[djmofunk]

While driving on the freeway today my turn signals, cruise control, high beam flashers, and wipers stopped responding to the actions of the control stalks.

I can force the blinkers to go by pushing the hazard button, I can get the wipers to cycle once by pushing the auto button (on the wiper stalk, plus the green led lights up) and cruise will engage if and only if I pull towards myself on the cruise stalk, all other movements do nothing, and the cruise stays engaged until I hit the brake. The check button on the indicator stalk works, as does the settings flipper.

So, all the systems seem to work, but just don't respond to input from moving the stalks around. Oh, and all the buttons on the steering wheel work (volume, channel, aux, phone...).

I checked EVERY fuse, I pulled the battery for a few hours, I completely disassembled the steering column including taking apart the stalks and steering speed/angle sensor. I cleaned everything and checked the plugs for all the connections; everything looked perfect and the system throws no errors. :dunno:

I am at a loss.

I have searched and searched and not found anyone with this same issue unless it was throwing DSC or some other error.

Any ideas? It's crazy scary and probably illegal to drive without turn signals.

 

[djmofunk]

Took the car out again and the blinkers/high beams worked for a minute then everything stopped working again. Still no warning light or error.

 

[SuperTerp]

There is some headlight recall/known issue that I at least had where my turn single malfunctioned... I suggest you visit a dealer if its this.

 

[Zooks527]

It's crazy scary and probably illegal to drive without turn signals.

I understand the agita this must be causing you, and can't suggest much past what you've done beyond considering an internal failure in the wiring harness or stalk assembly. Might be worth a trial replacement of either, if your dealer will let you return the parts if it doesn't work (you don't necessarily need to tell him you put them in and took them out).

However, after reading the above, I can declare that you're obviously not from New England.

 

[CALWATERBOY]

While driving on the freeway today my turn signals, cruise control, high beam flashers, and wipers stopped responding to the actions of the control stalks.

I am at a loss.

Brings up a pretty good point: What diagnostics are available other than checking codes?

Did you check codes btw?

Could be good to see if these share a connector.

.

 

[CALWATERBOY]

It's crazy scary and probably illegal to drive without turn signals.

Reliably legal: Hand Signals

Now, I don't mean signals involving finger position[ed].

No.

I'm talking about hand signals normally illustrated in a driver's manual, the one provided by New Mexico.

 

[djmofunk]

Reliably legal: Hand Signals

Now, I don't mean signals involving finger position[ed].

No.

I'm talking about hand signals normally illustrated in a driver's manual, the one provided by New Mexico.

View attachment 346113

Ha, I thought about using my hands, but in rush hour on the freeway I'd be liable to lose my arm to a semi while merging, plus I don't think most Albuquerqueans know what those mean.

I'll run by autozone and see if it shows any codes, I figured I'd get a warning if there were any active ones. I'm waiting on a USB daig/coding cable I ordered right before this happened.

 

[djmofunk]

Error Codes

I finally got my USB cable and pulled the error memory from the car...
I cleared my codes and started over...
3 codes keep popping up:

9519 9519 -
windscreen wiper switch (SWS) not plausible- incorrect combination in windscreen wiper switch

No matching error symptom.
Test conditions fulfilled
Error present now and already stored
Error would not cause a warning lamp to light up
Error code: 95 19 60 02 28 4B 08 00 08 00 04

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9511 9511 -
FGR/ACC-steering column lever (LST) not plausible - incorrect combination with cruise cont


No matching error symptom.
Test conditions fulfilled
Error present now and already stored
Error would not cause a warning lamp to light up
Error code: 95 11 60 02 28 4B 08 00 08 00 04

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0xA6CF Sensor AUC
Implausible signal or value

Test conditions fulfilled
Error not present now, but already stored
Error would not cause a warning lamp to light up

So it sounds like a short in a wire somewhere.... any suggestions as to where to look?

 

[CALWATERBOY]

....not plausible

So it sounds like a short in a wire somewhere.... any suggestions as to where to look?

Not plausable....signal's gotta be out of range. Nice if code would tell us: high or low....yup sure sounds like a short as no signal would seem unlikely to fault.

Have no idea where these wires are routed, but you might solve the problem in your steering column. Got a Bentley?

You'd better try e90post too - let us know!

.

 

[Zooks527]

I would think these are on/off points. "No signal" in every channel would likely cause a fault as well as a short. "Not plausible / incorrect combination" implies bad binary values rather than an analog out-of-range. It sounds as though the ECU is reading the switch as being in multiple positions. Would be nice to know if it's reading them as on (implying a short) or off (implying a power failure), but that seems not to be.

Any suggestions at this point are coming from debugging an industrial control system, rather than any knowledge about the BMW itself. First swing goes back to the wiring harness on this one, either internally or as a feed / ground connection issue. I might do some judicious poking with a VOM in resistance mode between the contact points on the harness connectors, followed by the same with the meter in voltage mode, but that's shooting blind.

My personal long-term car ownership fears revolve around electrical problems. This may be something that drags you into the dealer.