[Tango Oscar]

BMW NA's electronic-gremlin-diagnosis-system is so underengineered. Their fault codes are not accurate and so they replace parts. I picked up car this Monday after paying $2000 and 9 weeks downtime, and after 25 minutes of driving the "DSC Malfunction" error came back. Does anyone have any suggestions of causes that I can provide to dealer?
-Oct 2005 M6 build
-Reflashed
-Replaced DSC/ABS Module
-Replaced Throttle Actuator Bank 2

 

[Matty]

My dealer says the steering angle sensor in the steering wheel maybe bad BUT in some common cases he says hitting pot holes can throw off the alignment and cause the DSC to malfunction .I would try an alignment then see if your car falls under the category of a steering angle sensor recall ..hope this helps ..

 

[bmwm3nyc]

I honestly think you need to find another dealer who is more competent. Instead of guessing they should have used their network contacts to find a solution. Having your car for 9 weeks and NOT fixing it is INEXCUSABLE IMHO. :Thumbdown:

 

[ykjones]

I just went through this as a well about a month ago and it took a while for my mechanic to figure out but I had faith and he did figure it out. There is a switch unit steering column that needed to be replaced. We tried replacing the steering angle sensor and that did not work and I kept getting the DSC malfunction. Replacing the switch unit steering column was the trick ($463 part) fixed it flawlessly and no more dreaded DSC malfunction. Hope this helps.

 

[Tango Oscar]

Matty and YKJones; thanks much..I have forwarded your comments to my dealer.
BMWN3NYC; thanks for your thoughts..I originally thought this as well but the fault codes are inaccurate which is a BMW engineering/diagnosis problem and not a dealer problem. We have gotten two different sets of fault codes (bef and after reflash) and BMW NA has a PUMA case meaning they are directly involved in reading the fault codes and making the repair recommendations. Their corporate-designed-diagnosis-system is UNDER-engineered and judging from searches on this Board there have been hundreds (thousands?) of needless parts replacements to prove it.

 

[ideliver]

just put coilovers on and be done with it...

 

[bsze]

just put coilovers on and be done with it...

what the hell does this got to do with coilovers?

 

[ideliver]

what the hell does this got to do with coilovers?

my mistake...i read/thought "EDC" instead of DSC...especially since it is a common part failure/error

 

[NavM]

I just went through this as a well about a month ago and it took a while for my mechanic to figure out but I had faith and he did figure it out. There is a switch unit steering column that needed to be replaced. We tried replacing the steering angle sensor and that did not work and I kept getting the DSC malfunction. Replacing the switch unit steering column was the trick ($463 part) fixed it flawlessly and no more dreaded DSC malfunction. Hope this helps.

Are you referring to CAS module (control access system)?

 

[Matty]

update ?

 

[Tango Oscar]

Knock on wood...the beast has returned home and seems to be working well; Assuming everyone has been forthright, the problem was the Throttle Actuator Bank 2, which was the original fault code we got before the reflash that gave us different codes. IMO my dealer did the best he could with what BMW NA was telling him to do. This forum was very helpful because I actually sent an email to my dealer before he replaced the DSC telling him that the Throttle Actuator was a previously known cause of "DSC Malfunction" errors...it made it difficult for them to try to charge me for the Throttle Actuator.

Saga;
1. DSC Malfunction, limp mode, etc..
2. Computer reflash. BMW opens PUMA case with direct corporate involvement.
3. Dealer replaces DSC/ABS Module for $1950.53. 7 weeks downtime. Same DSC Malfunction re-occurs at dealer's shop.
4. Dealer goes back and forth for about one week with BMW NA to re-diagnose and get the Throttle Actuator 'goodwilled' ($2100). I'm supposed to be thankful.
5. Dealer replaces Throttle Actuator Bank 2 and says car is fixed.
6. I drive car for 30 minutes and get same DSC Malfunction.
7. Dealer says they "didn't plug in a wire correctly on the Throttle Actuator" and kept car for another week. 10 weeks total downtime.

My lesson learned is that BMW has a poor diagnosis system but retains total control over parts and diagnosis so the end user has no recourse. You can read these misdiagnosis' all over this Forum. When they don't know the exact problem they have to quote you the $2000 repair and all along it could have been a $463 repair. We get an expensive new part that we never needed and a lot of downtime. If overpaying-without-recourse bothers you then I highly recommend staying close to the dealers; emailing dealer regularly with forum-suggestions and for status updates, and going by after they have installed parts and see if the replaced part was the problem. And with PUMA cases it doesn't help to get a 'second opinion' because BMW NA just gives the second dealer the same recommendations.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

[ykjones]

Glad to hear you are up and running again. That has to be a sense of relief. Now go out and make up for lost time in your beast!

 

[carlsturm]

steering angle sensor replacement fixed this issue for me.

 

[cdodge43]

Knock on wood...the beast has returned home and seems to be working well; Assuming everyone has been forthright, the problem was the Throttle Actuator Bank 2, which was the original fault code we got before the reflash that gave us different codes. IMO my dealer did the best he could with what BMW NA was telling him to do. This forum was very helpful because I actually sent an email to my dealer before he replaced the DSC telling him that the Throttle Actuator was a previously known cause of "DSC Malfunction" errors...it made it difficult for them to try to charge me for the Throttle Actuator.

Saga;
1. DSC Malfunction, limp mode, etc..
2. Computer reflash. BMW opens PUMA case with direct corporate involvement.
3. Dealer replaces DSC/ABS Module for $1950.53. 7 weeks downtime. Same DSC Malfunction re-occurs at dealer's shop.
4. Dealer goes back and forth for about one week with BMW NA to re-diagnose and get the Throttle Actuator 'goodwilled' ($2100). I'm supposed to be thankful.
5. Dealer replaces Throttle Actuator Bank 2 and says car is fixed.
6. I drive car for 30 minutes and get same DSC Malfunction.
7. Dealer says they "didn't plug in a wire correctly on the Throttle Actuator" and kept car for another week. 10 weeks total downtime.

My lesson learned is that BMW has a poor diagnosis system but retains total control over parts and diagnosis so the end user has no recourse. You can read these misdiagnosis' all over this Forum. When they don't know the exact problem they have to quote you the $2000 repair and all along it could have been a $463 repair. We get an expensive new part that we never needed and a lot of downtime. If overpaying-without-recourse bothers you then I highly recommend staying close to the dealers; emailing dealer regularly with forum-suggestions and for status updates, and going by after they have installed parts and see if the replaced part was the problem. And with PUMA cases it doesn't help to get a 'second opinion' because BMW NA just gives the second dealer the same recommendations.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

Tom - I read your discussion about the M5 DSC Malfunction issue. I am having the same problem. About once every 20 times I start the car i get DSC malfunction (and limited power). i took to the dealer twice with no success. they are recommending that i spend $2000 for new throttle actuator for Bank 2. Is your car fixed? If so, what, in the end was the fix? thanks very much.
-Chris ('06 M5)

 

[kinghurl]

Glad you got your issue fixed. This seems crazy to me. In any other area, if I used my visa card and paid 2K for something and didn't get what I paid for and the vendor didn't make restitution, Visa would/could remove the charge . This behaviour from dealers has only got worse with time. One of my good friends took his 2004 X5 in for a problem with its ride height system. The quote from the dealer as to how they were going to fix it was-"change modules until we find the one responsible". That was going to be on his dime.
The other scary thing is the increasing number of interdependent electronic control systems-all selected by lowest bid mind you-means owning these cars out of warranty is a form of Russian roulette!