Coding Help Needed - brake light warning

nsjames · 12-17-2018, 07:13 PM

I have interest in your springs and my brother makes it to MD semi regularly.
Pax River.

no inspections here.

Raakhuga · 12-18-2018, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLUSMBL

Well, Saturday repair efforts were a bit of a bust, thanks to the parts delivery guy not showing up. So glad I wasted two hours of driving to and from my brother's shop for that. Anyway, got the car up on the lift at least, and discovered that it has Eibach lowering springs (that caused it to fail inspection, as the headlights sit too low; 24" minimum in MD). Brother just picked up replacement struts and rear springs at a nearby junkyard that look pretty solid. Eibachs for sale soon...

Also tried removing and reattaching the existing brake pad sensors, and clearing the codes. Didn't work. Had new sensors on order, but again they did not show up. Grr. The Snap On Solus scanner did pick up a sensor error; clearing it didn't do anything; error/warning came right back.

Will post back once the sensors come in and I get a chance to get back to the shop.

In the car menu if you reset the brake mileage, i got an error saying that i had to replace my brakes immediately and instead of displaying certain mileage Numbers iT just displayed ———- , that's also why i figured iT had to be the brake's sensors , but if you do this you Will get an annoying maintenance warning from your idrive system so i don't recommend doing iT

BLUSMBL · 01-04-2019, 10:20 PM

Update: replaced the sensors and reset the CCID. No dice. Red BRAKE light still on. Wondering what all that might indicate? Could it be something other than the sensors, like brake fluid maybe? I clear the codes, too, using the Snap On SOLUS tool, and they come right back.

Codes read by SOLUS:

5F12 & 5F13 (brake pad wear); the sensors are brand new and the pads have plenty of life left. Again, reset the warning in the dash, and deleted the code via the SOLUS, but they come right back

Also: 5F49 - instrument cluster. Search says this could be a whole host of issues; steering angle sensor, voltage regulator, who knows
9520 - steering column switching centre internal fault. Search reveals same thing... lots of possibilities. Joy.

Installed a new battery yesterday, FWIW.

Also had some fun with the springs and shocks... but that's another story. Eibachs are out and will be posted for sale soon. Stock springs in their place, and added Bilstein B6s. Tasty.

If anyone feels like wrenching with me on a lift tomorrow, I'll be at my brother's shop in Gaithersburg. Likely pulling my hair out.

nsjames · 01-05-2019, 08:23 AM

my rear pad wear would not reset after it's sensor was damaged.
install new sensor, still get pad warning.

a post here sad to short the two wires going to the pad sensor and then reset it.
that worked for me.
Then I plugged in the new sensor and the light stayed off.

PhaseP · 01-05-2019, 10:28 AM

A new brake sensor is actually has short circuit. If manual short circuiting is working to reset, but having the sensor in there is not, then either the sensor is faulty or it is not getting connection to the rest of the circuit right. One can measure the resistance between the leads of the sensor with a DMM. It will be very low, equal to resistance of the lead wires sensor has plus resistance of lead wires of the DMM and how low the DMV you are using can read.

BLUSMBL · 01-05-2019, 11:07 AM

Got the light to go away... temporarily. Using the SOLUS, which can do a lot of the programming, maybe, that has been discussed, it was able to try to reset the service interval. But the reset would fail. At least the light stayed off for a moment; that was different lol. Drove it about 5 miles and the BRAKE light returned. Have not tried the short circuit method yet. Will try that next. After that, dunno.

PhaseP · 01-05-2019, 12:03 PM

This is not very complicated actually and easy to troubleshoot if you have a digital multimeter..

If you are getting the light back on after a reset (however you did it), it means the ECU is seeing either front or rear brake sensor as "open circuit". Brake sensor on these cars have three possible states:

Short circuit : New sensor
470 Ohms : First stage tripped (around brake pad mid life)
Open Circuit: Brake pad and so the sensor wear down to minimum thickness for warning to replace.

If your sensors are both new, i.e. showing short circuit and you are getting the brake light, it means there is something wrong in the connector or the wires connecting the sensor to the ECU making the sensor or sensors open circuit to the ECU.

From the car dash, using the display you can only reset brake service if you have New sensors, i.e. if the computer is seeing short-circuit on the brake sensors.

If you have a sensor that has reached first stage, it will show 470 ohms to the ECU. ECU will not reset, will give error with such sensor.

If you have sensor that is open circuit, whatever you do, ECU sees worn pad to minimum thickness and will keep displaying brake light.

BLUSMBL · 01-05-2019, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhaseP

This is not very complicated actually and easy to troubleshoot if you have a digital multimeter..

If you are getting the light back on after a reset (however you did it), it means the ECU is seeing either front or rear brake sensor as "open circuit". Brake sensor on these cars have three possible states:

Short circuit : New sensor
470 Ohms : First stage tripped (around brake pad mid life)
Open Circuit: Brake pad and so the sensor wear down to minimum thickness for warning to replace.

If your sensors are both new, i.e. showing short circuit and you are getting the brake light, it means there is something wrong in the connector or the wires connecting the sensor to the ECU making the sensor or sensors open circuit to the ECU.

From the car dash, using the display you can only reset brake service if you have New sensors, i.e. if the computer is seeing short-circuit on the brake sensors.

