Minding my own business yesterday idling down a hill doing 25 mph in my 2008 335i e90 when all of a sudden literally every idiot light (and lights that I didn't know I had) on my dashboard took turns flashing on and off, including the big traction control symbol, the dreaded engine block symbol and a "brake" light that flashed alternatively red and yellow. While this is happening the engine ceases to process input from the throttle and instead revs crazily between 1000 and 2000 rpm without supplying power to the wheels. I pulled over and turned off the car, gave it a chance to re-set, and the same thing repeated itself. It is on a flatbed right now headed to the dealer, but I am curious to hear if anyone else has had an experience like this and if so how it was resolved.
It turns out it was a broken throttle control, which ties into the engine management system, but which also ties into the DSC which in turn implicates the braking system. So that is why all the idiot lights came on at once.
Not only that, I got an E93 convertible loaner. Not sure how those economics work, but I'm not complaining.