Cluster On The Fritz

[DDub88]

Alrighty then, well about two weeks ago, my instrument cluster went a bit crazy. I noticed that my OBC screen would go dim to point of not being able to read my mileage at night, the temp gauge would peg all the way to the red ( on a cold start) and sometimes go past the red. The fuel gauge would read full even though there is only 3/4 of a tank full. The RPM and the instant MPG gauge would not work and at times the oil and battery light stay on after startup. The main lights that stay on all day are the DSC and Brake lights in amber. My cluster seems to beep once, when I get the car rolling in 1st gear. I've removed the battery and cluster to see if I could reset the system somehow to no avail. I've done the cluster test through the OBC screen. The only thing that seems to kinda fix the issue is if I tap the dash it goes back to normal except the amber DSC and Brake lights stay on. I've read many forums over on the Fanatics and Bimmerforums side of the house and alot of them are pointing towards a bad ignition switch or a short. I would like to get some of your guys input on this issue and see whats up before I start dumping money into this issue. Sorry for the long post and bad grammar ( alcohol and forums don't mix :asshat )

[kayger12]

How old is your battery?

Common suspect with electrical gremlins.

Sent from my kick-A Galaxy S3

[danewilson77]

Alrighty then, well about two weeks ago, my instrument cluster went a bit crazy.


How old is your battery?

Common suspect with electrical gremlins.

Sent from my kick-A Galaxy S3

Read the first sentence of the first post and knew what the second post was going to be. I agree.

DDub, are you saying your brake lights are staying on while driving, and NOT applying the brake?

[johnrando]

How old is your battery?

Common suspect with electrical gremlins.

Sent from my kick-A Galaxy S3

I was gonna ask the same thing. Even check to make sure the battery cables are tight.

[brettbimmer]

If not a dying battery, perhaps a bad/intermittent ground issue.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

If not a dying battery, perhaps a bad/intermittent ground issue.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Nooooooo....don't even say that.

[DDub88]

I replaced my battery this last January. My buddy was saying that if I can tap the dash above the cluster and that fixes the lights, then it's probably a short. If that we're the case, could it be a short within the cluster? I've removed the cluster before just to make sure the two connectors were good but not sure if the issue is inside the cluster it self. I'm going to go have my battery tested later today and see what comes of that. Sorry if I'm seeming really stupid, I'm not very savy with the electrical sort of things.

[niart906]

If not a dying battery, perhaps a bad/intermittent ground issue.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

I would agree, I had a similar problem on my ///M about a week ago, it turns out that my ground wire in the trunk was bad. I replaced it and haven't had any issues since.

[DDub88]

I would agree, I had a similar problem on my ///M about a week ago, it turns out that my ground wire in the trunk was bad. I replaced it and haven't had any issues since.


Where in your trunk was this ground wire located?

[Johnmadd]

Where in your trunk was this ground wire located?

It goes from the battery to the inner fender... passenger side...

You do know the battery is in the trunk?

[danewilson77]

It goes from the battery to the inner fender... passenger side...

You do know the battery is in the trunk?

Of course he does John!!!

[DDub88]

It goes from the battery to the inner fender... passenger side...

You do know the battery is in the trunk?

Yea sorry, thought you may have been referring to another ground cable. Since tapping on the dash above the cluster kinda fixes it, could be just be something inside the cluster?

[Johnmadd]

Of course he does John!!!
My question was legit, I wasn't being mean. :(


Yea sorry, thought you may have been referring to another ground cable. Since tapping on the dash above the cluster kinda fixes it, could be just be something inside the cluster?

Ahhhhhh... I didn't know or remember the tapping part. I would take out the cluster and just take a physical look and reconnect everything again, bad ground on cluster.

[danewilson77]

#Iknowjohn

[Johnmadd]

#Iknowjohn

#10-4

[DDub88]

I believe I found my solution. Earlier today I was thinking back to what I was doing the day my cluster fritzed out. I had disconnected two of my angel eye rings because they were giving me "the half ring out " issue. A few minutes ago I reconnected those rings and I've cranked my car a few times with no issues. Crossing my fingers and hoping that was the problem.

