BMW 1 Series Cruise Control Failure & Warning Light Issue

Hey there! Had the exact same problem with my 2008 BMW 3 Series diesel last summer. Initially thought it was major since the warning light kept showing up, but turned out to be just a bad connection in the steering wheel wiring harness going to the cruise control module. Took it to the garage last month and they found the cable connector behind the steering wheel was loose and had some corrosion. The mechanic cleaned the contacts, secured the connection properly, and reset the error codes. The whole cruise control system started working perfectly after that. Not a serious issue at all, just looks scarier than it really is because of the warning light. If you're handy, you could check the connections yourself, but since there's stored error codes, might be worth letting a BMW specialist handle it to make sure nothing else is going on. Hope this helps.

This is really helpful! My heart sank when I first saw that warning light, so it's good to hear it might be something relatively straightforward. Did you remember roughly how much the garage charged you for the fix? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other electrical gremlins popping up? Been a bit paranoid about electrical issues since my last car troubles!

Hey! Glad I could help ease your mind! Just want to update you, my cruise control has been working perfectly since getting it fixed. Not a single problem or warning light since then, which is great news. The total bill came to 95 € at my garage, mainly labor costs for diagnosing and fixing that cable connection issue. Pretty reasonable considering how worried I was at first! Actually, getting it properly fixed by a competent mechanic was totally worth it. No other electrical issues have shown up at all. My 3 Series has been running like a charm since then. I know exactly what you mean about being paranoid after previous car troubles, I was the same way! But honestly, once they sorted that connection problem, everything's been spot on. Take it from someone who's been there, don't stress too much about it. These BMWs are pretty solid once you get the little niggles sorted out.

Just wanted to give you an update on my BMW situation. Took your advice and found a specialist garage to look at it. You were spot on, it was exactly what you described! The mechanic showed me the corroded connection behind the steering wheel. Cost me 120 € in total, bit more than yours but still way better than what I was fearing. Got it all sorted last week and the cruise control's working perfectly now. Such a relief it wasn't anything major! The mechanic was really good too, showed me exactly what he was doing and explained everything. Much better experience than my last garage visit. Really appreciate your help with this one. You saved me a lot of worry and probably some money too! Car's running great now, and that annoying warning light is finally gone. Thanks again.