Voltage,

the e39's in particular compared to other bmw's (*mainly all 5 series) are very sensitive to voltage problems,

your first problem was the car started on low voltage (*ive done this, usually the alternator takes a few seconds to spool up the voltage to where it has to go) in that time the clock resets the dash board lights up like a christmas tree

the best thing to do... and one of two ways, jump the car or charge the battery, (*get the car started with proper voltage)

confirm your alternator is running in full field 14.4vdc +/- 2% , let the car idle up to temp.. Run the heat get the cabin all warm and stable, in the mean time.. scan and clear the codes and take it from there

 

I have a 2003 e39 525i has been a great car. I recently got the ABS module repaired from a company I found on Ebay. When I received the part in the mail it looked almost new. I excitedly ran out to my car and installed the part. When the part was in I turned the car on and since it had been sitting for a little over a week without being driven it did not start right away. I did notice when I started the car the lights that had previously been on (ABS, DCS, and BRAKE) were no longer lit. When I started to pull out of my drive way the car died the engine stopped and everything went quiet. After restarting the car all of the lights that had disappeared reappeared on my dash and would not go away. Is there anyone that knows a fix or what happened? Maybe an ABS sensor?
If anyone out there can give some advice that would be greatly appreciated.

(First post sorry if punctuation or format is off)

Do you have the equipment/software to read and clear codes?
Where are you located?

 

Definitely, it sounds like a poor voltage problem, not an ABS.
Before attempting anything: Recharge your battery to full (12.5 volts).

Buy a car battery charger/maintainer if you do not have one : it is only $30 at HomeDepot, and it will serve you well for years.
Also, get familiar with the OBC test (google it "OBC test bmw e39") to check the battery and alternator voltage on your car.

 

I checked the voltage of the battery via the OBC and got 11.4 when the car was off and cold and 13.5 when turning the car on.

I do have the equipment on hand to to read and clear codes (Zurich ZR13)

When I originally installed the part I did wait 10-15 minutes for everything to warm up and for the car to become stable.

 

I am located in Fresno California

 

the 11.4 vdc reading tells you that at least the battery charge level is low, if not a bad battery. 13.5 volts when running initially indicates a low output of the charging system, but a low battery can fake you out on that measurement. charge the battery, load test it to see how healthy it is. does the zurich code reader give you the ABS codes or just the OBDII codes? take care of the battery before you can go any further.

 

The Zurich code reader does diagnose and clear and codes.
I will look into the battery and see if I have a charger.
What exactly does the battery have to do with the specific ABS BRAKE and DCS lights?

 

So,that Zurich code reader is an OBD2 reader. So it will not read the ABS or other BMW modules. You need a BMW specific diagnostic reader (INPA or PaSoft or ...).

At 11.4 v, your battery is very low, and maybe bad. Recharge it first, then test again. But you may have to replace it.
As to what the battery has to do with ABS, DSC lights,,..well, the E39 is a voltage needy, battery bitch car. A low or bad battery triggers the computers/controllers on the car to throw all kinds of errors, warning lights, and sometimes fake misleading error codes and such.

So, your very first rule when working on this car: make sure your battery (and alternator) is good and fully charged...!!

 

Just search on bmw e39 battery voltage and you will see that low battery voltage can cause all kinds of problems.
So, first things first, car running the voltage should be app. 14,1 volts, not much lower than that.
Just to add to what others said.
If you dont use the car much maintain the battery during the night with a charger once a week or so.