2000 E39 523i auto transmission failsafe and ABS+ASC lights on?

pathogan2008

I was driving @ approx 60mph a few weeks ago - the transmission on my 2000 E39 523i Auto switched into failsafe mode. Never happened before.
The car stayed in what felt like 3rd or 4th gear and would not shift up or down.
The engine would have to be revved high to pull away from a standing start at junctions etc. but apart from that drove fine to get me the few miles home.
The yellow ASC and traction control lights flashed on briefly for a few seconds when this happened, but then went out again,
leaving just the yellow transmission failsafe mode light on.

I got home, turned off the car and when I restarted, all was well again. Normally, the car shifts up and down between all gears perfectly with no slipping and there is no problem or jerking or clunking when selecting Reverse or Drive etc. and Tiptronic mode works and shifts as normal.

However the same thing happened again today.
The ABS and ASC lights are now on permanently.
The speedometer has stopped working (mostly). Sometimes it will kick back in after driving a while and will return to its correct speed

Has anyone else ever had this problem? What could it be?

Would it be a sensor or electrical problem rather than mechanical?
Faulty ABS module? ABS Speed wheel sensor? Transmission ECU? Gearbox Output Rev sensor?

The car and gearbox has covered 167k miles.

I ran INPA diagnostic on the car and found the codes below:
Any help from a BMW guru greatly appreciated.

Engine:
130 Signal CAN ASC 1
217 Signal CAN EGS
214 Signal Speed

Transmission:
128 CAN-Bus check
130 CAN-Time-Out ASC
32 Output rev. sensor (n-ab)
33 Turbine rev. sensor

Chassis:
55 ASC cut-off valve

Eric Cartman

how new is your battery ? surprising amount of errors come up when your battery is old / low on these cars.

pathogan2008

Eric Cartman wrote: »

how new is your battery ? surprising amount of errors come up when your battery is old / low on these cars.

Battery replaced 2 years ago. No problems with the alternator either.

Foxhole Norman

I'd be very very surprised if it wasn't a rear wheel speed sensor or your ABS module that's gone.

pathogan2008

Thanks folks.
Is there any way to narrow it down I wonder?
The right side rear ABS sensor was done last year. Factors part.

Do either of the front sensors send speed data to the ECU or Gearbox?

PH

Colash

Abs module
Bad battery
Failing altenator
Gearbox failure
The list is endless with these cars. I had an e39 525i.. broke my heart to sell it as it turned out to be a failing gearbox .. an automatic gearbox oil change along with the filter can do alot for these cars if it hadn't been done already

By the way with INPA can u not test the abs module an gearbox solonoids? ?? And check their status ??

Foxhole Norman

pathogan2008 wrote: »

Thanks folks.
Is there any way to narrow it down I wonder?
The right side rear ABS sensor was done last year. Factors part.

Do either of the front sensors send speed data to the ECU or Gearbox?

PH

Get live data from your sensors on INPA, if your wheel speed sensors are working fine, probably your module. Very very very slim chance it could be your gearbox speed sensor.

unkel

My guess is also the ABS module. Typical intermittent issue for a while on the E39 and then it stays on. But get it diagnosed properly before you make any decisions. ABS module is pretty much worst case scenario but a replacement (refurb) model is a few hundred GBP. Not the end of the world if you like your car and want to keep it. Best case scenario - a wheel speed sensor - about £15 but could be nasty to fit if the original has been in for 17 years. Broke one myself last year even though I was ever so careful and patient trying to get it out

CalamariFritti

Had the same 2 years ago. With me it was one of the wheel speed sensors and the ABS module. You can actually remove the ABS module and then she will just drive without ABS. Not great and you wouldn't want to drive around like that for long, but it will get you out of that crawl mode.
The ABS modules are very expensive, but you can buy Bosch OEM instead of buying at the BMW dealer. They are the exact same thing just without the BMW price tag and the onus is totally on you to ensure you buy the right one. The OEM is about €700 IIRC and if thats too much still I believe you can get a refurbished one with 12 months warranty from the UK, too. As for the sensors I found out the hard way that the cheaper supposedly OEM ones for like €35 from eBay do not work.

As it happens right now you can buy my entire car for less than an OEM module and it will give you said Bosch ABS module, 4 working sensors and a hole other pile of stuff. Like an entire fully operable 523i. Hell my car might even be better than yours altogether.

Not posting the link as I'm not sure would that be considered advertising, but I have her on the 'Your Adverts.ie car for sale here (no chat)' thread.

