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Tripped EML,DSC,Brake lights HELP! :/

44K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  Stork501 
#1 ·
2003 330i
So today the EML, DSC and BREAK lights lit up my dash today 2 times. First time as i was driving to my friends house to detail his new Corvette and then again while i was pulling up to my house. Each time it happens i pull over and restart my car and it all clears. Also i have been noticing while my car is at a stop light my car kinda wobbles? when it idles. It shakes and i can feel it and i look at my passenger seat belt and it wobbles but makes no car death sounds.

I have noticed in the last month my car is falling apart around me... :/ i have about a good 6 things that need to be repaired but i cant afford some of them because i am a firefighter in training lol, so i am hoping this one is not going to break my bank.

ask any questions about this and i can answer to the best of my knowledge.
Any thoughts and ideas?

thank you all.
 

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#2 ·
Hey brother...just pull the codes before you get bent out of shape about what it will cost...it may be a quick fix. Keep in mind that most of the parts on these cars, snap or bolt on. If you have the smarts to be a firefighter, you can wrench on the car...but you have to know what is wrong first.

Pull the codes post them here and go from there. While you are waiting on getting the codes pulled, reade the WIKI, lots of great info there.
 
#6 ·
Tripped? :dunno:

Not sure what you mean by that. Autozone, Kragen, etc. should be able to read the codes for free for you. At least then you'll know what you're dealing with.
 
#7 · (Edited)
what i mean by tripped is that my car dash sometimes lights up like a Christmas tree haha, and do the the 3 lights have to be present at the time of the reading? because they have only been on 2 times and they turn off when i restart the car, also in California bay area kregen and auto zone and all car part and supply places of that nature dont do car readings anymore in my area.

but i will find a place and get my car read and will post the codes
 
#8 ·
Well as I was driving today the 3 lights came on and my check engine light came on with it and my cruse control stopes working after that came on... It was working all day.. I hope the car turned it off and de activated it
 

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#10 ·
I having the same when not driving car for 3 days and then start the car. After driving 1 minutes lights go off. For sure I have to replace battery before winter, nothing else. No matter what code you get, ask to test them your battery. If it original, then good time replace it.
 
#11 ·
The car will store fault codes so even if the lights aren't on, the codes can still be read.
It sounds like wheel speed sensors, but our ats are very battery dependent and display a lot of electrical weirdness as the battery gets week. Be sure to have it tested too.
 
#12 ·
When you get the eml and the other lights does your car go into limp mode-this is when you lose full power and the car runs like in asafe mode. Need you to give a little more info and try to get codes read. Most bmw dealers will perform the diagnostic for no charge, in other words give you a read out of all the codes that your cars computer has stored. Then what they will charge you for is to specificially track down each specific problem.
 
#14 ·
160 throttle actuator blocked momentarily

119 throttle valve 2 versus air mass signal

22702 bank 1 control deviation

Anyone have any ideas?
How old is the battery in that car ? If you don`t know, or if it`s more than 4 years old, replace it ASAP....Walmart or Autozone have suitable replacements for right around $100. We see a TON of guys coming through here on a regular basis, with their cars acting up, seemingly unrelated problems. An *overwhelming* majority of them have weak/failing batteries as a primary cause for these problems.
 
#15 ·
I would have to look at the battery and check all of that, this was suggested on fanatics:

***Rule out the simple things first. Clean your TB, DISA, ICV, and MAF. Reseal the DISA with german auto solutions seal, and TB with genuine BMW T seal. Clean ICV with brake cleaner and MAF w/ MAF cleaner (though many say they've cleaned their MAF with carb or TB cleaner and is fine) I'd just buy the right stuff. Not damaging your $200 maf is worth the chance of wasting an extra $5 on MAF cleaner vs. TB cleaner***
 
#18 ·
Being SURE you have a solid, reliable power source **IS** the first step....without that, doing all this other crap doesn`t mean a thing.

Not to totally steal the thread but I figured I'd post it here rather than start another thread. I have the same issue only no EML light. The other two (DSC and Brake) have came on and stayed on since they started. I've been driving like this for half a year now. Luckily the past winter here in Iowa wasn't bad.

Even though the EML light is not on could it still be one of the wheel speed sensors?

I've had no funky electrical gremlins so I'm almost certain it's not the battery
You`d better consider a closer analysis of that last sentence, Sport....
 
