I recently bought a 2007 Cooper S with JCW package. It's had the common trio of dash lights lit up - ABS, Brake, and DSC. I was chasing down that issue when I came to understand that the steering sensor feeds into this and could be a cause. This makes sense, as I'm seeing some other issues which also point to the SZL - turn signals don't cancel, wipers sometimes come on without me turning them on, usually only when the car isn't started but the ignition switch is turned on.

I'm currently getting two codes from the SZL:

9E28 - Internal Control Unit Fault
9E29 - Steering Wheel Angle

I'd read another thread here about getting 9E28 and fixing it by replacing the optical module within the SZL:

Thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ot-help-2.html

I have an INPA cable and am still working on getting INPA, Ediabas, NCS-Expert, etc. set up. So I can't calibrate the SZL yet, though I'll try that once I get the software working. All I have at the moment is a generic ODB-II reader and also a C110 Creator BMW/Mini scanner. Not the best, but it's what I have at the moment until I can get the INPA stuff working. The scanner is showing some interesting behavior when reading the datastream from the SZL. With the wheels pointed straight ahead, I get a value of around 360-ish. I can turn it slightly left (value increases) and right (value decreases) and watch the numbers change pretty consistently, so it doesn't seem like there would be anything wrong optically. In fact, I can turn it all the way to the right with no problem. But when I turn it too far to the left, it jumps to a value of -1440 and stays there, regardless of how I turn the wheel. Turning the car off and back on seems to reset the value to the original 360-ish.

I made a short video to show what I'm talking about:


Based on this data, anyone care to offer an informed opinion? Does this look like something that a recalibration would take care of? Or should I be planning to shell out for a replacement?

Cheers,

Julian

 

As you might know, the readong should be zero with wheels pointing forward. I think it is worth removing the steering wheel airbag and test that szl from one extreme to the other. Locate the zero value then snap back the steering wheel. Delete the codes and if you get NCS, reset the module.

 

Hey, thanks for the reply. I do realize that pointing straight ahead it should read zero. Side question, is this value an arbitrary unit, or is it say, degrees? Because if it's degrees then it reading around 360 is a particularly interesting value.

I'm guessing that because it's off by that much, perhaps turning it to the left makes it exceed what should be physically capable, so it freaks out and goes to -1440? Will do some testing to see if it always makes the jump at exactly the same value.

Doing a recalibration should set the current wheel orientation to be the zero point, correct? If I'm following what you are recommending, it's essentially accomplishing exactly the same thing, only physically by moving the SZL sensor manually until it reads zero. Do I have that right?

Now for the remedial question. I've only had the Mini for a few days and have never had the steering wheel off. Once I do, is it fairly obvious what's required to "turn" the SZL so that it's value changes without turning the actual steering column? Can you help a newb like me understand what I'd be grabbing onto, turning, moving, etc?

Thanks again for the help and pointers.

 

I think th value is in degrees. If i remember correctly, from the zero position the SZL turns twice or 2 and half turn both directions. So when it goes 360 that's a full turn to the right. The left turn from zero yields a negative value.

You're correct about the szl turning without actually turning thr steering column once the steering wheel is removed. Of course you need to disconnect the battery first, then there is a hole in the 6 o'clock position that releases the airbag. You may also search newtis.info for the how tos.

Resetting or calibrating the module will only be seccussful if the angle was zero.

 

OK, that was easy enough. I pulled the wheel and rotated the steering sensor one full rotation clockwise. With the scanner hooked up, I watched until it got to 0 degrees and then put everything back together.

The good news:

* This has fixed the turn signal issue. They now auto cancel perfectly.
* I can now turn the wheel lock to lock in both directions without the SZL going to -1440. It gets to around 429 degrees or so in both directions now. It's not exactly the same range in both directions, maybe off by a degree or two.

The bad news:

This didn't fix my original issue, and I still have the ABS/Brake/DSC combo lit up.

How much can the steering angle be off by before it starts freaking out DSC? I'm thinking it may still be slightly off by a degree or two, in which case a recalibration with the wheels pointed straight could possibly sort it?

