My Turn - Trifecta.

[Zulu95]

Just had this come up out of the blue as they say. Trifeca with the brake light flashing red then turning orange.
Now I cannot drive as it feels like the DS front is locking up and the ABS is coming on and off from what I can hear. I can usually back out of the garage with minimum ABS but as soon as I move forward the "locked wheel feeling" and ABS frantically churning away starts.
No codes on the Foxwell. Don't really rate this this for much at the moment. Expensive toy level.
Checked fluid - level OK.
I'm hoping sensor/s or brake light switch (been reading a lot on this lately.) but expecting to have to rebuild the module and/or replace the SAS. Apart from hand/parking brake switch am I missing anything else?

[SlickGT1]

Damn. That sux. Mostly subscribe for the solution. All I can suggest is check the wheel speed sensors.

[andrewwynn]

The RED is the key .

The normal trifecta is orange. That is very good news for your because it's usually low brake fluid or a bad switch for the had brake.

Neither of which will throw a code.

Make sure the switch is working on the brake fluid reservoir. Then if you can get the lights off try to cycle the hand brake and get the red brake light to come on and go off.

You should be better off than most to solve this problem. With the orange brake is definitely harder to solve

[Zulu95]

andrewwin: I'll check both of those later. Thanks for the suggestions.
The red disappeared after flashing a couple of times and thereafter everything was orange. I got home and parked in the garage and returned later to pull codes etc. and that is when I found the no codes but ABS operating and almost locked front wheel symptoms.
Speed sensors and the like will be addressed after I have her flat bedded to wrench turner.

[andrewwynn]

Intermittent wheel sensor usually presents as abs kicking in when almost stopped. When mine was acting up it would abs when normal stopping about 8 times before it would disable then I could drive.

I would find the fuse for abs and see if that makes the car drivable before towing

[Zulu95]

Quick update: Big Red fuse 63 disables the ABS and allows me to drive to the mechanic.
Foxwell 510 will give you direct, real time, wheel sensor data. In my case the front left sensor shows no reading the three other sensors all read OK.
The X goes in Monday for minor surgery. I'll get a few other things tidied up at the same time.
I'll report back if there are any other findings in this case.
Thanks to all who replied and offered suggestions and support.

[andrewwynn]

Weird red brake for wheel sensor that should be orange. Keep us posted. I've followed through on a few of these that ended up being the abs module (the other end of the sensor wire goes there)

[Zulu95]

Will do.

[Zulu95]

Repairs completed. Lights gone. Had all four sensors replaced and the sockets. (Great heads up!) No lights on the 16 miles home.

[andrewwynn]

It feels so good to get the abs working again when it breaks. The X5 requires functioning ABS it is just literally dangerous to drive without ABS


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro