4x4 Warning Light on Dash ?

[TwinsPoppa]

Originally Posted by Big "J"

Hi Twins! Yeah, I'm not getting any self level inactive alarms?

I'll see what my PA soft 1.4 scanner indicates this evening and update. I cleared and reset the DTC's last weekend yet, no errors were showing for the EHC. The only thing that showed back up was the VTC (transfer case?) with "oil abrasion". I changed the fluid and it still shows as an error?

Roger that... upallnight! Same goes for ebay wishbones from China...Ugh!

Hhmm, that's kind of weird to me. Its like saying it will self-level on all corners but not lower or raise with the access buttons?!

Hey, whatever.

Let's see what codes you still get. Would be awesome if its just a simple sensor problem.

[Daka]

Well, with all this my indie shop cleared the code but it the 4x4 light came on again about a week later
They are telling me that it needs a STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, it is evidently located at the bottom of the steering column inside the car....about a $500 repair...NOTE that this is 2 1/2 months out of CPO warranty

[TwinsPoppa]

Originally Posted by Daka

Well, with all this my indie shop cleared the code but it the 4x4 light came on again about a week later
They are telling me that it needs a STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, it is evidently located at the bottom of the steering column inside the car....about a $500 repair...NOTE that this is 2 1/2 months out of CPO warranty

Might me worth confirming that it is in fact a bad steering angle sensor (if that shop doesn't have BMW specific equipment to diagnose).

At least one person had their sensor recalibrated instead of replaced.

Just a thought.

[Big "J"]

Ok... Update! Cleaned the wheel sensors and did the steering angle reset. Using PA Soft 1.4 I got these codes:

LEW- (Steering Angle Sensor
09-009- No CAN Msg. (ASC) - code will not clear when trying to reset

VTG- (Transfer Box)
54C6- (21702)- Oil Abrasion (won't clear when reset)
5462- (21602)- Error actuator or increased power requirement for clutch- (Cleared)
53FC- (21500)- KL30 Voltage supply- (Cleared)

The EGS and ABS had some errors as well that were all cleared when reset.

EHC- Electronic Height Control had zero errors... either the LEW or VTG is causing the ride height not to work?

I assume the LEW- Steering angle sensor- isn't communicating thus must be bad?

Still have the yellow 4x4 light on as well.

Thoughts? I know...your screwed!! :-p

[TwinsPoppa]

Originally Posted by Big "J"

Ok... Update! Cleaned the wheel sensors and did the steering angle reset. Using PA Soft 1.4 I got these codes:

LEW- (Steering Angle Sensor
09-009- No CAN Msg. (ASC) - code will not clear when trying to reset

VTG- (Transfer Box)
54C6- (21702)- Oil Abrasion (won't clear when reset)
5462- (21602)- Error actuator or increased power requirement for clutch- (Cleared)
53FC- (21500)- KL30 Voltage supply- (Cleared)

The EGS and ABS had some errors as well that were all cleared when reset.

EHC- Electronic Height Control had zero errors... either the LEW or VTG is causing the ride height not to work?

I assume the LEW- Steering angle sensor- isn't communicating thus must be bad?

Still have the yellow 4x4 light on as well.

Thoughts? I know...your screwed!! :-p

I'm not familiar with PA Soft so I don't know if it has any other functions that might help you diagnose further.

On the GT1 there are self-tests that can confirm, for example, that the SAS is in fact bad and needs replacement. I have never done those exact self-tests so I can't even tell you what that entails or even the recalibration process.

Sometimes the X gives CAN bus communication errors because of a bad sensor. Like when I had a bad yaw sensor it gave the fault in the DSC (4x4).

Since you're getting that from the actual sensor, my assumption is that its a bad SAS. Since you can't communicate with the actual sensor how could it be recalibrated.

However, I seem to remember someone had flipped a wheel bearing and and got the DSC (4x4) light too. So, I'm thinking maybe if you have a bad wheel sensor it might trip the CAN bus error too.

Like I said, with the GT1, it could isolate if its a wheel sensor or the actual SAS. It may actually be a bad SAS but not sure you want to assume that right away.

Can PA Soft check the wheel sensors individually?

EDIT: I wonder if PA Soft would have given you an error if one of your wheel sensors were bad - along with the SAS. I would assume that it would of so you would think its only the SAS but ... there I go assuming again on software I have no idea about

[TwinsPoppa]

Also, for the VTG, search on "54C6" and you will find threads about changing fuids.

[Big "J"]

PA Soft allows you to read, clear, recode, write new values and reset adaptations as well as restart module software units. I need to dive into the program more to see if it can isolate to a specific sensor. I think at 129k on the clock it very well could be dead.

[Big "J"]

Will do... Thanks bud!

[X5_Rob]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

if the DSC module (ABS module) is not communicating, it could be defective, or the plug is disengaged... unless somebody was playing in the vicinity of the plug, there is no reason for the plug to be disconnected.
if the either is true, you would get so called TRIFECA (search for it) of lights and not a single light.

there are repair services on ebay that repair the ABS modules for about $200-300 with lifetime warranty, and there is no charge if they can't... check with them first...
i still don't think it is the ABS module - was your car going into limp mode? did you lose the odometer counting (numbers froze) and/or speedometer stuck at zero? those are the signs of a problem inside the ABS module...

what did he say about the airbag? was it a passenger seat mat? or a seat belt buckle? or head airbag? you did not talk about the airbag before, did it light up while you were at the shop?

sunroof panel is totally independent from the DSC/ABS or the airbag issue.

try this -find a safe place with a decline on a downhill slope, and drive down very slow and engage the Hill Descent Control (totally useless feature, as far as I am concerned, even though I used it successfully climbing down from some steep volcanoes)... If the car engages into the function, your DSC/ABS might be working.. HDC is working at very slow speeds, like 5-15 MPH...

Otherwise lets see what more knowledgable people have to say...

3/14/2013 UPDATE - Coming back from the airport yesterday and had the chance to engage the down hill assist.. it didn't work.. Nor will the traction control engage/disengage.. "4x4!" yellow warning light on dash..

Get in the car today and the "4x4! light is off.. traction control engages/disengages like normal.. no hills in flatland florida to try out the DHA today..

Whatever is causing the sytem to shut down is an intermittent problem which should make this even more fun to diagnos...

[TerminatorX5]

was there any ambient temperature fluctuations? like it got significantly warmer?

while the system is working, can you connect to it and see what codes you are reading now?