I have an R53 with 150k miles, that I just rebuilt the top end on. We have owned this one since about 90k miles, we don't know the history before that, except that it came with Dinan badges.

It is currently throwing both the ABS light and the check brake pads light, and it is throwing errors for the steering angle sensor. I have the foxwell 510 elite and the errors do come back when I clear them.

I will start a separate discussion about the steering angle sensor problem. It is odd. I got a very cheap used pull that the seller claimed tested good, and the foxwell makes it look like it reads fine, but that didn't clear the DSC faults. They are odd, it keeps going back to "Sensor/vehicle incorrect or unviable... so that should be a different thread unless somebody knows that could be related to the airbag light.

So far, I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the blue and yellow connectors under both seats, hitting them with contact cleaner, and reconnecting them. I don't think they are the problem anyway, as when I disconnect the drivers side yellow connector, it throws a new code, and when I reconnect it it goes away.

The codes I am getting from the Foxwell are
01 - MRS: Airbag, Driver, stage 1
15 - MRS : Airbag, driver, stage 2

Both return when I clear them. I also disconnected the big connector at the base of the steering wheel with the heavy gauge wires and hit that with contact cleaner. Those connects did seem surprisingly non shiny, I expected chrome and they looked more like old galvanized. Cleaning them with the cleaner did not make the code change, but it wasn't a very aggressive clean.

I also disconnected and cleaned the smaller yellow plug connector right under the steering wheel and cleared the errors again. The errors returned immediately

So, any diagnostic tips short of removing the airbag from the steering wheel and going all the way down to the slip ring connections for it?

I have an oscilloscope and know how to use it, and the foxwell will monitor live data, so if there is anything I can look for there before I take everything apart, tips would be welcome.

I appreciate that this is a fussy little problem, and is my problem, so I will post whatever I figure out, and this is the play car so I don't mind a puzzle to peck away at. But I would appreciate any wisdom or experience anyone can share on the topic.

Thank you!

 

Did you disconnect the battery before disconnecting the airbag wire/plug under the seat first?
This would cause the airbag fault. You should be able to clear the code/extinguish the light with your Foxwell 510.

It may not be the answer. I can only share from my personal experience....
I have a pre-facelift '04 R53 and had a seemingly perplexing similar steering angle sensor fault:
5E40-"Steering Angle implausible" and a
5E19- "CAN data fault from DME/DDE (DSC/ABS trifecta) that plagued me for several weeks.
I could not clear these codes effectively (kept coming back) using my OBDII.

I never messed with or replaced the steering angle sensor. I can offer no input with respect to that.

It may have been a fluke but- In my case; I was able to finally resolve the "steering angle implausible" fault by replacing my front top bearing mounts and re-adjusting my front toe-in.
I made sure that the line on the steering wheel was locked in the 12 oclock position in line with 4k rpms on the tach.
I also replaced both L front and R rear wheel speed sensors for good measure.
Cleared the codes. It took a few miles but the fault codes never came back and the lights on the clock extinguished themselves.

This may not solve your issues though.

FWIW: I'm not a mechanic but have been successfully maintaining this car myself for the last 12years.
I feel your pain.

 

What is a "very cheap used pull?"

 

Ok, updates and progress, but not a full resolution yet.

When replacing the steering angle sensor, I of had to disconnect the steering wheel from the steering rack. I knew the steering angle sensor was a slip ring design, but I didn't realize that the rest of the connections were a "clock spring" setup, and spun the wheel too far, and ripped the internal connections.

So that is replaced, horn and airbags are back, and that is good.

But I am still getting steering angle sensor errors. I tried repairing the one in there, and I got a "good used pull" really cheap from Ebay, and then got a non oem replacement from Rock Auto. The Rock Auto replacement is in there now (forget which brand).

When I try and do a steering angle reset operation with my Foxwell NT 510 Elite, everything appears to work correctly, but when I start driving and crack 20 mph (the point where the computer tries to relearn), it rejects the calibration. Before that happens, I can use the Foxwell scanner to monitor the steering angle, and it is odly at 100 when the wheel is exactly where I calibrated it. Not 0 like I would have expected.

So, as I chase this down, can somebody confirm that a calibrated straight forward steering angle sensor reading should be 0, or should it be 100?

Anyone else seen this? Any tips? I am trying to figure out if it is a scanner problem, a sensor problem, a Stability Control computer problem, or another operator error on my part.

I will put in the "good used pull" (which may not be) and see if it also calibrates to 100 vs 0.

Thank you in advance!

 

Ok, swapped out the new (Uro) sensor for the "good pull". Both seem to be working the same, and the number being read just seems to be kinda arbitrary based on where the sensor was rotated before fitting (there is no right value, it is what it is, and the car calibrates to whatever it is). Still getting the same behavior, and I noted that I get a "Steering Angle Implausible" form the stability control system before I get the "not registered" message.

I just logged the wheel speed sensor values for a short straight line drive, I will look at those and see if there is transient noise that could be blowing up the calibration algorithims.

Fussy little system, though I have always been impressed by how well it works when it is working.

 

I just realized this was an ABS sensor light thread... which was resolved when I replaced the clock spring sensor on the steering wheel that I broke.

I'll find a better thread for this steering angle sensor discussion, my apologies.

For this thread, when you disconnect the steering wheel, lock it in place first by taking out the key, and don't spin it disconnected from the car! Doh!