Foxhole Norman

Rather than get one refurbed or a new one, just get one from a breaker that matches your one, should be a 001 and flash it to your car with INPA.

pathogan2008

Thanks everyone. Great tips and advise.

My ABS module is 001. I took it off last year to inspect it when a rear ABS sensor was failing. If I get one from a breaker, can I plug it straight in?
Does is need to be coded? WHat happens if I don't code it?
Is there a how-to guide anywhere on how to do this in INPA?

Also, are the factors/spurious ABS sensors really that bad?
There's a few different brands around the same price on MIcks Garage.
Surely they can't be all bad - they're just Hall effect sensors, right?
Any advice on which one to go for?

PH

Foxhole Norman

pathogan2008 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. Great tips and advise.

My ABS module is 001. I took it off last year to inspect it when a rear ABS sensor was failing. If I get one from a breaker, can I plug it straight in?
Does is need to be coded? WHat happens if I don't code it?
Is there a how-to guide anywhere on how to do this in INPA?

Also, are the factors/spurious ABS sensors really that bad?
There's a few different brands around the same price on MIcks Garage.
Surely they can't be all bad - they're just Hall effect sensors, right?
Any advice on which one to go for?

PH

If you get a 001 module it will plug right in but will have to be coded, if it isn't you'll have the same issues. On INPA you should be able to go into each module, select ABS and there should be an option there to code to car. You'll also have to reset your steering angle sensor too on it!

I'd always go OE wheel speed sensors tbh, you can get them fairly handy on ebay.

CalamariFritti

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Rather than get one refurbed or a new one, just get one from a breaker that matches your one, should be a 001 and flash it to your car with INPA.

Problem with breakers is they're brazen. I phoned around at the time and they wanted more than what I would have paid for a refurb.

pathogan2008

Colash wrote: »

Abs module
Bad battery
Failing altenator
Gearbox failure
The list is endless with these cars. I had an e39 525i.. broke my heart to sell it as it turned out to be a failing gearbox .. an automatic gearbox oil change along with the filter can do alot for these cars if it hadn't been done already

By the way with INPA can u not test the abs module an gearbox solonoids? ?? And check their status ??

It's on it's original grearbox oil all right Colash.
I've read though, that it's better to change it early, say 100k miles, and then every 60k miles after that.
Like moving an old fridge, is it the case that if you disturb an older gearbox like mine, that you could inadvertantly hasten its demise?

PH

pathogan2008

unkel wrote: »

My guess is also the ABS module. Typical intermittent issue for a while on the E39 and then it stays on. But get it diagnosed properly before you make any decisions. ABS module is pretty much worst case scenario but a replacement (refurb) model is a few hundred GBP. Not the end of the world if you like your car and want to keep it. Best case scenario - a wheel speed sensor - about £15 but could be nasty to fit if the original has been in for 17 years. Broke one myself last year even though I was ever so careful and patient trying to get it out

Excellent suggestions everyone. I love this forum

So, I unplugged the ABS module this morning, and the transmission is behaving normally again. :cool::cool: It never went into failsafe mode, and I drove over 50 miles today, stopping and starting a number of times.

So that's good news at least - there doesn't appear to be an Auto Gearbox issue. The auto box must have been getting CANBUS errors from the ABS module and/or rear passenger ABS sensor.

My speedo is still not working, so I think I will replace the rear passenger ABS sensor next and see if that helps. I just checked my receipts folder for the car (yep I'm one of THOSE owners) and it actually replaced it last in Feb 2008 - 9 years ago :eek:

Mick's Garage has 3 brands for the rear axle: Optimal, A.B.S and Master-Sport.

Are they all the same, or is one better than the orthers? Would any of these be considered OEM. Or am I looking for a Siemens, Mehle or Febi part??

http://www.micksgarage.com/search/abs%20sensors/bmw/bmw%205-series/5%20series%201995%20to%202003/523%20i/170

Thanks everyone.
PH

CalamariFritti

pathogan2008 wrote: »

It's on it's original grearbox oil all right Colash.
I've read though, that it's better to change it early, say 100k miles, and then every 60k miles after that.
Like moving an old fridge, is it the case that if you disturb an older gearbox like mine, that you could inadvertantly hasten its demise?

PH

My one is on 250,000 km and the gearbox has never been touched and is perfect.

CalamariFritti

Speedo not working is all related to the pulled abs module.

Colash

pathogan2008 wrote: »

It's on it's original grearbox oil all right Colash.
I've read though, that it's better to change it early, say 100k miles, and then every 60k miles after that.
Like moving an old fridge, is it the case that if you disturb an older gearbox like mine, that you could inadvertantly hasten its demise?

