I am assuming I have a speed sensor problem. ABS, DSC, and Tire monitor lights are stuck on. Are the speed sensors the black wires that attach to the hub assembley? Do I just buy one and then switch out to see which one is defective?

Thanks for your help!

 

I'm not very knowledgeable but it sounds similar to this problem

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...sensor+problem

I'm not sure if older MINI's have the same steering sensor or if you're already on the right track looking at the ABS speed sensors...

 

Come on people! I know somebody has done this fix themselves!!

 

haji3, Did you try the reset switch behind ebrake, presuming you have a 1st gen MINI? I've got an R56 and have same problem (but with ASC light, because I don't have DSC). I'm finally bringing it in to dealer tomorrow. Will let you know if it ended up being the problem. I'm hoping a MINI tech's code reader can actually tell them which sensor is complaining.

 

I didn't fix it myself but my DSC, Trac, and ABS came on, took it in and it was in fact the wheel speed sensor. had them replace it, 150 for the sensor and labor. But i had someone tell me on here that it could be the wheel angle sensor as well.

 

I had the same symptoms. MINI calls it a "PULSE GENERATOR"
Right Front and Left Front use the same part #.
Yep, it's the sensor fastened to the knuckle.
Part #'s found here:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/

Hope This Helps,
Jim

 

My ABS and "Flat Tire" light was on untill I replaced my driver side ABS Sensor. All systems are go now.

 

Have you found a fix yet? I have the same lights on my '03 MCS. Can't point to a particular even/cause because they were on when I purchased the car a couple weeks ago.

 

i am just going to order a front and rear sensor and replace them till i find the bad one

Still cheaper than driving an hour to the dealer and spending the 116 for them just to look at it.

 

IF YOU HAVE YOUR ABS, DSC AND FLAT TIRE WARNING LIGHT ON...THE PROBLEM IS THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR.

You simply have to remove the wheel, remove the speed sensor from the hub carrier and CLEAN it. No need to replace any parts and definitely no need to go to the stealership or a shop. It's very easy to do. Anyone wanting help on doing this, email me at dsbutle1@samford.edu

 

What type of cleaning needs to be done? This just happened to me this morning. I'm gonna check it out after work.

 

After driving today, I reluctantly have to say that this did not fix the problem. The fix lasted for a while but alas here come the three warning lights again. I am still just as certain that it was the wheel speed sensor. I'm going to buy one from classic mini of mentor, ohio. They have always been really helpful and they offer a discount to NAM members upon request. I called about the sensor and I think I remember the price being around $50 for the sensor. It's very likely that you'll only need 1 of them. I was able to figure out which sensor it was by taking it to a local imports specialist who has a computer that will read the OBC on the mini to find out where the error is in the system. If you don't have a automotive technician in your town with one of these, you may have to do it by trial and error. Best of luck to you as I walk away from my previous post with my tail between my legs.

 

is this MINI specific? I hooked up an generic OBD2 reader, but the car hasn't thrown any codes even though I have the ABS/DSC/TPMS trifecta.

 

My wife's Cabrio S pulled up in the driveway just now with this syndrome. I used my code reader, nothing came up! That's why I'm doing this search ! I'll keep searching, and if I find something, I'll write back.

 

Lots of posts to search, so I decided to retire after reading about 10 of them and all their pages. Popular answer is "wheel speed sensor". Some people clean them on the car,others pull wheels. Some people have success cleaning them, others, well, maybe they didn't clean up as well so their problem didn't go away or came back. Other folks had bad "cam sensors". There are alot of strange solutions(also $$$) to eliminate this problem, but once again, the most popular was "wheel speed sensor".

 

I cleaned mine (wheel speed sensors) and it lasted a few weeks till the lights came back on again. I replaced both front about a week ago and it's good so far.

 

My wife had the "light trifecta" a few weeks ago as well. Took it to the dealer, and they had diagnostic equipment that identified the specific wheel-speed sensor that was bad, so I don't think a generic OBD reader will necessarily throw a code.

 

If you don't mind me asking, Can you tell me roughly what the dealer charged you? I just want to know if it was cost effective for me to change both out or to just have brought it to the dealer and had them change the defective one, if it was only one.

 

Sorry - it was a warranty repair, and the paperwork doesn't give the parts/labor breakdown.

 

This may be a silly question but how difficult is it to remove the wheel if I know it is the front sensor that is the problem? I got the dealer to confirm this but they wanted 400 bucks to fix... no thanks. Id prefer to try myself.

 

Wheel lug bolts are 17mm- "break em loose" with car on the ground, jack up and support car (jackstand!). Remove bolts and wheel (sometimes the aluminum 'rusts' to the cast iron of the brake disc hub, and usually a swift kick to the tire will pop this loose (see Jackstand!). If memory serves, the speed sensor is held in the top of the steering knuckle/bearing housing with a 6mm allen bolt. Remove the bolt, withdraw the sensor, remove the wire from the clips securing it to the strut and body. disconnect the connector. Installation is the reverse of removal. Did I forget anything?

 

got myself into a jam here
I have a new sensor to replace the old one
the old one is stuck inside the bearing housing. i tried putting kroil on it to loosen it up. unfortunately when trying to pull using vise grips I yanked the top half clean off. How can this be stuck so firmly? Any ideas how to get the bugger out? Thanks in advance

 

Unfortunate. Here's what you'll probably have to do: remove the axle (remove center cap from your wheel. Put wheel back on car. Put car back on the ground. Chock the wheel. Put big ol' socket (sorry, don't remember size) and long breaker bar on the axle nut and remove. Then put car back up and remove wheel. JACKSTANDS! Remove the two bolts that hold the ball joint to the bottom of the hub (13mm I think). Separate the control arm from the hub, pull the hub free of the axle. You then should see the end of the sensor sticking down into the void where the joint goes into the hub. Hammer it up (or down, with a punch) and out! Then reverse procedure to reassemble. Not as hard as it sounds!

 

thanks densmini, ill try that tonight when I get home
I HATE DRIVING MY DADS TRUCK hahaha parking is like docking a cruise ship in that thing

 

A generic code reader will not tell you which wheel has the bad sensor, unless it reads ABS codes as well. Kinda hard to determine without the computer, trial and error.

If the sensor will not come out, use a slide hammer (like a body shop uses) or it is easy to make a removal tool.

Homemade version:
Drive screw into the top of the sensor with a few links of chain attached, this WILL destroy the sensor FYI!!
Get a piece of threaded rod, connect the chain to one end of the rod using a nut and washer. One the other end of the rod, find something heavy with a hole in it. I've improvised with a couple of large sockets with smaller sockets inside or I've used a lead weight from my karting days. Thread the weight onto the rod, thread another large washer and nut for the "hammer" to "hammer on".

Make sure everything is snug then use the tool as a slide hammer, the sensor will eventually break loose, shaving your knuckles on the lower spring perch. Much easier than pulling the axle, probably take more time assembling the tool than using it.

Here is a cheap-o version of one at Northern Tool: