BMW M4 Warning Light Storm, Steering Controls Dead

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2017 BMW M3 last year. I have some basic experience working on cars, but this was beyond my DIY comfort zone. Multiple warning lights started popping up just like yours, ABS, ESP, and steering warnings. Controls on my steering wheel were completely unresponsive too. Turned out there was a faulty wiring connection in the steering wheel control module. My trusted mechanic diagnosed it and found a damaged cable harness connector that was causing all these systems to go haywire. The fix cost me around 95 Euro, mainly for labor and replacing the connector. Everything went back to normal after that. Before I can help more specifically with your M4, could you share: Does this happen right after starting the car or while driving? Did you notice any issues before all these warnings appeared? Have you had any recent work done on the car?

Thanks for sharing that experience with your M3! My issues usually start about 5-10 minutes into driving. Haven't had any work done recently, last service was at 20785 KM and everything seemed fine then. Really good to know about the wiring connection issue you had. I was worried it might be something way more serious (and expensive)! Did your mechanic mention if this is a common problem with these models? It's strange because it all started quite suddenly without any warning signs. I've kept up with all scheduled maintenance and the car has been running great until now. Your experience gives me hope that it might be something relatively straightforward to fix. I'll definitely mention the wiring harness possibility when I take it in. Thanks again for the help!

Hey again! Glad I could help earlier. Yeah, after you mentioned it starts 5-10 minutes into driving, it definitely sounds similar to what I experienced with my M3. When I discussed this with my mechanic, he mentioned he'd seen similar issues in several BMW M models from that generation. The wiring harness problem tends to show up more in cars that are 3-4 years old, which fits both our situations perfectly. Apparently, the insulation on some of the wires can deteriorate over time, especially with regular use. In my case, it also started suddenly without warning signs, just like yours. One day everything was fine, and the next, boom, warning light festival! The intermittent nature of the problem (starting after a few minutes of driving) is another classic sign of a wiring issue. As the components heat up during driving, any damaged connections become more problematic. Just a heads up, make sure your mechanic does a thorough check of the entire harness, not just the obvious connection points. Mine initially only fixed the most visible damaged part, but I had to go back a week later because they missed a slightly worn section further down the line. Given how similar our situations sound, I'm pretty confident you're dealing with the same issue. Keep us posted on what you find out!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's super helpful, especially about getting them to check the entire harness rather than just the obvious spots. Really appreciate you sharing that tip about the potential for missed damaged sections, definitely don't want to make two trips to the shop if I can avoid it! You've given me a lot more confidence about what I might be dealing with. I've booked it in for next week, and I'll make sure to mention everything you've told me about the wiring harness issues in M models of our generation. The timing of the problem and symptoms match up perfectly with what you experienced. I'll create a post to update everyone once I get it sorted. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's made me feel a lot better about the whole situation!