ABS light

[wbarfels]

What are the main causes for the ABS light to come on, but not the CEL on a 94 325i OBDI

[medic1dl]

ABS problems most likely

[wbarfels]

OMG that's it!
Anwyays, what warning does the OBDI give for a pad being worn down? could that be it?

[medic1dl]

ODBI gives no warning for a pad wearing down there is a light in the cluster that will turn on when the pad is worn down enough. ABS problems are due to the ABS pump or the wheel sensors. Might even be because the brake fluid is too low. You need to get it scanned with a scan tool to see what the problem is.

[wbarfels]

ok so there are other wheel sensors then the brake pad sensors then? I though that was for OBDII but I will check for codes


EDIT: Not a single code, and Unlpugging the battery dosnt clear the ABS light.

[baseball]

ABS and OBD codes are seperate from each other. ABS codes will not go away even if you fix the problem they must be CORRECTED and CLEARED. It could be 1 of several things so your best bet is to get the code read. If you were in OC I could do it for you there is probably someone in your area that will do it for free or cheap post in your region. If you take it somewhere they usually charge 50-100 unlike OBD which allot of places will do for free.

[wbarfels]

ive got a code puller / SRS reset tool coming, will that read the abs codes?

[das borgen]

you can only check ABS codes with a GT-1....your local bmw mechanic or dealer will have one and expect to pay between 50 and 120 for a scan

is that what you used to scan?

and there's way more than just wheel speed sensors and ABS pump that can cause an ABS light on the E36 (ABS relay, ABS pump, wheel speed sensors, brake pedal travel switch on the brake booster, bad wiring and on models with traction control the ASC pump, ASC relay, ASC actuator)

[wbarfels]

well that just sucks, Is there to check the abs and wheel speed sensors, along with the relay with a multimeter? I was just driving and the damned thing came on!

[palomino]

Just fixed this on my car. Car needed a new module and new ABS relay.

Get the code read by someone that can do further diagnosing, if necessary. The scanner didnt give a crystal clear idea of what to replace on my car.

[wbarfels]

Would the tps switch not functioning cause this? Because Mine is toast, and Ill have a new one later today, although I have no Idea how to test this out on my own, and I have no Idea how to reset it on my own...Can you simply gound a pin for this one by chance? I imagine the position of the throttle has something to do with the same part of the computer that deals with other things that are also tied into the ABS

[flyfishvt]

Just to whittle down the list a bit. The ASC actuator and the wheel speed sensor will set off the ABS and ASC light at the same time. If you just have the ABS light then you really need to get it scanned. The good news is that you can drive it like this. You will have normal braking without ABS. Just be careful on slippery roads.

[wbarfels]

I just found this:

The ABS light will reset itself each time the engine is started, unlike the CEL which has a 30-ish no-fault cycles reset. The ABS and ASC, like the airbags, perform a self-test when they are powered on. Notice the ABS light turn on with the car, then go out after a few seconds, indicating the successful completion of the self-test. If it fails, the light remains on and the ABS/ASC system is failed safe.
Others in the same post agree,
But Being as he is wrong on airbag light, hes prolly wrong on the rest. Im just hoping that the TPS is the problem

[flyfishvt]

Like the other posters said...the lights wont clear themselves. You have to have them reset and cleared just like the SRS light.


Like the other posters said...the lights wont clear themselves. You have to have them reset and cleared just like the SRS light.

My bad....the abs light does indeed reset itself. I completely forgot that the abs and acs light reset themselves after I changed my wheel bearing and wheel speed sensor.

[wbarfels]

And then I found a few people saying there light comes on sometimes, and off other times, plus this :Start car then turn off, Then press down and hold down for 30-60 seconds the brake pedal, release brake pedal and start car. Should be gone. Did this on my e36 1997 and worked fine after replacing all the ABS sensors

Then I found this:
: The ABS warning lamp is on in the instrument cluster, and fault code 145 (pump inoperable)
stored in the ABS control module memory.
CAUSE

: Faulty relays produced prior to may 1996.
So who knows...Ill try the easier ways to reset the light after I replace the TPS, If it's still on and I cant find someone with tester Ill clean the wheel speed sensors, and then take it in and have the code read, which will hopefully be fixed at that point and Ill just need it cleared.

