[Easy-pd]

What the heck is up with my car? 56 plate Alpina D3 (so based around a 320d part from a few parts like turbo, injectors and ecu) Not the tidiest example, but not wanted for anything and is loved by me. 120,000 miles in the last 3 years and just shy of 200,000 🏆

For a couple years, I have had a very intermittent fault where the dash lights up, the speedo goes crazy then sits on zero, abs lights, bongs, tyre pressure light the works.

When I say intermittent, I mean it could go a month, or it could happen daily for 2 days.

I have had it for a few years, because an ignition off resets it and it’s fine. No fault codes ever register, so the garage is just guessing. He thinks now a worn driveshaft, but doesn’t want to commit and wants me to pull into the garage with dash lit so he can pull codes.

It never happens when I am near the garage, or he’s open! 😀

There are a couple of things that make me dubious about a driveshaft, or even anything mechanical. I have used torque app to pull ‘P0500- speed sensor’ when the dash is lit. I also get ccid 24, 50 and 35, but only when lit up. The issue is getting more common now, along with other weird symptoms. The wipers will come on when dash is lit and can’t be turned off without an ignition cycle.

Occasionally when ignition is turned off, there will be a high pitched beep (not the bong) but that MAY be an aftermarket stereo I have in, as I seem to remember it will make that noise on factory reset. I THINK the car double beeps too but can’t be sure as that hasn’t happened for a while.

Occasionally (and usually after a spate of the issue) the clock will reset and will need setting to correct time

Last night, I noticed (and I’ve not noticed before, as it has been daytime driving) that whilst the speedo goes ape and the dash lights up and bongs, the headlights flicker. I do not have those led or aftermarket hids and run normal halogen bulbs.

I ran into a car place and asked them to check my battery, they said it is fine

What info can I give to my mechanic? What is it likely to be? I see other post with some of my symptoms that are related to reluctor rings on the speed sensors I think, but none with all my associated weird stuff.

Please say it’s not terminal. My baby isn’t worth a lot now with the mileage, so if it’s thousands to fix, it may not be worth it, but she drives as well as the day I got her and if you have driven an Alpina, you will know why I am in love

[undecided1]

Well if it helps those CC-IDs would be as shown below I believe but if the whole dash lights up these may not actually be faulty...
DSC 24 DBC Dynamic Brake Control Brake Assist Failed
DSC 35 DSC Failed
DSC 50 Runflat Indicator Failed

Looking here someone had the same 3 codes and think was eventually fixed with a wheel alignment and maybe recalibrate steering angle sensor to rule that out as well, not sure if same issues as yours but shouldn't be expensive to give that a try although with everything else you've described like headlight flicker might be a loose connection somewhere? An ABS pump failure will often light up much of the dash if that goes but when mine did I got CC-ID 24, CC-ID 236 and CC-ID 354 which doesn't match what you have so hopefully nothing like that... Can you get it scanned with a proper code reader/Carly app etc to get a better idea what is wrong?

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=51252

[Adam1990]

I had the same faults on my e91 330i, it turned out to be 2 wheel speed sensors. Since they have been replaced no problems "touch wood".

It could also be due to a reluctor ring on the drive shaft which work with the wheel speed sensors.

But there are other possible causes such as wheel angle sensors or ABS pump, these seam to be rare though.

All faults should leave some trace so a mechanic with the correct software should find some fault codes to point you in the right direction.

[Easy-pd]

I do have inpa, but I have lent my laptop to work to replace a broken computer, so I’ll scan next week and post results.

[Easy-pd]

Would inpa give more than a full blown, but generic garage diagnostic?

[rasa bmw]

id say it wa the wheel speed sensor,rear nearside one,i say this as,thats the one which has the speedo connected to it.take it off and cllean it,and the plug which it clips out of,i bet it had been raining quite hard when the problem mainly occurs.

[Easy-pd]

Probably was raining. Good shout!