Bad battery causing DSC & brake warning lights?

antennahead · 01-14-2015, 09:25 PM

Yesterday after I arrived at a destination and turned the car off I heard a clicking sound from behind the passenger seat area/rear wheel wheel ...... sounded like a possible relay gone bad. Drove the car home with no issues afterwards. Tonight I got in the car to go to a dinner engagement and it would not crank, totally dead ....... no lights on the dash, no clicking,nothing..... completely dead. I had my brother come over and jump me and it started up. I then noticed the DSC warning triangle was on as well as the word "Brake" in yellow, which according to the manual signifies a DSC, DTC, and DBC malfunction. I drove to my Dad's house and shut the car off. I then tried to restart it and it cranked fine, and while running NO brake or DSC warnings were showing. Not wanting to be stranded downtown late, I left it there and borrowed one of his cars for dinner. When I came home I tried to crank it, and it almost started, but then went into the clicking and rapidly flashing headlight thing and wouldn't start. That led me to believe it has a bad battery (three years old, but could still be bad). After researching the forums, I see a faulty ignition switch can cause the totally dead/no lights/nothing experience I had prior to the jump. I've also read a bad battery can cause the DSC/ABS to show errors as well. I know a low or faulty battery can cause a variety of weird issues on these cars. What do you guys think? Do I have a bad DSC module? Faulty Ignition switch? Or most likely just a dying battery? Thanks!

John

XMetal · 01-14-2015, 10:01 PM

Try the least expensive and most likely candidate first - get your battery load tested. The "Christmas tree" effect after the car has it's battery disconnected (or dead battery) is normal. Cranking the steering wheel full lock-to-lock or taking it for a short drive should clear out the lights.

Batteries can go bad without any signs. That's why I make it a point to replace the battery every 4 to 5 years regardless of it's condition. It's one of the few things that I won't try to milk out every last ounce of life from.

seank · 01-14-2015, 10:39 PM

With what you described, mine was a battery. If a modern bmw does not have a good to great battery, it freaks out. Literally.

antennahead · 01-14-2015, 10:56 PM

Thanks guys. The initial totally dead issue followed by the DSC and Brake warning in yellow after the jump worried me, but I'm with you guys that hopefully it's just the battery.

bgeorge0049 · 01-15-2015, 09:21 AM

I agree with everyone else that it's just the battery. Get it tested and replaced.

antennahead · 01-15-2015, 03:28 PM

Took the battery back to O'Reilly and it charged and checked out ok. They still let me pay the pro-rated price and get a new one. After I hooked it up I still heard some clicking relay type noise from the battery area of the car. I took it out for a drive and the clicking stopped and didn't start again. I'm going to take it to my indie guy next week and see what they can find. While I was driving, my Passport 8500ci installed detector showed a volt reading of 13.8 to 14.1, which is what it always showed since day one when the engine is running. If it runs down again in the next few days, I've got something draining the battery.

Finnegan · 01-15-2015, 07:13 PM

Really stupid possibility, but the clicking could be the passenger side seat motor(s).

I had a sunshade sitting on the passenger door side, and it was intermittently making contact with the seat buttons. That caused this clicking that just about drove me nuts! It sounded like it was coming from the center console too. I finally figured out what it was. Very disconcerting.

So the issues with ABS and DSC and clicking may be unrelated. Worth a look.

KevinC · 01-15-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Really stupid possibility, but the clicking could be the passenger side seat motor(s).

lol.. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of summers ago. Drove me nuts for a couple of days until I figured it out.

antennahead · 01-15-2015, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Really stupid possibility, but the clicking could be the passenger side seat motor(s).

I had a sunshade sitting on the passenger door side, and it was intermittently making contact with the seat buttons. That caused this clicking that just about drove me nuts! It sounded like it was coming from the center console too. I finally figured out what it was. Very disconcerting.

So the issues with ABS and DSC and clicking may be unrelated. Worth a look.

