Help Needed In Fixing My Car Urgently
Asked by olasony4love1 Jun 18, 2013 at 10:40 PM about the 1998 BMW 3 Series 328i Sedan RWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I'm here again guys.....My car is giving me another headache with the light blinking check control.
Also there's the message that appear everything time that i should check '"Brake Light Circuit" and also Coolant Level whenever i off the engine. can anyone put me through all of this.
Checking my coolant level when my car temperature is normal. i don't understand this peeps. please put me thru. Thanks
12 Answers
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
...my first thought is the battery, the age and it's solid connection to ground...inspect and wirebrush (with a coarse brush) this attatchment point to ground...so the computer will see the full potential of your new battery (You've got to get a new battery, as yours most assuredly is older than five years old {problems} with recharge ability and tax on the alternator slow-roasting until dead.....get a good one, Interstate, NAPA but not cheap and lite like walmart batteries are~
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
Once your system sees renewed ground, you will have "reset" any codes by putting a new battery in and your computer will behave normally instead of issuing with the trouble codes...yes it was in trouble, there was reduced voltage....a boy trying to do a man's job.~
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
Get back with me/us one the outcome of your BRAND-new battery and cleaned up (with a wirebrush) connections to chassis/ground~...if I've done my homework your car will be operating normally, then~
olasony4love1 answered 11 years ago
There's this silly mechanic that told me the Coolant Level complain has to do with the overheating and it makes it consume more fuel instead of drying the radiator to show the overheating meter going to red instead of the middle.
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
NO please no overheating....something like your thermostat isn't working properly...no RED...not in the middle...not anytime~your coolant level should be "full hot" when hot or "full cold" (much lower) when you look at the translucent reservoir jug~ something is not right with your cooling system...could be a plugged radiator, bad t-stat or defective waterpump~
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
MPG should not be affected other than if not up to operating temperature will consume more fuel...you should not be runnin' it HOT, let alone be keen to note your fuel consumption~
you need to check first if the coolant level is really low, or it is a malfunction. then you should check the sensor. and in the case of the brake lights check the bulbs if they are not the correct bulbs or are burnt or if they look black even if they still work replace them with the correct ones. if this persist change the pedal position sensor. i dont think your problem is battery related thought it is good to check if the connector is dirty or if is not tight fix this also. in many years of working with bmw the bulbs and the sensors are the most common issues.
ups almost forgot, the plate where the bulbs are installed also tend to damage with time causing the bulbs to make a bad contact if it has cracks or any sign of damage this can be your problem so check the connector to the bulb assembly and the plate itself to be sure. hope this helps
As mentioned above by hector. You need to check the coolant level if it is ok then check the connector for the level sensor on the bottom of the coolant expansion tank. Remove the connecter and see if it is wet in there or has corrosion. I see the sensor leaking into the connector causing the warning light to come on. As for you brake lights as mentioned above look to see if you have any brake light bulbs burn out. If they all work check the brake lights for burnt contacts they can cause high resistance which will cause a warning but the lights may still work. If everything looks good then you will need to replace the brake light switch located on the brake pedal. There are two different types of parts for this one that is a four pin for the check control system and a two pin for the non check control vehicles. Good luck let us know how it goes.
olasony4love1 answered 11 years ago
Whooaaa....Thanks a lot guys...i'll keep u posted..when i'm done. u guys are wonderful
olasony4love1 answered 11 years ago
Sorry guys, i'm here once again. How do i check my coolant level. where do i find that in the car, I'm new to bmw. The temperature after i off engine shown 37% Is that normal ? I don't get complain about the brake light circuit anymore and i didn't do anything to it. just stopped all of a sudden. Also when driving at night i found out my full light is not full enough to see far distance and that's dangerous to drive at night. Is there a way to clean the full light cover or i replace the bulb ? Please put me through guys..
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
the coolant level is on the translucent white jug on the corner of the passenger side...front...do not fill to the top...there are marks on the side for "full hot" and "full cold" use only 50/50 antifreeze mix~ as far as the weak lights am going to suspect a weak battery older than five...a corroded connection from the 1/0 battery cable and to the motor block...these all must be able to carry 300 cold cranking amps~ Clean the ground points (with a coarse wirebrush) and get a new battery....you'll be fine then~