 

The Foxwell NT 510 Elite did not turn off or re-set the SAS ,so I finally brought it down to a Mini Shop ,not dealership to get rid of the lights .

 

Thank you for that critical data point! That is now my conclusion as well, though I am trying to hack it and put the sensor in with its position mechanically set to be zero with the wheel centered, and see if that works. The Foxwell 510 elite seems to "half work", and can clear the codes and do... something... but it doesn't zero the reading. So I am going to see if making it so even though it doesn't set it to zero, having it be at zero anyway, will do it.

If not, off to find a mini shop who paid the right tribute to the king BMW to be permitted to fix broken cars. >:( And then off to lobby for more right to repair laws.

 

OK, double posting this, because the discussion ended up being more productive in the other thread, but this is actually a better place for it.

Ok, I think I finally cracked it! Three drives now, and the light is staying out, and the DSC is doing its thing correctly when appropriate.

Here is what finally worked.

1. Get the K+DCAN adapter referenced by ssoliman above. I got that installed and working with INPA first, not sure if that code was needed, or if the stuff below here would work from scratch with that cable (I suspect that is the case)
2. Get a copy of ISTAP (aka ISTA/P, ISTA-P, and I think Rheingold). I got mine from a half sketchy online performance parts company for $40, I am sure I could have gotten it free somewhere as well, but this kept me from having to put sketchy file sharing software on my machine and chasing down a bunch of bogus packages. I didn't find any malware in it, but who knows, so I put it on an old burner machine I have and that doesn't have other sensitive data on it.
3. Install it according to the instructions that came with ISTA-P. A little fussy, but not too bad.
4. Hook your car up to a stable voltage source (maybe doing all this with the engine running would be fine as well). I used an old big "dumb" 15 amp charger I have, which holds a perfect 14.5 volts. I think the car has to be between 14 and 15 volts for any of this to work.
5. Connect cable with the car and the laptop
6. Car ignition in position 2
7. Double click the ISTA-P loader shortcut
8. Select K+DCAN USB
9. Select Mini
10. ISTA-P will then eventually load
11. Click "Create New Session"
12. Click "Select ISTA/ Server Automatically"
13. Click continue
14. Click "K+DCAN Next" to highlight it
15. Click "Connect"
16. Wait for the progress bar to stop scrolling (you will do this several times, I don't think it is actually necessary, but it seems prudent to be patient with this)
17. You should see you VIN show up while scanning, which means you are talking to the car
18. Click "No" for "were control modules replaced?" (Not sure what this is for or when you would do it, but I could do the steering angle sensor here after clicking "no")
19. Click "Yes" for "Prevent transmission of process log to BMW..." (no idea what would happen if you did this, the ISTAP software I bought looks like some open source stuff, but maybe some bootleg BMW stuff as well, not sure,but if BMW is going to force stupid and unnecessary things like coding a steering angle sensor to a vehicle VIN just to work, then I feel I have to right to do what is necessary to overcome that predatory lockdown).
20. Click the confirmation box for "Before starting vehicle programming, ensure..."
21. Click Continue
22. (Another long wait)
23. You will see your car's modules begin to populate. And start hearing voices. (The radio turns itself on )
24. Note the car voltage displayed at the top. Again, I think it needs to be stable and between 14 and 15 for the coding and calibration to work.
25. Wait for the progress bar to stop spinning again
26. Click "Control Module Tree"
27. Click on the LWS module
28. Click the "code" option
29. Click Close
30. Click "Determine Measures Plan
31. Review the plan
32. Click "Accept Measures Plan"
33. Watch it executing...
34. When told, turn off ignition for 30 seconds, and turn back on
35. Click "Termination"
36. Wait again
37. Review the report when displayed
38. I got a warning on clear fault code, success on everything else, including "Success on Read and Write CKM settings", and "Vehicle Order Alignment Successfull"
39. The Steering Angle Sensor should now be coded to the vehicle.
40. Click on "continue session"
41. Click the "Vehicle" tab
42. Click the "Programming Follow Up Routine" option
43. Click "Adjustment, Steering Angle Sensor"
44. Click "Determine Measures Plan"
45. Make sure wheels are pointed straight ahead (just close enough, you don't need to break out strings and tape measures)
46. Click "Accept Measures Plan"
47. Wait while it executes
48. Turn off ignition for 30 seconds when told, and turn back on to position 2
49. Click Termination
50. Review final report, which included "Steering Angle Sensor- Successfull"
51. Click "End Session"
52. Done!

I just redid all of this from scratch to get more coherent notes, and haven't driven it again yet, so hopefully I didn't undo what I had successfully done the first time. I expect it is fine.

INPA and other things perhaps would have worked fine as well, if I had known to get a stable 14.5 volts source on it, I am not sure, and now that I found a path that works I am kind of over doing more research for it. I don't think the Foxwell NT510 or Creator scanners would ever work... I am not sure they can do the coding, just the calibration, so if you replace the sensor you are stuck. I contacted Foxwell support and let them know, and they were surprisingly responsive and tried hard to help, but they didn't solve the problem.

The steering angle sensor I am using is a URO branded one I ordered from Rock Auto (ÜRO PARTS 32306793632 Steering Wheel Position Sensor $ 109.79)

Hope that helps somebody! Those that just took it to a dealer weren't crazy, this ended up being "cheap", but it took a LOT of hours to sort out.

 

Took another test drive after the redo from scratch above, and it still appears persistently fixed! Woo hoo!

Now to roll down the LONG grocery list of other minor stuff...