That's a great point. I had an umbrella laying against the side of the seat between the door sill and the seat...... thanks for the suggestion!!!

Finnegan · 01-16-2015, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinC

lol.. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of summers ago. Drove me nuts for a couple of days until I figured it out.

Yep. Maddening.

Quote:

Originally Posted by antennahead

That's a great point. I had an umbrella laying against the side of the seat between the door sill and the seat...... thanks for the suggestion!!!

You're welcome! Crazy eh? If the contacts were back/forth the seat motor could possibly have killed the battery as well.

antennahead · 01-16-2015, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Yep. Maddening.

You're welcome! Crazy eh? If the contacts were back/forth the seat motor could possibly have killed the battery as well.

Exactly what I was thinking. I hope this is it......... if not, then something is draining the battery, and I am not knowledgeable enough with what is located behind the passenger seat, near the battery location, electronics wise, that would be causing the clicking noise.... a relay of some type?

Finnegan · 01-16-2015, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antennahead

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Yep. Maddening.

You're welcome! Crazy eh? If the contacts were back/forth the seat motor could possibly have killed the battery as well.

Exactly what I was thinking. I hope this is it......... if not, then something is draining the battery, and I am not knowledgeable enough with what is located behind the passenger seat, near the battery location, electronics wise, that would be causing the clicking noise.... a relay of some type?

That's what I thought it was to begin with. "Damn, there's some relay that's screwed up." But it was just the seat motor contacts.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. Hasn't recurred.

antennahead · 01-16-2015, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

That's what I thought it was to begin with. "Damn, there's some relay that's screwed up." But it was just the seat motor contacts.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. Hasn't recurred.

Since the battery replacement and removal of the umbrella it's been working fine.......... will continue to listen for any weird clicking, but I think the problem may have been solved. Thanks again for the heads up

acvr4 · 04-29-2015, 07:06 AM

Hey guys a few weeks ago I went to take my Z4 out of the garage to go to emissions. Battery had died over the winter storage. I went and got a replacement and installed it. Everything was fine ran great and flew through emission no problem.
Well the next week (didn't drive in during the week) and I just start down the road and the tri of lights come on. I came back tested it with my Bav Tech unit and cleared the code. I started down the road and they came on again. Well I came up with a front left speed sensor reading off. I ordered one replaced it and that didn't come up but I get a 5D91 code valve rely FR off - relay does not turn on during FSA test.
I read another thread with the 3 series that the silver soldered connections separate sometimes in the unit and might be able to be re soldered ?? Anyone do this or send the unit out for rebuild ?
Weird this showed up after the dead battery problem.
Trying to trace the problem and it's a pain.

01-14-2015, 09:25 PM	#1
antennahead Captain 73 Rep 820 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MR silver grey Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Charleston, South Carolina iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 M Roadster [5.00]	Bad battery causing DSC & brake warning lights? Yesterday after I arrived at a destination and turned the car off I heard a clicking sound from behind the passenger seat area/rear wheel wheel ...... sounded like a possible relay gone bad. Drove the car home with no issues afterwards. Tonight I got in the car to go to a dinner engagement and it would not crank, totally dead ....... no lights on the dash, no clicking,nothing..... completely dead. I had my brother come over and jump me and it started up. I then noticed the DSC warning triangle was on as well as the word "Brake" in yellow, which according to the manual signifies a DSC, DTC, and DBC malfunction. I drove to my Dad's house and shut the car off. I then tried to restart it and it cranked fine, and while running NO brake or DSC warnings were showing. Not wanting to be stranded downtown late, I left it there and borrowed one of his cars for dinner. When I came home I tried to crank it, and it almost started, but then went into the clicking and rapidly flashing headlight thing and wouldn't start. That led me to believe it has a bad battery (three years old, but could still be bad). After researching the forums, I see a faulty ignition switch can cause the totally dead/no lights/nothing experience I had prior to the jump. I've also read a bad battery can cause the DSC/ABS to show errors as well. I know a low or faulty battery can cause a variety of weird issues on these cars. What do you guys think? Do I have a bad DSC module? Faulty Ignition switch? Or most likely just a dying battery? Thanks! John
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01-14-2015, 10:01 PM	#2
XMetal Colonel 1133 Rep 2,866 Posts Drives: Anything Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 Z4M Coupe [10.00] 2018 Audi S3 [0.00] 2004 X5 [8.50]	Try the least expensive and most likely candidate first - get your battery load tested. The "Christmas tree" effect after the car has it's battery disconnected (or dead battery) is normal. Cranking the steering wheel full lock-to-lock or taking it for a short drive should clear out the lights. Batteries can go bad without any signs. That's why I make it a point to replace the battery every 4 to 5 years regardless of it's condition. It's one of the few things that I won't try to milk out every last ounce of life from.
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01-14-2015, 10:39 PM	#3
seank enthusiast 48 Rep 1,695 Posts Drives: e30 m3,e90 wagon,sprinter,z4m Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: sacramento, ca iTrader: (4)	With what you described, mine was a battery. If a modern bmw does not have a good to great battery, it freaks out. Literally.
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01-14-2015, 10:56 PM	#4
antennahead Captain 73 Rep 820 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MR silver grey Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Charleston, South Carolina iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 M Roadster [5.00]	Thanks guys. The initial totally dead issue followed by the DSC and Brake warning in yellow after the jump worried me, but I'm with you guys that hopefully it's just the battery.
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01-15-2015, 09:21 AM	#5
bgeorge0049 Private 21 Rep 98 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW Z4 3.0si Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Van Alstyne, TX iTrader: (0)	I agree with everyone else that it's just the battery. Get it tested and replaced.
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01-15-2015, 03:28 PM	#6
antennahead Captain 73 Rep 820 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MR silver grey Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Charleston, South Carolina iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 M Roadster [5.00]	Took the battery back to O'Reilly and it charged and checked out ok. They still let me pay the pro-rated price and get a new one. After I hooked it up I still heard some clicking relay type noise from the battery area of the car. I took it out for a drive and the clicking stopped and didn't start again. I'm going to take it to my indie guy next week and see what they can find. While I was driving, my Passport 8500ci installed detector showed a volt reading of 13.8 to 14.1, which is what it always showed since day one when the engine is running. If it runs down again in the next few days, I've got something draining the battery.
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01-15-2015, 07:13 PM	#7
Finnegan Dog Listener 703 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	Really stupid possibility, but the clicking could be the passenger side seat motor(s). I had a sunshade sitting on the passenger door side, and it was intermittently making contact with the seat buttons. That caused this clicking that just about drove me nuts! It sounded like it was coming from the center console too. I finally figured out what it was. Very disconcerting. So the issues with ABS and DSC and clicking may be unrelated. Worth a look.
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04-29-2015, 07:06 AM	#14
acvr4 Private First Class 3 Rep 198 Posts Drives: 3.0Z4,VR4,Vehicross.Touareg Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (1)	Hey guys a few weeks ago I went to take my Z4 out of the garage to go to emissions. Battery had died over the winter storage. I went and got a replacement and installed it. Everything was fine ran great and flew through emission no problem. Well the next week (didn't drive in during the week) and I just start down the road and the tri of lights come on. I came back tested it with my Bav Tech unit and cleared the code. I started down the road and they came on again. Well I came up with a front left speed sensor reading off. I ordered one replaced it and that didn't come up but I get a 5D91 code valve rely FR off - relay does not turn on during FSA test. I read another thread with the 3 series that the silver soldered connections separate sometimes in the unit and might be able to be re soldered ?? Anyone do this or send the unit out for rebuild ? Weird this showed up after the dead battery problem. Trying to trace the problem and it's a pain.
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