Help! Lots of warning lights on dash!

[sammyz]

Started car today and it was suddenly Christmas with lights everywhere. Traction control light, ABS and Brake light all on and no speedo!!!

Checked 15 or so fuses from chart but couldn't find one gone. Anyone any ideas before I take her to the dealer??

Car seems to be driving OK - -- No ABS, no traction control, Hell it's like owning a TVR

 

[Andy]

eeek.. so you've driven it and none of it is working, it's not just a cluster issue.. surely get it to a dealer asap..

there's that throttle reset from the ignition key... not sure what else you could do..

 

[sammyz]

Oh, and the tyre pressure warning light!!!! It has to be a relay or a fuse to blank out so many things so quickly??

 

[sammyz]

BMW assist came out today to have a look at the car. Dealer didn't want me to drive it as there was no speedo.
Engineer was a very knowledgeable guy named John who has worked for various rally teams and used to work for Seat's BTCC team with Jason Plato. He told me Plato had a Z4m and liked it very much.

He ran a diagnostic with lap top, checked ABS to rear wheel, relays, fuses and even tried restarting whole system etc etc but in the end decided it's a fault with the control box to the ABS. If this goes faulty it b**gers up the whole brake warning system, tyre pressure warning system and this in turn stops the speedo working as it's not getting accurate info. Apparently I still have ABS and a reduced traction control.

Will have to book it in next week and get the whole unit replaced. Oh well better now than in 8 months when the warranty is up!

Very impressed with BMW assist by the way, phoned them, and they rang back straight away with the name of the engineer and an estimated time of arrival. Very good service

 

[TxMike]

Did you get an alignment recently? I had this same problem crop up after I had an alignment done. It turned out to be the steering angle sensor needed to be re-set.

 

[sammyz]

Nope, no wheel alignment done.

 

[sammyz]

Car is fine again!!! They replaced the DSC unit/thingy which would have cost over £1,200 had I not had it under warranty Unit was £890 alone!

Still better now than next year

 

[MonsterZ4]

I see you are based in Merseyside. Which dealer did you go to? I once used BMW assist in 2001 when i bought my MINI Cooper. The gear box started playing up, yet i found BMW very helpful indeed. From getting home to getting the car back on the road took 45 minutes! Then i got a call at 9am on the dot the next morning to ask if the work had been done ok, and if i would like to have it done again, but this time within the workshop!

I was very impressed. Shame i can't say the same about the Dealership experience in general....

 

[sammyz]

Monster,

I use Halliwell Jones Southport. Fairly small dealership and they always seem to be on time and on the ball.