VictorMike said:
So I went to go see the car today.
Car in generally good nick, except the brake warning, traction control and ABS warning lights were on the whole time.
The guy says its some sensor that is faulty. I checked on-line and it seems its an ABS sensor issue. Has anyone here had experience with this?
I have seen
exactly the same thing on my '02 530i. Full disclosure: it is not fixed yet.
The seller is blowing smoke up your nether regions, trying to play down the severity of the problem in order to do a deal. This is exactly the same sort of story as "of course the air conditioning is still OK, it just needs a re-gas." If it was so easy to put right, why hasn't it been done yet?
Although it
could be a sensor, it is far more likely to be the ABS controller. If you take the car for a drive, you will note that the speedometer doesn't work. The car remains drivable, but you have to make allowances. Almost none of the trip computer functions work, except for outside temperature. Distance travelled and average speed remain zero. The range still works, kind of sort of, but changes it's mind all the time. Even the fuel gauge cannot be trusted. In some mysterious way, the dash computer reads a whole lot of inputs to decide what it should read. Or so it seems, because you can run out of petrol when the the dash tells you all is well. Don't ask how I know all of this.
If you look under the bonnet, you will not that the ABS controller sits right next to engine, where it gets heated up by the exhaust manifold. The guy in Munich who thought this was a good idea should be taken out back and you know what happens next. Heat is not good for a computer and after passage of time, a wire about as thick as frog's leg hairs gets detached. On a very cold day, the thing springs back to life and all is well for a short time until the engine heats it up again. I guess that if you put a bag of ice on the infernal thing those lights on the dash will go out, but I haven't tried it.
You can buy a rebuild kit from Bosch. It will set you back the best part of R10K. You can't just replace the thing. It has to be coded according to the car's VIN number - something to do with ASC, DSC and whatnot being fitted to the car. It can be fixed, if you know how. First you take a Dremel tool and cut open the box without damaging anything inside. Then you scrape away the goo that covers the little wires without damaging anything. After locating the broken one, it can be fixed. Forget about the soldering iron. It will not work. What you need is a special kind of glue that conducts electricity. I have no idea where you can get that. There are guys that claim to be able to fix these. They will charge about half of what the Bosch guys want to put it right.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451633
If you are keen on the car, knock off R10K or more from the price, make the guy an offer that he cannot refuse and join the E39 mafia.
:cartel:
