I've search the threads on this for days now and there seem to be multiple cures for this issue but nothing definite ... cleaning or replacing wheel speed sensors...resetting or replacing steering angle sensor...replacing abs control...replacing dsc pump...checking for frayed wires or loose connections throughout system(including under the e-brake) ... ignoring the lights altogether ...anyway i'm asking for your solution to this problem if you had it and fixed it and what seemed to trigger the lights to come on as mine seem to come on when I either hit rough pavement, or when i'm turning onto a gravel road ...I have cleaned the wheel sensors and connections and am currently checking for loose connections or frayed wires in the rest of the system. P.S. does anyone know if there is a reset procedure for recentering the steering angle sensor? thx

 

I tried cleaning the front wheel speed sensors and it worked for a short period of time ~3 weeks, then it came back on. I replaced the wheel speed sensors almost a month ago and all is good, so far.

 

Thanks, were there any common factors like rain,rough roads ,etc. that preceded the lights coming on...assuming that they went off when you restarted the car?

 

Nope. They came on randomly a couple times before I decided to clean them. When I did clean them it only lasted a few weeks before they came on again.

 

Seems that the common thread here is vibration. Have you check the ground lugs for the various systems? This reeks of a loose connection or corroded contact. If the sensor changes aren't doing it, then it may be upstream of them in the harnesses. Sad thing is, these are the hardest parts to check.

How hard was swapping the steering position sensor?

Matt

 

I just road tested the car after cleaning the contacts at the abs box... no luck, went off then came back. might be sensors but I hate to throw parts at it without checking everything else first. I'd like to know more about the steering sensor,someone posted that a tire alignment solved his problem and another guy had his sensor reset after it was reading 180 degrees off. Other posts had dealers backordered on the sensor because of problems with it...don't know if this applies to 05's or not.

 

sent a private message to the guy that had his sensor reset to see if I can do it myself...no reply yet, going back outside now to check grounds and such.

 

It should be able to tell you if the steering position sensor is having fits, or it's in the ABS/DSC system. The internal diagnostic systems are pretty impressive. But you'd have to 1) go to a dealer, 2) go to a shop with high end diagnostics and 3) go to someone with one of the few copies of BIM-COM Beta....

Where do you live?

Matt

 

I can say with some confidence that it will be a duff wheel speed sensor. MINI calls it a "Pulse Generator". Part # 31 52 6 762 864
Same number for all for wheels.

Jim

(Hi Dr.O!)

 

I know of a couple folks locally who had this very same problem on '04-'06 MINIs. In all three cases the problem was determined by the dealer to be faulty wheel speed sensors. Replacement of the sensor(s) corrected the problem.

 

First Dr.O, No I haven't scanned it yet, warranty has recently run out and I like to fix my own vehicles if I can. I just did a crash course on the bim-com you mentioned,I'll check w/the local mini guys(i'm in louisiana) and see if it's available. I also need to get a repair manual which do you recommend? Next with regards to the pulse generators being at fault I guess I'll go ahead and order 4 wheel sensors tonight if I nothing else works today...any suggestions on suppliers?

 

I thought you HAD replaced the wheel speed sensors and steering sensor! My bad for not reading closely. These are the classic symptoms of the wheel speed sensor (hall effect sensor is really what it is). Classic Auto Campus has a 20% NAM discount (Check the vendor listings, but phone, don't use e-mail) and there are lots of discount BMW parts suppliers that have good pricing as well.

Matt

PS I use the Bentely manual, but it's not perfect. nothing is!

 

Thanks, i'm going to order them now I'll look for the manual from the same supplier, I use haynes manuals for all my vehicles but I had seen the bentley manual mentioned before but forgot the name as i'm not familiar with it.

 

ordered the sensors from the vendor you suggested ,they didn't have the bentley manual but I saw on the bentley site that it costs 120.00 I'll stick with haynes manuals.

 

oh yeah,JIMZ when i ordered the sensors I was told that there was one number different between front and rear sensor part #s... didn't get the number though, I did a phone order.

 

you'll find it for $60 or so...

Matt

 

I fixed this issue on mine a few months back. It was the LF wheel sensor. I found out that the ABS system on our cars will disable ABS on the axle that corresponds with the faulty wheel.

Fortunately for me, there was plenty of ice on the roads at the time - and I had my gf drive the car around an icy parking lot and mash the brake pedal, while I stood by and observed. I noticed the front wheels would lock up, while the rear wheels still had ABS function. That narrowed down the problem to the front wheels.

In my case, the lights would reset after shutting off the engine and restarting. They would come back on (usually) when the car started moving, or if I hit a bump. I had the car running in the driveway (lights off), and I started jiggling wires. Whenever I would touch the LF sensor, the lights would come on. I checked for corrosion in the connector, and everything was just fine. I decided to order the sensor. Surely enough, once I replaced it, I no longer had the issue.

 

Sounds like mine, i can reset the lights by turning it off but rough roads seem to set it off. Probably got a loose connection at the connection to the sensor. I ordered all the sensors today ,i'll change 'em out and see what happens.BTW not much ice here in the swamp... maybe i can take it out and slide it around in the mud.

 

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I'll also second (or fifth) the replacement of the wheel speed sensor as fixing the problem. I too cleaned mine...lasted for a week or so but now that I've replaced the defective one (found out which one was defective at a shop with a high-end diagnostic computer), problem solved!

 

Are you sure you don't mean 2 brake pad wear sensors?

I know that my '04 has (ABS) sensors (MINI calls them pulse generators) for all 4 wheels, but only two sensors for the brake pads.

 

Yes you are right Darren, there are 4 speed sensors and 2 brake pad sensors.I did order 4 of them ,they are not here yet.I can verify four sensors because when I said I cleaned the sensors I meant that I cleaned them myself.

 

Hey I just put 17" s-lites on my car that came with 16" would that through off the speed sensor? its an 03 MC. the speedo is about 5-7mph slow

 

it's tire diameter. So it depends on what rubber are on those wheels! FWIW, many a Mini speedo reads a bit low.

Matt

 

put your hand under the abs mod. and check for frayed wires on the harness that runs under the support bracket. the speed sensor wire is in that harness.