PH

Your right on that.. sometimes changing the fluid in the box can do more harm than good.. I think your on the right track though with the abs module ...or abs sensors ..

pathogan2008

Doh! Of course. I should have remembered that the speedo stops working from the last time I unplugged it. Thanks CalamariFritti.

What's the best way to diagnose the rear ABS sensors then?
It's a bit suspicious the they are not showing up on INPA.

Last year, when the ABS light came on, it clearly showed the following:
31 wheel sensor rear right
A new sensor sorted it.
I'm suspecting it is just the ABS module alone that is bust, and not a sensor after all.

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Get live data from your sensors on INPA, if your wheel speed sensors are working fine, probably your module. Very very very slim chance it could be your gearbox speed sensor.

Foxhole Norman, by live INPA data from the sensors, do you mean engine running, or the car actually moving?

What would swapping the rear sensors left to right and vice versa tell me?
It might be better to just replace the left one anyway - since they are probably fairly brittle at this stage (as Unkel pointed out). The one I put in 9 years ago was £14 from ebay.

Are any of the Mick's Garage ones better??. I'm off on Friday, so I probably can't wait to get it from the UK.

What do you think?

Foxhole Norman

pathogan2008 wrote: »

Doh! Of course. I should have remembered that the speedo stops working from the last time I unplugged it. Thanks CalamariFritti.

What's the best way to diagnose the rear ABS sensors then?
It's a bit suspicious the they are not showing up on INPA.

Last year, when the ABS light came on, it clearly showed the following:
31 wheel sensor rear right
A new sensor sorted it.
I'm suspecting it is just the ABS module alone that is bust, and not a sensor after all.


Foxhole Norman, by live INPA data from the sensors, do you mean engine running, or the car actually moving?

What would swapping the rear sensors left to right and vice versa tell me?
It might be better to just replace the left one anyway - since they are probably fairly brittle at this stage (as Unkel pointed out). The one I put in 9 years ago was £14 from ebay.

Are any of the Mick's Garage ones better. I'm off on Friday, so I probably can't wait to get it from the UK.

What do you think?

Yeah have the car driving and monitor the speed sensor information. I can't remember which exactly but I think it might be the rear right that controls the speedo!

pathogan2008

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Yeah have the car driving and monitor the speed sensor information. I can't remember which exactly but I think it might be the rear right that controls the speedo!

I actually tried what Foxhole Norman suggested, i.e. monitoring the speed sensor info from the car "live" up and down my driveway. Cool :cool:

Turns out the rear left was bad, so I replaced it with and OEM sensor.
Speedo working perfectly again, but ABS&ACS problem remained.

Went on the hunt for a 001 module. See next post.

PH

pathogan2008

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

If you get a 001 module it will plug right in but will have to be coded, if it isn't you'll have the same issues. On INPA you should be able to go into each module, select ABS and there should be an option there to code to car. You'll also have to reset your steering angle sensor too on it!

I'd always go OE wheel speed sensors tbh, you can get them fairly handy on ebay.

So I picked up a direct replacement 001 ABS module today from a damaged 2003 E39. The part is actually date stamped from 2007, so it's a fairly fresh module.
Hopefully, it will outlast the car now. :pac:

So I plugged it in, started the car and hey presto, the ABS and ASC lights are finally off. :D

I'm looking at my disgnostic laptop and it has INPA and another program called "SGS Expert".

Do I need to code my VIN into the new module?
Does anyone know of a "how-to" guide on how to do this ? I've seen a reset/calibration of the steering angle sensor mentioned also.

Anyone that has done this previoulsy, I would love to hear from you.
Gettting close to solving this I think. Just in time for the NCT

Thanks in advance.

PH

pathogan2008

unkel wrote: »

My guess is also the ABS module. Typical intermittent issue for a while on the E39 and then it stays on. But get it diagnosed properly before you make any decisions. ABS module is pretty much worst case scenario but a replacement (refurb) model is a few hundred GBP. Not the end of the world if you like your car and want to keep it. Best case scenario - a wheel speed sensor - about £15 but could be nasty to fit if the original has been in for 17 years. Broke one myself last year even though I was ever so careful and patient trying to get it out

@unkel. It turns out it was an ABS module finally failing​, along with a bad rear left speed sensor. My mechanic said it was "a pure hoor" to get out the sensor bolt 😉

Now I just need some guidance on how to correctly code the new module. I think I have the software tools. Just need the steps.

PH