If you have a sensor that has reached first stage, it will show 470 ohms to the ECU. ECU will not reset, will give error with such sensor.

If you have sensor that is open circuit, whatever you do, ECU sees worn pad to minimum thickness and will keep displaying brake light.

Thanks; I'll test this out tomorrow.

BLUSMBL · 01-08-2019, 04:02 PM

So, after all that... I need coding help. Again, the cluster to the car is not original and shows the tamper dot by the mileage. Per a local indie I very much trust, but who doesn't have the capability to do this, the VIN has to be overriden to code the cluster to the car. Per the stealership, I have to get a new cluster; same deal, can't override the VIN. I'd like to avoid that. So, if anyone knows if this is possible, please let me know.

12-17-2018, 07:13 PM	#23
nsjames Brigadier General 2440 Rep 4,330 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Touring Join Date: May 2017 Location: ohio iTrader: (0)	I have interest in your springs and my brother makes it to MD semi regularly. Pax River. no inspections here.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-04-2019, 10:20 PM	#25
BLUSMBL Enlisted Member 12 Rep 37 Posts Drives: 2007 E91 Xdrive Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Cockeysville iTrader: (0)	Update: replaced the sensors and reset the CCID. No dice. Red BRAKE light still on. Wondering what all that might indicate? Could it be something other than the sensors, like brake fluid maybe? I clear the codes, too, using the Snap On SOLUS tool, and they come right back. Codes read by SOLUS: 5F12 & 5F13 (brake pad wear); the sensors are brand new and the pads have plenty of life left. Again, reset the warning in the dash, and deleted the code via the SOLUS, but they come right back Also: 5F49 - instrument cluster. Search says this could be a whole host of issues; steering angle sensor, voltage regulator, who knows 9520 - steering column switching centre internal fault. Search reveals same thing... lots of possibilities. Joy. Installed a new battery yesterday, FWIW. Also had some fun with the springs and shocks... but that's another story. Eibachs are out and will be posted for sale soon. Stock springs in their place, and added Bilstein B6s. Tasty. If anyone feels like wrenching with me on a lift tomorrow, I'll be at my brother's shop in Gaithersburg. Likely pulling my hair out. Last edited by BLUSMBL; 01-04-2019 at 11:00 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-05-2019, 08:23 AM	#26
nsjames Brigadier General 2440 Rep 4,330 Posts Drives: 08 328xi Touring Join Date: May 2017 Location: ohio iTrader: (0)	my rear pad wear would not reset after it's sensor was damaged. install new sensor, still get pad warning. a post here sad to short the two wires going to the pad sensor and then reset it. that worked for me. Then I plugged in the new sensor and the light stayed off.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-05-2019, 10:28 AM	#27
PhaseP Colonel 1007 Rep 2,108 Posts Drives: 325XI Join Date: May 2010 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	A new brake sensor is actually has short circuit. If manual short circuiting is working to reset, but having the sensor in there is not, then either the sensor is faulty or it is not getting connection to the rest of the circuit right. One can measure the resistance between the leads of the sensor with a DMM. It will be very low, equal to resistance of the lead wires sensor has plus resistance of lead wires of the DMM and how low the DMV you are using can read.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-05-2019, 11:07 AM	#28
BLUSMBL Enlisted Member 12 Rep 37 Posts Drives: 2007 E91 Xdrive Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Cockeysville iTrader: (0)	Got the light to go away... temporarily. Using the SOLUS, which can do a lot of the programming, maybe, that has been discussed, it was able to try to reset the service interval. But the reset would fail. At least the light stayed off for a moment; that was different lol. Drove it about 5 miles and the BRAKE light returned. Have not tried the short circuit method yet. Will try that next. After that, dunno.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-05-2019, 12:03 PM	#29
PhaseP Colonel 1007 Rep 2,108 Posts Drives: 325XI Join Date: May 2010 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	This is not very complicated actually and easy to troubleshoot if you have a digital multimeter.. If you are getting the light back on after a reset (however you did it), it means the ECU is seeing either front or rear brake sensor as "open circuit". Brake sensor on these cars have three possible states: Short circuit : New sensor 470 Ohms : First stage tripped (around brake pad mid life) Open Circuit: Brake pad and so the sensor wear down to minimum thickness for warning to replace. If your sensors are both new, i.e. showing short circuit and you are getting the brake light, it means there is something wrong in the connector or the wires connecting the sensor to the ECU making the sensor or sensors open circuit to the ECU. From the car dash, using the display you can only reset brake service if you have New sensors, i.e. if the computer is seeing short-circuit on the brake sensors. If you have a sensor that has reached first stage, it will show 470 ohms to the ECU. ECU will not reset, will give error with such sensor. If you have sensor that is open circuit, whatever you do, ECU sees worn pad to minimum thickness and will keep displaying brake light.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-08-2019, 04:02 PM	#31
BLUSMBL Enlisted Member 12 Rep 37 Posts Drives: 2007 E91 Xdrive Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Cockeysville iTrader: (0)	So, after all that... I need coding help. Again, the cluster to the car is not original and shows the tamper dot by the mileage. Per a local indie I very much trust, but who doesn't have the capability to do this, the VIN has to be overriden to code the cluster to the car. Per the stealership, I have to get a new cluster; same deal, can't override the VIN. I'd like to avoid that. So, if anyone knows if this is possible, please let me know.
	Appreciate 0 Quote