[medic1dl]

My ABS light is on because of a broken wheel speed sensor. I will be replacing it, but in the meantime I just pulled the light from the cluster so I didn't have to see it on all the time. And IMHO, I hate ABS. I'd rather stop my car by myself, I find ABS takes longer to stop your car. Here in Ontario, ABS does not have to be functioning in order to pass a safety. And as flyfishvt stated, if your ABS is not operating, it does NOT affect your brakes in anyway other than it will not pump them for you. Your wheels will lock up so be wary of that fact. Other than that, drive on my man, drive on.

[flyfishvt]

My ABS light is on because of a broken wheel speed sensor. I will be replacing it, but in the meantime I just pulled the light from the cluster so I didn't have to see it on all the time. And IMHO, I hate ABS. I'd rather stop my car by myself, I find ABS takes longer to stop your car. Here in Ontario, ABS does not have to be functioning in order to pass a safety. And as flyfishvt stated, if your ABS is not operating, it does NOT affect your brakes in anyway other than it will not pump them for you. Your wheels will lock up so be wary of that fact. Other than that, drive on my man, drive on.

I have to respectfully disagree. I drove for 25 years in New England winter conditions well before ABS was on cars and ABS is a godsend. It actually allows you to stop quicker than when your wheels lock up and it allows you to steer the car instead of just sliding whereever the car wants to go. Ive found that those that have an issue with ABS dont use it correctly. You are supposed to apply the brakes and gradually increase the pressure on the brake pedal. Many people still pump the brakes even though they have ABS. Wrong wrong wrong...that's exactly what the ABS is supposed ot do only it does it several times a second. Much faster than you can.

I suspect that you're thinking that because you don't need ABS working to pass an inspection that it's not all that important. That's not true. If they allow you to pass without it working then its only because without the ABS working you still have perfectly functioning brakes.

[slocar]

^ Agreed 100 percent. I have driven cars with no ABS with similar front/back brake balance as the e36.

Let's just say that I thought I was fine until one time I had to stomp the brakes on an on-ramp to avoid some idiot that was passing me on the shoulder ... locked them up and ended up in a ditch, sideways, at 70+ mph.

[medic1dl]

Well I guess that I'm better at threshold breaking than you. And if you ask any expert they will tell you, you stop faster doing threshold braking than when you lock your wheels up. ABS was introduced because the general public don't know how to brake properly, it would allow them to mash on the brakes like they would in a panic situation and still be able to control the vehicle by allowing them to still steer, because you can't steer when your front wheels are locked up can you. I will wager that someone who can threshold brake will stop faster and shorter and control their vehicle better than someone who mashes on the brakes and engages the ABS. Try it sometime.

[flyfishvt]

Each to his own. Ive gotten quite used to being a part of the sometimes "mindless" general public. I love ABS. I drive 50,000 miles a year for work so Ive gotten quite familiar with braking on slippery roads. The one thing Ive found that is always better than ABS is "DISTANCE".

[medic1dl]

I agree flyfishvt!! Distance is always better, people follow too closely and don't give themselves enough time to stop or avoid incidents. I have to rewrite my drivers license every 5 years for my job, I think everyone should do so, then they might also know what the rules of the road really are and not what they think they are. Defensive driving courses should also be a must, maybe then there would be fewer accidents on the road today.

[slocar]

Well I guess that I'm better at threshold breaking than you. And if you ask any expert they will tell you, you stop faster doing threshold braking than when you lock your wheels up. ABS was introduced because the general public don't know how to brake properly, it would allow them to mash on the brakes like they would in a panic situation and still be able to control the vehicle by allowing them to still steer, because you can't steer when your front wheels are locked up can you. I will wager that someone who can threshold brake will stop faster and shorter and control their vehicle better than someone who mashes on the brakes and engages the ABS. Try it sometime.
Since you're going against what basically every auto manufacturer claims, I'd say the burden of proof is on you to show me these "experts". Until then, all I'm going to say is NO.