Feels like some progress has been made, though. Thanks again!

 

This is good....you made sure the steering wheel is lined up on the column?

Next, you need to explore the abs sensors. I know the obd reader cannot read the abs module, but through INPA, you can monitor the individual wheels speed.

Clear the codes of the SZL if you haven't done that and reread the codes.

 

Yeah, have been pursuing that path in parallel. I don't have a working INPA setup yet, but my scanner should be able to read these, but it can't talk to ABS/DSC for some reason. I say should because I'm able to connect it to my E46 and read individual wheel speeds there and assume the same should be true of the R56. That said, I originally posted about that here, and at least one other guy (looking more closely, that was you. LOL! Thanks again!) with a working setup gets the same result. Need to get INPA working.

Given how relatively cheap the wheel speed sensors were, I went ahead and bought new ones all around thinking a shotgun approach might work since I couldn't single out a faulty individual sensor. I've replaced the fronts so far before I got sidetracked with the SZL, hoping that fixing that would in turn fix the ABS/DSC issue.

I'll go ahead and complete my shotgun approach since I'm sure I can do that more quickly than getting INPA going.

Is it possible though that the ABS/DSC stuff is storing a code and it needs to be cleared before the lights will go out? And since I can't communicate with that module, I can't clear them - so need to get INPA working sooner than later?

 

Lol...

Eventually you'll need INPA. Go ahead and do the sensors and take it for a spin hoping it will correct itself

 

Did you check your master cylinder brake fluid level? Low fluid will cause "Brake, and ABS" lights to come on, not sire about the DSC light

Bryan

 

I hadn't checked it, thanks for the tip. After checking, it's at max.

 

Replaced the remaining wheel speed sensors, went for a spin, no change.

Found something else interesting, though. I'm going through every possible system that the scanner can talk to, checking for DTCs and browsing the datastream for anything that stands out. In looking at the Power Steering module, there's an item in the datastream called Steering-wheel angle(DSC only). As I turn the steering wheel slightly in any direction, this value is jumping all over the place. Huge jumps, positive and negative, regardless of which way I turn the wheel. I would expect that this should reflect what DSC's understanding of wheel position is after getting the signal from the SZL. So, it should smoothly increase/decrease by degrees according to the wheel position, just like the SZL does. Is my understanding of this off?

Assuming that it's not supposed to act this way, thoughts on what to check next?

 

I just tested mine. If i steer to the right, it is negative value consistently increasing. Going left pass the zero mark, it continues to increase in the positive value.

Being unstable could be a sign of bad module. But, wait for ISTAD to test it though (that's what I'm using now to get these values)

 

Hi Julian did you try replacing the szl?

 

After reading several posts suggesting the 510 is the unit I needed to reset the steering angle on my 2012 mini clubman, I purchased it from Amazon. Great little unit, only I can't get the SZL to reset. I failed to tie down the steering when when I took the pinch bolt loose and lost zero on the clock spring. I can't find zero on it without the tool because it is 5 full rotations and 2.5 puts the connector in the wrong place. Any way, the test keeps failing. Is there a better manual on this scanner tool? The instructions only tell me where to find the functions, not what steps to perform before and during the reset process. I'm missing something. It tells to to turn the ignition off and back on. I'm not sure if it means fully crank the vehicle or just turn it on. it has a pushputton start, and there's 3 "positions" one appears to be on (headlights lit and dash illuminated) one appears to be auxiliary (some dash lights illuminated, no headlights) and one seems to be off (pushbutton illuminated). I got to the step where it said to get out of the car on the first test, but the car shut down before I could get out. Subsequent tests all showed fail. I can't believe the clock spring is broken from such little movement, but my partner seems to think that's the only thing that it can be since none of the codes will reset.

I'm sorry this is so long. I need help and I'm hoping after $200 on the scanner I'm not looking at another $600 for the clock spring. Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

Just went through something like this.......you have to remove the coupler at the base of the column and use a scanner to calibrate it back to center once you have it disconnected move the wheel left or right until it's centered the scanner will tell you then connect everything back......