BMW Repair Manual| Replace ABS Sensor for BMW 540i E39 http://superiorvehiclerepair.com/bmw-540i-e39-replace-abs-sensor.

html

BMW Repair Manual | Superior Vehicle Repair

Home / BMW Repair / BMW 540i E39 Replace ABS Sensor

BMW 540i E39 Replace ABS Sensor

I just got done replacing one of my ABS/DSC wheel speed sensors on my BMW 540i and thought I’d write
about it. I’ve had two sensors fail over the past two years, and I was able to use the concepts below both
times. The actual sensor replacement is trivial; the tricky part is figuring out which sensor failed. I hope that
this can help somebody!

Replacement of Wheel Speed Sensor

E39 BMW

Synopsis: A malfunctioning wheel speed sensor can cause the anti-lock braking and traction control systems
to become disabled, among other things.

Symptoms: Three lights appear simultaneously on the dashboard: ABS, an amber BRAKE, and the triangular
“traction lost” icon. Traction control is not operational, nor is antilock braking. One or more of the
speedometer, odometer, or cruise control might also be inoperable.

Tools required: Multimeter capable of testing diodes. 5 mm Allen wrench. Long, very narrow probes for
multimeter, or equivalent. For rear sensors, a 10 mm socket, 8 mm socket, flat-head screwdriver, and
needle-nose pliers might be required to remove trim.

Difficulty: Easy

Diagnosis: A BMW service computer can isolate the source of the problem; standard OBDII code readers
cannot pull the requisite information. The Peake Research code reader seems to be capable of reporting
whether or not a problem exists, but there do not appear to be any codes that reveal the location of the faulty
sensor. If a wheel speed sensor is suspected, and no computer is available, the identification process is one of
trial and error. Jack up you car and support appropriately. Access to the sensor is considerably easier with the
wheel removed, so pick a corner and remove the wheel.

It is worth noting that certain failure modes are associated with particular corners of the car. If the
speedometer and odometer do not work, the driver’s side rear sensor is probably bad. If the speedometer
works but the cruise control does not, then the passenger side rear senor is probably bad.

Locate the sensor (mounted on the wheel carrier near the hub) and trace its wire back to a blue connector.
The connector might be housed in a black plastic box. Open the hinged box if it is present. There might be a
second connector next to the blue speed sensor connector; that’s for the brake pad wear sensor. Pull the blue
speed sensor connector out of the box and disconnect the two sides.

Deep inside the sensor side of the connector, there are two metal prongs. Now comes the tricky part. Turn the
mutimeter on and to its diode testing setting (it looks like an arrow with a line in front of it). Connect one
probe to one of the prongs, and the other probe to the other prong. The meter should read ~1.4-1.8 V or
indicate an “open” condition (e.g., “OL”). Reverse the probes. Once again, the meter should indicate either
an open condition or a 1.4-1.8 V drop, but the result should be whichever one you didn’t see the first time. If
you see any other result, such as 600 mV in each direction or 0.0 V in either direction, you’ve probably found
the bad sensor; congratulations! Note that a 0.0 V drop is possibly indicative of a poor test setup; verify that

1 of 3 8/10/2011 11:20 PM
BMW Repair Manual| Replace ABS Sensor for BMW 540i E39 http://superiorvehiclerepair.com/bmw-540i-e39-replace-abs-sensor.html

you are not shorting the multimeter probes. If the sensor tests out okay, try again at a different wheel. Of
course, it’s always possible that one of your speed sensors has failed in a way that wouldn’t present itself in
this test. In the worst case, you’d have to go to the dealer anyway for the diagnosis.

You might want to try another wheel even if you think you found the bad sensor in order to confirm that your
technique is good. It’s sometimes a bit tricky to get a good connection to those prongs. If you think you found
two bad sensors, you probably messed up.

Be sure to reconnect all of the sensors that you believe are good. Once you have identified the faulty sensor,
obtain a replacement BMW part. One sensor on my 540i was $120; I’ve read reports of them retailing for as
little as $70.

Other possible causes: Reports indicate that the cause of the sensor failure might be a frayed wheel-speed
sensor wire in the wheel well; inspect the entire visible run of the cable carefully to confirm the lack of frayed
or pinched wires. If frayed wires are found, attempt repair using common wire-repair techniques. Other
reports indicate that a bad ABS controller might cause similar symptoms.

Replacement: With the wheel off at the corner with the broken sensor, and the sensor cable disconnected,
unsnap the sensor wire from the two mount points on the steering knuckle. Follow the cable to the point
where it ends at the sensor. The sensor is attached to the car with one or two small bolts. A 5mm Allen
wrench is required to remove the bolts. You might have to do this blind, but it’s not that hard. After the bolts
are removed, gently pull the sensor straight out of its hole. Put the new sensor where the old one was, and
reverse the removal process. There were two bolts holding my old front sensor, but the new front sensor
included only one mounting hole. Due to the sensor construction, I don’t believe it is a problem to use only
one bolt. Be sure to hook the new sensor back to the other connector, and don’t forget to snap the cable into
the cable brackets.

Commentary: I have had two speed sensors fail on my 1999 540i. The first time, a front sensor failed. The
DSC, ABS, and brake warning lights were be off when the car was first started but would turn on after driving
a couple hundred feet. A year later, a rear sensor failed. The same three lights shone at startup and never
reset. The Peake reader indicated code 0F 78. I was able to use the above procedure both times to
successfully locate the failed sensor.

DIY Replace wheels speed sensor written by Jeff Bimmer

Tagged as: BMW 540i, BMW ABS, BMW ABS Sensor, BMW DIY, BMW E39, BMW Repair Manual,
Replace ABS Sensor

Read Others BMW Repair Manual

BMW Repair Cost – BMW X3 Inspection I Maintenance Cost

BMW X3 Maintenance cost. Detail cost, part and lab[...]

Search

Search for:

Popular Manual BMW Repair

BMW $0 Maintenance Programs. is it really free?

2 of 3 8/10/2011 11:20 PM
BMW Repair Manual| Replace ABS Sensor for BMW 540i E39 http://superiorvehiclerepair.com/bmw-540i-e39-replace-abs-sensor.html

BMW Repair Manual – How to Replace BMW Cooling Fan

Bmw 3 Series a Couple Trick to Save Repair Cost

BMW Tyre Car and BMW Tyres Run Flat

BMW E30, Easy Install Performance Chip

Recent Search Terms

5 series maintenance costs

bmw x5 rear window replacement
how much does it cost to replace a bmw starter
bmw540i workshop manual
x5 regulator replacement cost
how to test bmw wheel speed sensor
hydraulic tensioner e39
e36 radiator removal
Bmw cam lifters
bmw turns on and then off

Patner Lowongan Kerja.Get smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIYthemes.

3 of 3 8/10/2011 11:20 PM