Confused - BMW Z3 Fault

[NlCK]

Hi All,

This is my first post like this, so please bear with me if it's in the incorrect place. I'm just looking for some help/guidance - I've searched the site however it's not throwing anything up that's relevant.

My '02 Z3 Roadster 2.2i is currently in the local garage - and has been now for over 3 weeks - due to an issue with the DSC. Pushing it in has no effect. I decided to take the car to a recommended garage, who at first believed it to be the ABS Module, and looked to replace it. It was sent to BBA Reman first to get checked, however it came back absolutely fine. He then said that it is just a wheel sensor that needs replacing.

Has anyone had any experience with this particular issue, or experience replacing wheel sensors?

I appreciate this is very limited information but if anyone else has had a similar issue or knows what the problem could be - or even point me to somewhere where I can read up on this - I'll be forever grateful.

Thanks in advance

 

[andyglym]

to the forum from West Cumbria. You don't say if the garage has hooked it up to a code reader to see what's going on, have they done this as it would help with diagnosis and cure. Good luck.

 

[NlCK]

Hi Andy, thanks for the welcome - very kind of you. I believe so, yes - they did mention that they'd ran it through diagnostics, and the only errors showing up were related to the voltage issue. BBA Reman tested the ABS Sensor Module and it returned without any errors, which eliminates that, so I was just hoping that the issue may resonate with someone on the forum, so I could pass on any advice to the garage. I'm sure it's something simple that they just haven't picked up on, yet. Hopefully!

 

[Brian4]

@Nick
DSC faults are usually due to the sensors under the carpet passenger side getting wet (Stupid place to put them). It really needs connecting to a BMW specific code reader which will highlight the faults usually.

DSC has loads of sensors.
4 wheel speed
steering angle
2 brake fluid pressure
lateral acceleration, transverse acceleration (under the carpet).

The under carpet sensors are very expensive new but are available second hand.
Where are you based as some on here have the BMW software INPA

 

[Brian4]

Pic of sensors in my car. And the usual one that fails is the one bolted to the floor
Part numbers here
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=CN12-EUR-02-2002-Z3-BMW-Z3_22i&diagId=34_1144

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

The sensor people are talking about is often referred to as a YAW sensor, expect to pay about £150 for a used one on eBay.

I might have one will check tomorrow

 

[Lee]

The sensor people are talking about is often referred to as a YAW sensor, expect to pay about £150 for a used one on eBay.

I might have one will check tomorrow

We can now get these a lot cheaper by buying the E46 part. The part numbers match up.

I would also try replacing both these sensors, I had the same fault on the wifes zed.

 

[Sean d]

We can now get these a lot cheaper by buying the E46 part. The part numbers match up.

I would also try replacing both these sensors, I had the same fault on the wifes zed.

Does that apply to the wheel sensors as well mate

 

[Ianmc]

I would find a knowledgeable indy, rather than a "local garage".

 

[Brian4]

heres how it is supposed to work.

 

[NlCK]

Hi, thanks so much for all of the information - and the images, Brian. I'll have a good read through everything to get my head around it, and pass on the information to the garage (It's a friend of a friend's Garage, which is why it's there). Once I get a resolution, or even some form of progress, I'll update this thread. Thanks again!

 

[Lee]

Does that apply to the wheel sensors as well mate

Not sure mate. @pgunter should be able to confirm.

 

[Bumpa]

This is exactly what I have been dealing with on my 2002 2.2 litre Z3. The DSC lights came on and wouldn't go away. My trusted independent garage plugged it in and found that the Lateral Acceleration Sensor was faulty - that's the one bolted to the floor under the passenger's feet, and shown in the photo earlier in this thread. When they took out the seat and lifted the carpet, the sensor was having a bath in a pool of water. Bonded to the underside of the carpet is a thick layer of dense foam and it can hold pints of water.

The garage replaced the sensor which cost about £80 + VAT. The sensor then needs calibrating to get the lights to go out which they did. They then gave me the car back and said there was no point replacing the floor and seat until the rain water leak was fixed. I took out the carpet on the passenger's side and it has taken weeks to (A) dry out the foam and (B) fix the water leak.

