Fuse/electrical question m50

[MrChinn]

So, my 30 amp #25 fuse blew recently. It is one of two fuses that are for the auxiliary fan (the other being #29 a 7.5 amp fuse,which is fine). When i first turn the heat on i smell a faint coolant odor for about 30 seconds or so. I just redid the radiator, fan and water pump.

So, I am wondering if the fuse blowing is somehow related?

The other issue I noticed is that the number 8 fuse is missing. This is a 7.5 amp fuse for the rear fog lights. I bought a replacement fuse from auto zone and it was really loose when i put in. Upon closer inspection I noticed that there were no metal clips in that fuse location. I occasionally get a warning while driving that says rear break light failure. I have checked several times and the rear break lights are actually working when this warning come on.

Is the #8 fuse related to this warning? Is the #8 fuse a spare location?

[BoldUlysses]

Can't comment on the first problem, but as for the second, the #8 fuse and rear brake light warning on the display are unrelated. The rear fog light is a bright red light you turn on manually in foggy conditions. It's unrelated to the brake lights. Very common in Europe, probably not even offered here. So the reason you don't have a fuse there is simply because you have no rear fog light, and the fuse chart is standardized to show all possible configurations in all markets.

In my experience the "rear brake light circuit" warning is somewhat flaky. If you get the warning and verify your brake lights are all operational, either don't worry about, or pop out the lights, clean the contacts and lube them with some dielectric grease.

-Matt

[MrChinn]

Well thanks for helping to solve the second part of that.

If anybody else would like to weigh in on the first question I would be very thankful!

[Grantnz]

In answer to your first question, I dont see how they could be related, the smell is probably from leakage when you did the job, or possibly a small weep still present.

Have you replaced the fuse and has the new one blown?

[MrChinn]

The fuse has been replaced and has not blown. However the door open alert has sounded a few times now when all the doors and the trunk are securely closed.

I am wondering if there is some other electrical issue at hand.

[M Quick]

Hmmm, i can tell you this and that is that my #8 is missing (no pins) on my euro m50 e34 touring. And it's definately not for the rear fogs, as i have rear fogs and they both are fully working. I don't know what fuse number they have but that's irrelevant.

But usually when there is pins missing in the fusebox it should also be said on the fuse schematic that it's "frei/free space".

Maybe your fuse box lid got replaced at some point, look at the vin number that is shown and match it to your car, i would guess it won't match up as it doesn't seem to match up with number #8.


If the new fuse hasn't blown for the first problem then i'd say you're fine, it might have blown because of age or something. Aslong as it's working fine after you put in a new fuse, don't worry. But if it keeps on blowing them, then you should check for problems..


If the car is beeping for open doors that might just be a bad door latch striker (which has the open/close switch built in), they usually go bad over time. And that will make it beep at random times.

It can also give you problems locking your car as the car will think you have a door open it will unlock all doors when you lock the car, to notify you that you forgot a door open (but in this case it's the door switch). But that sign also happens when a lock acutuator goes bad.

However, i must say that when a door switch dies, you cannot lock your doors if you have central locking (as it will constantly unlock all doors when you lock them), i had it happen to me, and i got nuts of it so i unplugged the connector to the bad door switch in order to be able to lock the car.

Don't know if this applies to the old central locking system too (there is 2 different versions on the e34 old style and new style mine is the later), the old style is on cars made until 1991/09 and after that is the new style..

[MrChinn]

my engine is the m50 is that enough info to determine if it she is the "new" style?

[M Quick]

No, you need to look at the date the car was produced.

You can type in the last 7 digits/letters of your VIN number on the car into realOEM and it will tell you straight away, or post it here and i (or anyone else) can check it for you.

[MrChinn]

looks like is was from JANUARY 1991... 01/1991