[wbarfels]

My ABS light is on because of a broken wheel speed sensor. I will be replacing it, but in the meantime I just pulled the light from the cluster so I didn't have to see it on all the time. And IMHO, I hate ABS. I'd rather stop my car by myself, I find ABS takes longer to stop your car. Here in Ontario, ABS does not have to be functioning in order to pass a safety. And as flyfishvt stated, if your ABS is not operating, it does NOT affect your brakes in anyway other than it will not pump them for you. Your wheels will lock up so be wary of that fact. Other than that, drive on my man, drive on.

While it is true that an "Expert" Driver can stop in a shorter Distance then with ABS,(but were talking less then 10 feet difference) Were talking about Expert, Meaning Race car Drivers and the like...Consumer reports (I think it was them) did a test with 50 normal people, 50 people who consider themselves to be "Experts" and 50 Race car Drivers. well like 3 of the first 100 stopped any faster, and 75% of the "racers" stopped in a longer distance, Because apparently they were not used to the car's...After Multiple attempts the "racer group" Improved somewhat, but only after Skidding out multiple times, and learning the cars Exact thresholds. How often do you slam on the brakes in wet, dry, freshly wet, Dusty, and other conditions so that you know EXACTLY how your car handles in every one of those situations? but with ABS you can push the petal to the floor Immediatley, and not lose control of your vehicle... Food for thought...

I changed my oil and TPS sensor today, and while under the car I checked out just what sensors were on the 2 front wheels....And I found the wheel speed sensors, and unlike in the photos I say in a DIY, only 1 allen bolt was holding the sensor in place, So I took it out, and I cannot Imagine how they were functioning at all given the level of "gunk" built up on them. So I took a metal brush, and a little carb cleaner and cleaned them back to where you could see the "teeth" again Before I cleaned them, you could not make out any features, period, and it looked like a 1/4" easy of brake dust, dirt, grime and oil were on them. So I cleaned both of the front wheel sensors, I will eventually do the rears, but Im going to try my luck at finding a person with an ABS scanner first.

EDIT: we are also talking about controlled conditions....not someone walks in front of you, and your adrenaline is pumping, your not expecting it, and you don't know eaxactly how much dirt, water, or the oily conditions after a "first rain" are in relation to current road conditions.

[baseball]

you can only check ABS codes with a GT-1....


Not true I use this one works great and reads OBD, OBDII, EOBD, CAN, ABS, SRS, and AT as well as some other nice feature:
http://www.auteltech.com/eu02.htm

[jspringator]

Ltd slip diff, ABS and ASC make my 328 shockingly good in the snow.

[das borgen]

Ltd slip diff, ABS and ASC make my 328 shockingly good in the snow.


actually, ASC is terrible...you're better off not using it at all

I've defeated ASC...so much so I noticed that when I break traction, I've already corrected by the time ASC kicks in (I autocross)

[tsam19]

Can anyone tell me where the ABS relays / sensors are on a 1995 BMW E36 325 5 dr Saloon 2.5 TD (M51 Engine 6 Cyl)?

The car has only 95,000 miles on the clock.

I changed the front discs & pads 700 miles ago and this morning the ABS light is visible on the instrument cluster & will not de-illuminate??

The rear discs and pads are ok.

The brakes still work ok when used.

I presume it may be the 'relays' or 'sensors' or what else could it be?

ABS relay, ABS pump, wheel speed sensors, brake pedal travel switch on the brake booster,bad wiring and on models with traction control the ASC pump, ASC relay, ASC actuator

Again where is the location of the above components on the car?

I will get easy dis/sss progman on it later to see if there are any codes.

Is there a PDF version Haynes car manual for this car?


Thanks in advance.;)