Stuck in snow... now malfuntion

[looking]

Originally Posted by Iliveforthis

just tried some research on google, found a couple forum threads for the m5 and 3 series, the people had the same error messages as mine : dbc, start off assistance, brake, etc, they said its something with the steering wheel sensor and has to be replace... damn... how long do you think it will take the dealer to replace this? could they do it in a day?

Don't jump to conclusions on the x-mas tree issue. I think it's ok to drive it around a bit as long as the "red" engine light isn't on. It might go away and it might not but, worth a try. I was told that the cars computer works even when you're not driving it. But, driving it for a bit might help reset the comps readings. Just don't speculate and expect the worst yet.....

[Iliveforthis]

hey guys just wanna thank everyone for the help and input, just went outside because a lot of the snow melted, drove out about 100 feet and everything went away! It must have just got messed up / confused with all the wheelspin I had yesterday, everything is running good and the cars in the garage now..... Sweet!

[lacrosse]

Glad to hear that everything is OK! When the weather clears you should consider meeting Italteen3 and I at Oak Beach on a Sunday morning.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by Iliveforthis

hey guys just wanna thank everyone for the help and input, just went outside because a lot of the snow melted, drove out about 100 feet and everything went away! It must have just got messed up / confused with all the wheelspin I had yesterday, everything is running good and the cars in the garage now..... Sweet!

Maybe all that spinning made the system think it had lost feedback from the front wheel speed sensors? :iono:

Good to know. I'm sure you're not the last person that will have the same issue. :w00t:

[spudw]

Get. Snow. Tires. Period. If you're lacking mechanical grip in snowy conditions it's the only solution.

Hope you get it sorted out.

[Italteen3]

I'm in the Babylon area.

Originally Posted by lacrosse

Glad to hear that everything is OK! When the weather clears you should consider meeting Italteen3 and I at Oak Beach on a Sunday morning.

+1!!!

[lacrosse]

Originally Posted by Italteen3

I'm in the Babylon area.



+1!!!

I live in the Brightwaters area.

[randomquickness]

I had the ABS brake malfunction light shortly after I got my car. The ended up having to replace a magnetic sensor of some kind in one of the hubs.

[Andys120]

Look at my avatar and you'll see that I am no stranger to driving BMWs in the snow.

You should be aware that the lights for traction control and ABS will come on whenever the system detects wheelspin as in rocking a car out of snow. These lights will also come on if a wheel sensor gets dirty or malfunctions in some way. Given that both are staying lit that is almost certainly the case here, nothing to worry about, your warranty should cover any malfunction.

I have had to replace a wheel sensor once yearly on average.


It is also almost certainly burning rubber from spinning tires that caused the smell, nothing to worry about either BUT you should not even think about driving any rwd vehicle in the snow unless you have dedicated snows on all four corners or you will not have reliable traction or braking. I recommend Blizzaks or Hakkapelittas mounted on seprate rims to facilitate easy changeover.

[1quickgsx]

when i put my 1 on the dyno and the rear wheels spun and the front didnt i got error codes and soon and i came off the dyno all when away

[blklacker]

Had same problem I feel your pain buddy.... 1er in heavy snow with runflats = stuck like chuck

[stovesax08]

The burning smell may also have been the brakes as the e-diff uses the brakes to slow down the wheel that is spinning. I also had a burning smell from the back when I was trying to get up a small patch of ice at the end of a driveway.

[LittleVik]

I have gotten stuck in snow before, and if you floor it with all the traction stuff turned on, you will notice that your wheels won't spin, but your rpms will go to redline. This is probably because the computer stops the wheels from spinning but you end up revving up the engine because you are on the gas. I would assume that doing this for 4 hours would not be good for your engine, and you probably got it pretty hot. Plus you probably spun your tires pretty well on the ice.

Best bet is to leave the traction stuff on, and use the back and forth method to slowly build up momentum to get going. Keep an eye on the rpm and back off when you sort of hear and feel that your engine is revving without the wheels really turning. I personally take it nice and slow with almost no gas, just go back and forth till i can take a good run at things and get myself going.

I live in NE and we have had a ton of snow this year, and I've always managed to eventually get going after 10 minutes of back and forth. The key is, once you get going, for the love of god, do not stop, or you are stuck again. That part gets fun, especially with traffic lights... I try to look far ahead and time my speed so I never have to stop, drives people behind me nuts... But it works.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by LittleVik

I have gotten stuck in snow before, and if you floor it with all the traction stuff turned on, you will notice that your wheels won't spin, but your rpms will go to redline. This is probably because the computer stops the wheels from spinning but you end up revving up the engine because you are on the gas. .

If the car is in gear and the RPMs are going up that high, the wheels are spinning. The computer can't stop the wheels from spinning without bringing the RPMs down.