[Ralph11]

Dear all, I am Ralph from Germany and I really like my e83 X3 3.0D very much, but unfortunately since some months I have the well known 3 lights on (ABS, Brake and 4x4). I tried some other forums but without success and from reading through the posts I guess this forum is most advanced for getting the right tips and help... I already changed all ABS wheel speed sensors and the rings, exchanged the VTG actuator, overhauled the complete VTG and did various other tests....
I mainly have these two failure codes:
5DEC: DSC: VTG temp failure (my free translation)
5E5C: DSC: Wheelspeed sensors rotation recognition (my free translation)
I suspected some issues with the sensors, but could not find issues initially (similar speed reading), finally I found somebody with Delphi who could help me with reading out more details. All wheel sensors show driving backwards, in both directions, so this seems to be the issue. I am still not clear if all the new Ridex sensors are bad (hard to believe), or the issue is somewhere else, like in the DSC/ABS, or return switch or ???.
The ABS/DSC repair shops I contected did not know about the two codes as a typical failure for the ABS/DSC control unit, they meant rather not the ABS/DSC unit....
Sorry for my long text, but I spent a long time so far on this.
Any help is very much appreciated, thanks for any feedback in advance!
Kind regards Ralph

And if anybody has a procedure to take out the ADC/ABS unit, which looks very very complicated, that would be great, even I would prefer to apply a different fix for above and avoid this ;-)

[Ralph11]

One thing i forgot to mention: if i go reverse, backwards, the sensors show backwards but i still get the lamps on….. one check i could not do is, to verify the sensor direction before the lamps go ob….. thanks and kind regards Ralph

[Ralph11]

Sorry, one more thing i forgot to mention, sometimes the lights go off during driving most of the times they come back on during acceleration, but really rarely they go off…..

[Ralph11]

Hi all, nobody has an idea? Maybe the car is already too old, or the owners ( including me &#128521…… This issue could be on other BMW types too…. THANKS!

[Ralph11]

Looks like I am the only one with that fault, need to find other help since no feedback at all here…… all the best!

[Phangnga]

Hello Ralph,
I am also a new member here with a recently purchased used 2007 X3 E83. It was in very good condition with just over 200K miles. Now, having just replaced the electric water-coolant pump, some of the hoses and the thermostat (successfully and no leaks), and completed the 2nd change of front differential fluid (stinky), I am continuing with new front knuckles, CV shafts, bearings, hubs, tie rods, rotors and calipers.

My current worry is attempting to understand how the ABS sensor in each knuckle gets its signal. Neither side of my new bearings appear to be magnetic, and there are no visible "tone rings" on the new CV axles. Some of my research suggests that the E83's bearings are not magnetic and that there is something machined into the CV axle just under the knuckle's sensor hole. I hope that's true...I will know when I get all this together and begin road testing.
Wishing that there were more posts on this ABS/sensor/bearing/CV axle topic.
Over...

[Ralph11]

Hello Phangnga,

Just wondering why you exchange so much, do all the parts you listed show wearing/noise/faults?

My car has abs rings at the outer drive shafts in the back, those are right under the abs wheel sensors and these rings have a pattern (metal/hole/…), like a comb, which creates the signal for speed and direction. Mine were rusted big time and I exchanged both, it is quiet some work but doable….

When my lights came up first (plus tire pressure) I also had a non working speedometer, so I was kind of sure that my issue is the rear left sensor, replacing it solved the speedometer issue and the tire preasure warning, but still the 3 lights are there ……

For the front i have not these abs rings on the drive shafts, i did read that basically the same is done with the installed bearings…
Dont know why bmw did not use this for the rear as well, since it looks more reliable.
Cheers
Ralph
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