Bjrd02

Hello, I own a 2005 530i. Recently I have changed my power steering pump and reservoir. After the replacement the car is still giving a code, I use INPA to read my codes. It comes up as "5D60". Just a quick google search says its ARS low fluid. However the revivor is full and within its correct limits. The solenoid on the pump is believed to be good and the sensor in the revivor is also believed to be good as well. My car has both active steering and dynamic drive. I was reading another forum before making this one that was talking about a part that looks like a hydraulic splitter (The ARS valve body) of some sort. It is located in the wheel-well of the passenger side behind a plastic panel on the left (closest to the passenger door). I just can't figure it out, any help would and is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all!

twh

The reservoir has a level sensor. You should make sure that works using a voltmeter. Full will be one resistance reading and empty another. Just siphon off some fluid and read it and put the fluid back in.

seanjordan20

Did you bleed the system? You have to drive it and turn the wheel back and forth for the system to push the air out

Bjrd02

Yes, The car has been running and driving fine I haven't noticed any steering issues. I believe the ARS valve body on the passenger side has an air pocket but im not sure how to fill/open that part to manually put fluid in it and allow the air to escape

Bjrd02

The level sensor was also replaced with a brand new one at the same time as the reservoir

Bjrd02

Okay so last night I made some progress, Well I hope! After some research I opened up the panel that the ARS valve body hides behind, Just to look inside to make sure that nothing was loose and no loose wiring. Since the PS pump replacement my INPA skills have definitely improved. So I hooked up the ol'coding computer up and was able to get the ARS 60 module secluded which gave me some more info (See picture attached{I used a picture translator so we can actually read it}), I also highlighted the important parts as well. When I read it, I'm lead to believe I just need a new oil (fluid) level sensor, Which leads to its own problems/questions. 1) When looking at the ARS valve body which one is it??? & 2) Where the hell can I find one?!?!?! I have not stopped trying to find this part online but I can't even find anything about the Valve body itself let alone its specific parts. Any help is greatly appreciated.
One more note: This sensor I assume was working fine before the PS pump replacement as there was no lights or warning on the dash before this which worries me that is a wiring problem and not the sensor but id like to try a new sensor first, Also I have verified that the valve body does indeed to have fluid in it and is topped off. I am willing to throw some parts at it if I can find them.
~Thanks!

seanjordan20

I would clean the connector but it's not uncommon for it to go out. I just changed mine last month

Bjrd02

I am very happy to announce that the problem has been SOLVED!!

I was going to start there seanjordan20 but things took a turn that I was not expecting at all.

It's a lengthy explanation but here we go. Before I started to work on the car I was still doing research on this code "5D60" and this mysterious sensor, then I came across this PDF file about the car's dynamic drive system (Attached below titled "E60 Dynamic Drive.pdf"). On Page 8 of that document it states "The fluid level sensor detects the fluid supply in the fluid reservoir. The fluid level sensor is mounted on the fluid reservoir". So it was the Reservoir sensor this whole time. But whats the issue?, I can visually see the fluid in there, and It's in correct limits on the dipstick, and It's a brand new reservoir and sensor.

I still had the old reservoir and its sensor and I wanted to know how it worked. To keep this part short basically the sensor is just a magnetic switch that connects the two leads together telling the car that fluid is present or not (Page 8 and 22) confirms the circuit operation.

Exactly what happened in detail:
In the reservoir itself there is a white block which I believe to be some type of hard styrofoam. Embedded in the styrofoam is the magnet. The white block travels on a small rail up or down, around a tube (the sensor lives in this tube so it's isolated from the actual fluid). When the block is at the bottom or not floating (Meaning No fluid or not enough), the magnet is not at the correct height and cannot actuate the magnetic switch on the sensor, this causes a fault in the system, and your car is very unhappy. When the block is up or floating (Meaning fluid is present) the magnet is at the correct height and the circuit closes (No fault), happy car.

Turns out that the reservoir I had purchased had a faulty styrofoam block that would not float AT ALL!!!! So for the meantime the easiest fix until the new reservoir arrives was to just manually complete the circuit via "Custom sensor fabricating" (Which is what I did so everything looks correct) or by a simple jumper wire in the connector itself.

One more thing. During this nightmare I was constantly using INPA and NCS-Expert to troubleshoot this issue. However I am still new to these programs and am leaning the best I can, I found it hard to understand which ECU/Module I needed to be in, as I did not know what the abbreviations meant. So I made an E60 ECU list and am attaching it below, in addition to some other places. Its titled "E60 ECU List.pdf". All the ones I found were confusing to look at or you had to pay for them (Not cool). Hopefully this will help you in your future projects / Issues.

Note* This list was made up from the ECU selection for E60 in NCS-Expert, Your vehicle may not have all of these ECUs or it may have more than listed *

Thank you all for your help and feedback, If anyone runs into a similar code please feel free to reach out via email (bjrd02@gmail.com) as I am not on here all the time, and I will do my best to assist in anyway.

habbyguy

I think the most important take-away from that example might be to tell us what brand the new reservoir (with the bad sensor) is, or maybe where you got it (in case it's a "name brand counterfeit").