The water came in through and round the door. The internal barrier was damaged and I have added a plastic sheet bonded with mastic at the bottom so that water in the door can't escape into the car. The other leak point was where the fixed quarter glass presses on the windscreen seal. This has been really tricky to fix. I have stuck an extra bit of thin rubber cut from a cycle inner tube to the seal (thanks for the idea Hardtop), and have also stuck on a thin rubber pad to the door glass at the bottom where it is black. None of this shows when the door is closed, and finally I can pour water over the roof and door and the car stays dry inside, but the car has now been off the road for about seven or eight weeks.

Having only had 1960s British rag-tops before, I thought a modern German car with a sophisticated hood would be rain proof. Well it wasn't, and I suspect the original poster probably has the same problem.

 

[NlCK]

This is exactly what I have been dealing with on my 2002 2.2 litre Z3. The DSC lights came on and wouldn't go away. My trusted independent garage plugged it in and found that the Lateral Acceleration Sensor was faulty - that's the one bolted to the floor under the passenger's feet, and shown in the photo earlier in this thread. When they took out the seat and lifted the carpet, the sensor was having a bath in a pool of water. Bonded to the underside of the carpet is a thick layer of dense foam and it can hold pints of water.

The garage replaced the sensor which cost about £80 + VAT. The sensor then needs calibrating to get the lights to go out which they did. They then gave me the car back and said there was no point replacing the floor and seat until the rain water leak was fixed. I took out the carpet on the passenger's side and it has taken weeks to (A) dry out the foam and (B) fix the water leak.

The water came in through and round the door. The internal barrier was damaged and I have added a plastic sheet bonded with mastic at the bottom so that water in the door can't escape into the car. The other leak point was where the fixed quarter glass presses on the windscreen seal. This has been really tricky to fix. I have stuck an extra bit of thin rubber cut from a cycle inner tube to the seal (thanks for the idea Hardtop), and have also stuck on a thin rubber pad to the door glass at the bottom where it is black. None of this shows when the door is closed, and finally I can pour water over the roof and door and the car stays dry inside, but the car has now been off the road for about seven or eight weeks.

Having only had 1960s British rag-tops before, I thought a modern German car with a sophisticated hood would be rain proof. Well it wasn't, and I suspect the original poster probably has the same problem.

Thanks Bumpa, this also is a great help. Appreciate it. I'll have a good chat with the guy at the garage to see if this is something he has looked at, but I'm tempted to take it somewhere else now. Will keep you posted. Thanks!

 

[pgunter]

Hello

Not sure on the wheel sensors, but a lot of the E46 parts relating to the DSC were similar and a lot were actually the same parts. The sensors were also fitted to Merc's as well as a few other makes. My part came from the USA from a good E46 breakers friend. If you go onto realoem and select and early E46 you might be able to match up the parts too @Sean d

Good luck with sorting it out.

 

[Mnbrennan]

You.

This is exactly what I have been dealing with on my 2002 2.2 litre Z3. The DSC lights came on and wouldn't go away. My trusted independent garage plugged it in and found that the Lateral Acceleration Sensor was faulty - that's the one bolted to the floor under the passenger's feet, and shown in the photo earlier in this thread. When they took out the seat and lifted the carpet, the sensor was having a bath in a pool of water. Bonded to the underside of the carpet is a thick layer of dense foam and it can hold pints of water.

The garage replaced the sensor which cost about £80 + VAT. The sensor then needs calibrating to get the lights to go out which they did. They then gave me the car back and said there was no point replacing the floor and seat until the rain water leak was fixed. I took out the carpet on the passenger's side and it has taken weeks to (A) dry out the foam and (B) fix the water leak.

The water came in through and round the door. The internal barrier was damaged and I have added a plastic sheet bonded with mastic at the bottom so that water in the door can't escape into the car. The other leak point was where the fixed quarter glass presses on the windscreen seal. This has been really tricky to fix. I have stuck an extra bit of thin rubber cut from a cycle inner tube to the seal (thanks for the idea Hardtop), and have also stuck on a thin rubber pad to the door glass at the bottom where it is black. None of this shows when the door is closed, and finally I can pour water over the roof and door and the car stays dry inside, but the car has now been off the road for about seven or eight weeks.

Having only had 1960s British rag-tops before, I thought a modern German car with a sophisticated hood would be rain proof. Well it wasn't, and I suspect the original poster probably has the same problem.

Can also raise the quarter window with a washer, which is what I did on the coupe

 

[Bumpa]

You.Can also raise the quarter window with a washer, which is what I did on the coupe

Now that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?

 

[Davyhoogy]

Is this northeast Nick?
If you need some of those sensors give me a knock mate