ABS - Stability Control Issue

[automan25]

Vehicle:
2010 (LCR) E92 / N51 / 2wd / 328i / M-Sport

Issue:
A couple of days ago I had this warning pop up on my iDrive screen:
Driving stability! Drive moderately. Brake and drive control systems malfunction! Reduced braking and driving stability. Avoid hard braking.

There were some other warning lights as well; all pointing to something with the ABS and stability control systems. The car runs and drives fine but the cruise control, hill holder, and other related features don't work. I also noticed that sometimes when braking and turning at the same time at low speed the ABS will engage causing a chatter in the brakes.

I plugged in my Foxwell scanner and the only code I get is:
2DEB/not present, DME: Power management, vehicle electrical system


Any ideas how to fix this?

[dworthy]

With any code(s), you should clear them first and see which ones comes back.

As a side note, have a look at the fuses, you could have a weak one for the DME.

[automan25]

UPDATE: From other research online I think the issue may be with the alternator. I measured the voltage at the battery charging terminals under the hood with a (Fluke) multimeter and got 12.4v with the engine off and 13.94v with the engine running and all accessories on. This seemed to be within the normal range. I then discovered that you can get to a 'hidden' menu in the dash to show voltage while driving so I tried that and got 12.1v with the engine off and never more then 13.2v while driving around with the accessories on. Those numbers seem low to me and not sufficient to charge the battery and run all of the accessories. What are your thoughts? Do I need a new alternator?

[dworthy]

I would trust the fluke before the car.

Be sure to check at the battery as well as the jump post under the hood for voltages, they should be pretty close to each other.

What if any codes came back?

Lastly have you had the electrical system recall completed, see attached.

[automan25]

So, I removed the battery and took it in to get tested. It tests out just fine, which I mostly expected since it isn't that old. The only code I get is 2DEB/not present, DME: Power management, vehicle electrical system. I called the BMW dealer about the recall notice and they don't see that the recall applies to my VIN. I asked if it may have been completed previously, but they don't have access to that information apparently. I don't see the sticker in the driver-side door jam that would indicate the recall has been done.

[dworthy]

So you can check here to see if a recall is on your vehicle: https://www.bmwusa.com/safety-and-emission-recalls.html

On older cars, some local dealership don't bother to do the research, so you can look it up to make sure. If it shows that you do fall inside the recall, the website will show it.

Now, what are you using to read the codes? If it's ISTA, then there should be a service plan showing what to check out.

[automan25]

Final Update:

I replaced the voltage regulator based on a recommendation from another forum. This cleared up the 2DEB code but did not fix the ABS / stability control issue. I ended up also replacing the abs sensors at each of the front wheels and that took care of the issue.