#16 · (Edited)
Not to totally steal the thread but I figured I'd post it here rather than start another thread. I have the same issue only no EML light. The other two (DSC and Brake) have came on and stayed on since they started. I've been driving like this for half a year now. Luckily the past winter here in Iowa wasn't bad.

Even though the EML light is not on could it still be one of the wheel speed sensors?

I've had no funky electrical gremlins so I'm almost certain it's not the battery
 
#17 · (Edited)
I've had no funky electrical gremlins so I'm almost certain it's not the battery
This does not mean your battery is fine. I was a passenger in a friend's E46 M3 that had zero symptoms... none, nothing, nada! We drove a mile, turned off the car, ran an errand, and when we came back to the car, it would not start. The dash lit up and all sorts of weird stuff was going on. That was the symptom.

Fortunately he had another battery at home, so we walked to get it, returned in my car, installed it, problem solved.

Moral of the story is... you cannot rule out the battery simply because nothing appears wrong. I've read about it here and have first-hand experience that they can go at any time without warning. If it's 4 years old or older, you may be on borrowed time.
 
#20 ·
Weird things happen to bimmers when you don't have reliable power:
- One user's experience debugging a half-dead instrument cluster (1) which, after testing the fuses (1) battery & alternator (1) thankfully turned into an alternative battery search (1) and a simple battery replacement DIY (1)

You can easily check the power using this information:
- DIY how to test a BMW battery & alternator

I would suggest the OP read this post which shows how to check the speed sensors in about five minutes:
- How to diagnose the BMW ABS BRAKE DSC/ASC trifecta (1) & why the 5-minute ABS DIY quick test doesn't always work, especially on brand new non-OEM wheel speed sensors, by Quick99Si (1)

Note: All of these are from the bestlinks.
 
#21 ·
Guys, i am having the same problem. EML, break, and DSC/ASC lit up 2 times today. It did this last week twice and once a few weeks before that. Each time i turn the car off for a few minutes it works well. So i took it in to get it checked twice, both times the scanner did not detect any faults, im tired of this problem everyone is saying diff things, some ppl say its the gas pedal box i donno if i got the name right, my mechanic says it could be that the car's computer is loosing it. So if anyone could hel it would be great.
 
#23 ·
1 check battery with multi meter with car not running. should have at least 12 to 12 and a half volts.
2 check battery with car running should be at least 12 to 14 volts.
3 car running pull off one of the battery cable from either positive or negative while car is running.
4 if car dies bad alternator
5 like everybody has said you must start with a good battery supply source.
6 also make sure that there is a tight connection on both positive and negative posts; and that all connections are clean and free of corresion. this sounds simple but it is the most important first step. you must start at a and then b and c if you skip you will cause yourself a lot of grief. if you have a good scanner of your own then try pulling codes. if not then go to auto store and see if they will pull and give them to you. or dealer will for fee pull them. once you have done all or a least made sure you have good battery get back to me and i will give you some other avenues to try that are fairly easy to do and not overly time consuming.
 
#25 ·
Alright guys, i followed the steps as stated. My battery is fine there is a good connection it read 12.5 when car was off, 14.5 when car was on, the car stayed on when i removed the negative cable. I took it in to my mechanic and there were no codes to read. Any more suggestions?
 
#29 ·
Just saw this. I had the same problem two years ago in my E46. The mech diagnosed a faulty throttle body potentiometer. He replace the throttle body unit and that fixed it. $332 labor + $410 for the part = 742.
 
#30 ·
reviving an old post here as I am having a similar problem - 2004 525i with 6 speed manual -
check engine light and DSC come on together and car loses all power but does not shut down.
Always seems to happen to me while ASCENDING a hill and car will not rev about 1000rpm. Turn car off, wait 30 seconds, restart and drive away with no problems and no lights on dash.
This has happened maybe 10 times over past 60 days but never before that.
Had one person guess it was the DSC system freaking out, another ran the codes and told me that both catalytic convertors need to be replaced. BMW dealer said it sounded like a transmission sensor and asked me to bring it in for a diagnostic.
ANY thoughts would be most appreciated and thanks very much!!
 
#31 ·
Markb100:

Two choices:

Go to an Autozone or O`Reilly`s, and have them scan the codes.

Purchase your own code reader, they`re available on eBay for as little as $20. Scan your own codes.

In either case, post the specific codes (P0123, etc.) to this Forum, this will help us to point you in the right direction.
 
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