-tony]

We use this company at work too Roy. Recommended.

Tony.