Among the warning lights on your dashboard in a car, you can find one that shows an exclamation mark. This signal is special because it lets you know that your car is alerting you about an issue. But if you own a BMW, how do you reset the red exclamation mark on a BMW?

Let’s look at that.

How Do You Reset The Red Exclamation Mark On A BMW?

Press and hold the end of the stalk (the part that tucks into the steering column) for about 5 seconds, it will tick as if you’re adjusting your odometer reading, then just drive off and it should reset.

There is no other indication that it has done it so don’t wait for any confirmation. You set it back to 0 miles by holding down on the stalk and then releasing it when it gets back to zero, this will make a long beep sound.

What Does Red Triangle With Exclamation Mark On Dashboard Mean?

The red triangle with an exclamation mark means that your BMW has detected a malfunction. A malfunction can be serious or minor, depending on the exact reason for the warning.

If your BMW has the exclamation point light illuminated, it is important to have it checked out as soon as possible, because driving with a malfunction can be dangerous. Visit your local BMW service center to get the issue resolved.

How Do I Clear BMW Error Codes?

A BMW scan tool is useful to clear the codes. The BMW scan tool will help you read the error codes and clear them. Here are some other options on how to clear BMW codes:

Turning on and off the ignition: The first option is to turn off the ignition, wait for a few minutes, then turn it back on and see if the error code clears by itself.

Disconnecting the battery: Another way to clear BMW error codes is by disconnecting the battery for about 30 minutes. After this, reconnect the battery and try to start your car. If it starts, then the error code has cleared successfully. If not, check other solutions below.

Using a scan tool: You can use a BMW scan tool or OBD2 scanner to connect to the computer and read any stored codes in the memory. If there are no codes in the memory, then it may be an intermittent fault that may take several days or weeks before it appears again.

How Can I Read My BMW Code Without A Scanner?

This could work. If it doesn’t, get an external code scanner.

If your BMW check engine light is on and you don’t have a scan tool or code reader to diagnose the problem, you can read the codes yourself by turning the ignition to position 2 (one-click after ignition key visual inspection) and then pushing the gas pedal all the way down three times within 5 seconds.

Afterward, you will see a series of long and short flashes of the check engine light. The first set of flashes indicates a digit starting with “P” followed by a three-digit number.

So for example, if you get a solid check engine light flash followed by two quick flashes and then two more solid flashes, it means that your BMW has detected an error code P12. The second set of flashes will repeat this format, but starting with “0.”

For example, after reading the first set of flashes for P12, it will continue with two more solid flashes and one quick flash. That means that the second digit is “0,” so we can now identify that the full code is P120. The third set of flashes will repeat this format starting with “1.” In our example, we would have only one quick flash in this set: P120(1).

Will Disconnecting Battery Reset OBD2?

Disconnecting the battery will not clear any codes in memory of the computer for stored OBD2 codes. The only way to clear the codes is to use a scanner and use the code clear function.

If your car’s computers are interfering with your life, you can temporarily disconnect the negative battery cable. This will stop power from going to all of the computers, causing them to forget their stored data and start fresh once power is restored.

Why Does My BMW Have An Exclamation Mark?

An exclamation mark on your BMW dashboard indicates that you have a service due or there is a malfunction. Depending on the model and year of your car, it will either appear as a yellow triangle or simply an exclamation mark.

In addition, it’s a question that might give the owner of any BMW with an iDrive system pause for thought. The little yellow exclamation mark that pops up along with a message saying “Service Engine Soon” can be alarming if you aren’t aware of what it means. But don’t worry, it isn’t as scary as it seems.

The warning message is designed to act as a reminder that your car’s computer thinks it needs some TLC. It may be something small, such as needing a new cabin filter or brake fluid top-up; or it could be more serious and require a visit to the dealership to reset the engine warning light.

For example, the Service Engine Soon message may appear when your tire pressure is low, or after you change your oil.

Alternatively, you can have your local BMW service center run a diagnostic check on your vehicle.

How Do You Reset The Red Exclamation Mark On A BMW – Conclusion

As a recap of the response we gave to the question, How Do You Reset The Red Exclamation Mark On A BMW?

Press and hold the end of the stalk (the part that tucks into the steering column) for about 5 seconds, it will tick as if you’re adjusting your odometer reading, then just drive off and it should reset.

There is no other indication that it has done it so don’t wait for any confirmation. You set it back to 0 miles by holding down on the stalk and then releasing it when it gets back to zero, this will make a long beep sound.

Thanks for reading.