[DDub88]

I take that back, the problem remains... Fml... I just used some connector cleaner on the two plugs that go into the cluster and still no result, I've disconnected the battery for 2 hrs with no good results. The car was running on a cold start, notice the temp gauge and rpm gauge along with all the other lights that usually aren't on while driving. My other symptoms today, cluster lighting would get dim, turn signals would be dim and blink fast. All warning lights would kinda flicker with OBD screen dim and not show the numbers. After reading around- it seems to be pointing to the K-Bus, ignition switch or the LCM. I'm not entirely sure on which direction I should go with this before pouring money into this. 7807

[danewilson77]

I take that back, the problem remains... Fml... I just used some connector cleaner on the two plugs that go into the cluster and still no result, I've disconnected the battery for 2 hrs with no good results. The car was running on a cold start, notice the temp gauge and rpm gauge along with all the other lights that usually aren't on while driving. My other symptoms today, cluster lighting would get dim, turn signals would be dim and blink fast. All warning lights would kinda flicker with OBD screen dim and not show the numbers. After reading around- it seems to be pointing to the K-Bus, ignition switch or the LCM. I'm not entirely sure on which direction I should go with this before pouring money into this. 7807

Have you performed the OBC test for battery voltage yet? What did it read?

[DDub88]

I had the battery tested at the auto shop, it came back around 12.5v

[niart906]

Voltage isn't the best indicator of a bad battery though. Although I'm sure the shop you went to knew that.

[DDub88]

bump bump

[Meric]

Ahhh that happened to my friend.

Its short circut on CAN-Bus and needs to be resetted after its fixed.

[DDub88]

Ahhh that happened to my friend.

Its short circut on CAN-Bus and needs to be resetted after its fixed.

What would it take to fix that and the cost?

[Oli77]

Shot in the dark here but since you seem to indicate that perhaps there is some form of association between the AE not working properly and the cluster, I think you should open up the ECU under the hood (the computer box, driver side).

This is where you must have tapped for switch power of the AE, make sure all those connection around the ECU are good and secure.

My temp gauge acts weird occasionally. I went into the ECU and touched a few wires, made sure the AE trigger was well clamped and the temp gauge has been working more reliable since.

[Meric]

You can fix it yourself..

First check DME fuses under that box. One of them is blown forsure. Its usually the black box where engine control fuses are You'll see it its really hard to open that thing to reach the fuses.. Once you replace that recheck your wiring see if there are any shorts. I dont remember where CANBUS is but behind the radio you gotta reset that. Take the plugs out than take the battery Negative side disconnect it for 20 min.. Your back alive with working Canbus and cluster.

Another way to test is Turn the key to 2nd turn on radio try steering wheel volume up down see if they are working.. Good luck mate!

[DDub88]

You can fix it yourself..

First check DME fuses under that box. One of them is blown forsure. Its usually the black box where engine control fuses are You'll see it its really hard to open that thing to reach the fuses.. Once you replace that recheck your wiring see if there are any shorts. I dont remember where CANBUS is but behind the radio you gotta reset that. Take the plugs out than take the battery Negative side disconnect it for 20 min.. Your back alive with working Canbus and cluster.

Another way to test is Turn the key to 2nd turn on radio try steering wheel volume up down see if they are working.. Good luck mate!

Alright I'll give that a shot, I can't do the steering volume test as I have an after market deck in my car without the steering control adaptor

[Meric]

Try signals if it doesn't show up blinking on cluster than ya canbus is down... theres a short circut somewhere.

[DDub88]

Blinkers blink fine. The only thing that happens when its having its episode is the temp gauge goes to the red, rpm and instant mpg gauge go to 0 and the OBC screen goes blank and occasionally the DSC lights come on. Tapping the top right side of the dash fixes it and it seems to really act up when my headlights are on

[Daddyoh]

"it seems to really act up when my headlights are on"
Well here's another shot-in-the-dark: I had a similar issue with my E36. I replaced my cluster and still had the problems.
Turned out my headlight switch was bad. Replaced it with a spare switch I had on hand (as is with most E36 owners, ha) and it took care of the problem.
The cluster worked great, and now I have a spare cluster too.
Good luck sir...

[DDub88]

Ah, well I'm in transit right now on my cross country drive to GA. I'll be here in Oklahoma for a few more days. Once I get to the Savannah area I'll be tracking down a LCM

[DDub88]

Well I got together with some BMW guys here in Savannah and through process of elimination we found that my cluster is bad. We checked all the wiring behind the radio and a/c area to check for any possible wire chaffing from my radio install and found none. We took out the cluster and inspected the connectors for bent pins or chaffed wiring and found none. My friend had a spare cluster from her 325i kicking around so we plugged that up to my car and had no erroneous behavior. So off to shopping for a new cluster I go.