Z4 Warning Light Chaos: Dead Controls Puzzle Owners

Hi there! I have some experience working on BMWs, and this sounds very familiar. I dealt with similar issues on my 2008 BMW 335i (also had a 135i before). Just last month, I had multiple warning lights and dead steering controls. Turned out to be a faulty cable connection in the steering wheel module. The mechanic traced it to corroded pins in one of the plugs. Total repair was 95 Euro, mostly labor since they had to partially disassemble the steering column to access and clean the connections. Before you head to the shop, could you share: Which error codes you pulled? Does this happen out of nowhere or after specific events (rain, cold starts, etc)? Is your battery in good condition? This info would help narrow down if you're facing the same issue I had. These electrical gremlins can be tricky with BMWs, but usually it's something relatively simple like a connection problem.

Hey, thanks for jumping in! I've got similar symptoms on my Z4 with 194596 KM on the clock. Just had it serviced last month, but these electrical ghosts keep haunting me. I'm getting the same warning lights and dead steering controls you mentioned. Based on your experience, I'm really hoping it's just a connection issue like you found. The fault codes I pulled are P0730 and U0155. It seems to happen more during cold starts, but honestly, it's getting pretty unusual now. Battery's only about 18 months old and tested fine. Would you recommend having them check those steering column connections first? Definitely want to avoid spending a fortune if it's something this straightforward. Thanks for the pointer, it's giving me some hope this won't break the bank!

Hey again! After seeing your codes and symptoms, I'm even more convinced it's similar to what I dealt with on my BMW. The U0155 code (lost communication with instrument cluster) especially rings a bell, that's exactly what I saw when my steering column connections were acting up. My issue also started with unusual occurrences during cold starts, just like yours. What made me think of the steering column connection in the first place was how the problems seemed to cluster together, the warning lights, dead cruise control, and steering wheel buttons all going haywire at once. In my case, after cleaning and securing those connections, everything went back to normal. The repair has held up perfectly for the past few months. Given your mileage and symptoms, I'd definitely recommend having them check the steering column connections first before diving into more expensive repairs. Quick tip from my experience, make sure they check all the connectors in that area, not just the obvious ones. Mine had corrosion in a connector that looked fine at first glance. Also, while they're in there, it might be worth having them check the clockspring. It's not expensive to check, and it can cause similar symptoms if it's starting to fail. Let me know how it goes, really curious if you've got the same gremlin I had!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! That's super helpful, especially about checking all the connectors and not just the obvious ones. I've actually booked an appointment with my mechanic for next week and specifically mentioned the steering column connections and clockspring based on your advice. You've pretty much described my situation to a T, especially with how everything seems to fail together. It's such a relief to hear your repair has held up well. You've saved me a lot of worry about potentially major electrical issues! I'll definitely update you once I get it sorted. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's exactly the kind of real-world info I was hoping for when I posted. Fingers crossed it's just those pesky connections and nothing more serious! Thanks again for all your help!