BMW i3 ABS Failure: Lateral Sensor Mystery Solved?

Hey there! I actually dealt with something similar with my 2014 BMW i8 about a year ago. I feel your pain! The ABS warning was driving me nuts, and I had previously owned a 3 series too. In my case, it turned out the control unit was defective and needed replacement. Took it to my trusted workshop, they ran a thorough diagnostic test to rule out sensor issues first. The whole repair took about two days and set me back 1000 Euro, but it completely solved the problem. Before I share more specific details about my repair process, could you tell me if you're getting any other warning lights or unusual behavior? Also, have you had any recent work done on the braking system? This info would help me better understand if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Just had my last service done at 166957 KM, and they didn't mention anything about potential ABS issues then. I'm not seeing any other warning lights, and the brakes themselves feel normal, it's just that pesky ABS light that won't go away. Good to know about the control unit possibility, though I'm hoping it's just the sensor since that'd probably be cheaper to fix. Did your car make any unusual noises before the control unit failed? Thanks for the help!

Hey again! that sounds exactly like how mine started, just that annoying ABS light with no other symptoms. And nope, my car didn't make any weird noises before the control unit went kaput. That's what made it so tricky to diagnose at first! You know what's interesting though, my i8 had similar mileage when this happened (around 170000 KM). The fact that your brakes feel normal is actually pretty typical with these issues. I initially hoped it was just a sensor too, and honestly, you might be luckier than I was. Quick tip from my experience, before you let them replace anything expensive, make sure they do a complete sensor check. When my control unit failed, the workshop first tested all the sensors to eliminate those as potential causes. Would've been great if it had just been a sensor! Let me know what you find out when you get it checked. I'm really curious if you're dealing with the same thing I had or if you'll get better news with just a sensor replacement. These BMW electronics can be quite finicky sometimes!

Thanks again for all the detailed info, Really appreciate you sharing your experience, especially about getting the sensors checked first. You're totally right about these BMWs being finicky with their electronics! I've booked it in at the workshop for next week, and I'll definitely make sure they do a complete sensor check before jumping to any conclusions. The similar mileage thing is a bit concerning, but fingers crossed it's just the sensor and not the whole control unit. It's actually reassuring to hear that your car also didn't make any weird noises before the issue showed up. I was starting to wonder if I was missing some obvious signs! I'll update you once I get the diagnosis. Thanks for all your help, it's made me feel much better about tackling this problem!