What's this warning mean????

[Bimminator]

Hey all, My 535i has been running pretty crappy for the last few weeks. It sat for three weeks while I was in France and when I got back it wouldn't start right away. I had to keep turning the starter motor and finally got it started after about 15 min. Shortly after I was on my way the car started sputtering and jerking and then stalled on me. It started again right away but would stall when I put it in drive and pressed the gas. The warning light that lit up was the one below the temp. gauge that looks like an exclamation mark inside a circle (!). Eventually after the car ran a little longer all problems went away and the car hasn't done this again in the last few weeks. Today however when I was coming home from work I lost all my gauges and that warning light was on again but the car ran fine all the way home. I don't have an owners manual so could some one be a dear and educate me on what this symbol means and why my car might be acting this way? I did a search but could not find anything related to this.

Thanks, Shawn

[mamilapon]

Check Engine!

[Ross]

I think the check engine light is the one that reads "check engine". The (!) symbol is a brake failure warning.

[Bimminator]

I think the check engine light is the one that reads "check engine". The (!) symbol is a brake failure warning.
That is strange that the brake failure warning would show eventhough the brakes are working fine. New pads and rotors up front plus a bleed three months ago and rear had about 1/4 life left. Why would I also lose my speedo, rpm, and fuel gauge while this warning was showing? Turn signals still worked, as well as emergency brake signal.


Shawn

[pingu]

I too thought that the (!) was a brake warning.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

It could be a couple of things.

Low voltage= check your electrical system, battery, grounds and leads to and from that fusible link box.

Bad caps in the dash cluster.

[Bimminator]

It could be a couple of things.

Low voltage= check your electrical system, battery, grounds and leads to and from that fusible link box.

Bad caps in the dash cluster.

Thanks, I'll do some digging around. Battery is a little less than a year old so I'm sure that is fine but I have been suspicious of the grounds as I have a few intermitent electrical gremlins.

[shogun]

Maybe the fusible link has a haircrack.
Sometimes works, sometimes not.

[bmwrp8]

Maybe the fusible link has a haircrack.
Sometimes works, sometimes not.

hey shogun! its been a while since i see you post:D anyway if the f.link has a crack does it affect the cluster?

[shogun]

hey shogun! its been a while since i see you post:D anyway if the f.link has a crack does it affect the cluster?

Sorry, I am a bit busy at the moment and also was in Germany last month. Have to go again next week there.

It could affect the cluster too, I assume, depending on where the connection is.
But that is just a guess.
Anyway, for such cases fusible link is always a suspect.

[Morgenster]

Funny, I thought the (!) symbol means handbrake 'on'.

[Ferret]

Funny, I thought the (!) symbol means handbrake 'on'.

I think it does too...?

That or low fluid.

If it's been left to stand for a while and the car has deep cycled through temperature ranges inside, I'd be very wary of the dashboard capacitors...

[Paul in NZ]

three weeks sitting isnt good for the battery either=start of low votage problems