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My ABS, ASC+T, brake warning light & automatic transmission lights came on together!

27K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  Clrios 
#1 ·
My ABS, ASC+T, brake warning light & automatic transmission lights came on together!

Was driving around town when the ABS, ASC+T, brake warning light and automatic transmission warning light all came on at once. In my mild panic I found a place to park, immediately switched off the engine and consulted the handbook. Quoting the handbook ' if the brake warning light comes together with the ABS and ASC+T warning lights, the complete ABS,CBC and ASC+T regulating system has failed. Drive carefully and study the traffic situation well ahead'.

For the automatic tranny 'if the telltale light comes, a fault has caused the automatic transmission to switch into emergency run program'. In another desciption 'if telltale light comes on, this indicates a transmission system malfunction. All levers positions can still be selected but in the forward positions only certain gears are actually available when the car is drive'.

Has anyone experienced this problem where the tranny warning light and car stability lights came on together? What will cause the complete regulating system of the car's stability functions to fail? Is it still safe to drive the car for a few more hours (recently had a flat tyre and currently using a 5 year old spare which I really need to replace and get the car aligned). There is a whirring sould coming from the engine compartment in the last few months which the mechanic says could be coming from the pump?? and also whenever I move the lever from R to D, it sticks in N first and I have to to depress/repress the lever to get to D.

Quite a lengthy description I know but this is the first time it happened in 5 years. Any advice is greatly welcomed!!
 
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#2 ·
Bump time!

DSC, ABS & BRAKE lights all came on while my car was in park. Hit the button to roll up the window and the radio cut out. I wasn't all that concerned because my car is retarded and has been known to do strange things like that before, so I drove it out of the parking lot I had been in. When the car should have shifted, there was a loud thud and the transmission light came on. It would rev slowly and wouldn't shift in D, SD or M so I pulled into the next parking lot and broke out the manual to verify that the unfamiliar light was for the tranny.

The manual confirmed it, and said to pull the ebrake and turn the car off, wait a minute, turn it back on. Did as directed, but car wouldn't start. Nothing but flashing lights and beeping. I had it towed to the dealer, and they say they spent all day yesterday trying to diagnose it (yeah right) and haven't come up with an answer. Just wondering if anyone has had this problem before or has any ideas about what might be the problem, so I have something to think about while they're closed over the weekend.
 
#6 ·
Was driving around town when the ABS, ASC+T, brake warning light and automatic transmission warning light all came on at once. In my mild panic I found a place to park, immediately switched off the engine and consulted the handbook. Quoting the handbook ' if the brake warning light comes together with the ABS and ASC+T warning lights, the complete ABS,CBC and ASC+T regulating system has failed. Drive carefully and study the traffic situation well ahead'.

For the automatic tranny 'if the telltale light comes, a fault has caused the automatic transmission to switch into emergency run program'. In another desciption 'if telltale light comes on, this indicates a transmission system malfunction. All levers positions can still be selected but in the forward positions only certain gears are actually available when the car is drive'.

Has anyone experienced this problem where the tranny warning light and car stability lights came on together? What will cause the complete regulating system of the car's stability functions to fail? Is it still safe to drive the car for a few more hours (recently had a flat tyre and currently using a 5 year old spare which I really need to replace and get the car aligned). There is a whirring sould coming from the engine compartment in the last few months which the mechanic says could be coming from the pump?? and also whenever I move the lever from R to D, it sticks in N first and I have to to depress/repress the lever to get to D.

Quite a lengthy description I know but this is the first time it happened in 5 years. Any advice is greatly welcomed!!
Exact same thing just happend to me today. However when I turned my car back on the battery light went on :dunno: I think I'll take her to the stealership tomorrow
 
#9 ·
Yeah I'll update everyone later once they find out whats wrong with her :tsk:
 
#10 ·
$1200 to fix :tsk: Should get the car with a full report tomorrow
 
#11 ·
:censor: :ben: Piece of **** died on me again :banghead:

They said the alternator broke last week and they fixed it. Well this morning I try to start her up and the damn thing wouldnt start. :(
 
#12 ·
This happened to me for the second time this morning. I turned onto a road with about 6 inches of snow and after completely losing traction with the DTC going nuts, every warning light on the dash tripped. I put the car in neutral then shifted back into 2nd gear (5sp) and all of the lights went out except for the DTC and yellow brake light. I tried shutting the car off at a traffic light to see if they would reset and almost didn't get the car started. The two lights stayed on the entire drive to work. After getting to the parking lot, I shut if off again, waited a few mins., and it started up fine with all lights off.

The last time this happened was this past summer after I hit about 3 inches of standing water in a flooded area of the highway. It makes me think it has something to do with the traction control and severe conditions combined with RPM drop while in a higher gear (3rd). I've had no issues with complete traction loss in light snow provided I keep steady throttle engagement and the right gear.
 
#14 ·
Sounds like we have unrelated issues. I did not get a battery light when trying to start the car. During the first restart, the idle was pretty rough after a few extra seconds of cranking but then it smoothed out. I wouldn't expect the car to start at all with a dead alternator, like you experienced.
 
#15 ·
yeah, mine started once or twice afterwards and just died. It really scared me because I was merging onto the freeway at the time.

I read the manual and it states that when all the lights come on there is a serious failure somewhere in the system. Best if you get it checked at the stealership
 
#17 ·
I have a problem with my ACS, ABS and parking brake lights staying on after the car has been parked in the heat all day while at work. It is a 5sp. and this has been happening for the last 3 summers (and only in the summer). I have yet to diagnose the problem and usually taking the key out and waiting 30sec. or so with the parking brake released solves the problem. Occasionally it doesn't and I drive with ASC and ABS deactivated... after parking it at home and restarting it first the parking brake goes off then when the wheel speed sensors get reading (at about 30km/h), the ASC and ABS lights go out. Damn gremlins. Does this sound at all familiar to anyone?
 
#19 ·
I have the exact same problem. When it's cooler out the lights come off and I have abs/traction control again. The lights first appeared last summer and I took it in to the dealer thinking it was just a wheel speed sensor. Turns out the abs controller is f'd. I've left it since the stealer quoted me 4K for parts and labour. Yes, 4 thousand! I know when the lights will turn off after I start the car, drop the ebrake and the ebrake light turns off. I thought the problem corrected itself since it did not come on during the winter at all. It came back in the spring when the weather got nicer.

I've considered sending the ABS module to module master to get refurbished. Anyone here done this? Also, does anyone know how to or know of a DIY to take out the ABS controller?
 
#22 ·
hii my e46 325ci 2003 had the dsc brake light and transmission fail safe light on after driving for an hour,, i took it to the dealer they found that the mechanic that changed the valve cover gasket had pinched the engine wire, and a fuse was blown out. i have to change the engine wiring harness now hope it works, but anyone knows if the lights will go away after the wire is changed

2003 325ci convertible
 
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