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Thread: Dying Instrument Cluster?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    27
    My Cars
    1994 325i

    Dying Instrument Cluster?

    So a few weeks ago I'm driving down the highway and I noticed part of my instrument cluster had gone out. Gauges were still working properly but all the lights had gone out. No more turn signals, time/odometer/trip, etc. The next time I started my car, the gauges went out. At this point nothing on my instrument cluster was functioning - minus the e-brake light on the right side.

    I went through the process of checking fuses - no joy. I then disconnected my battery and took the instrument cluster out to give it a look. I hit it with some compressed air for good measure, put it back in and reconnected the battery. Sure enough, the entire cluster came back to life.

    A few days go by, and it craps out on me again while driving. So again... I go back and disconnect/reconnect my battery - yet again, it goes back to working perfectly.

    I've now had to go through this a few times. Sometimes it will die on me within hours of reconnecting, sometimes it's a few days. So there doesn't seem to be any sort of pattern.
    I'm now in the habit of just dis/reconnecting my battery every time it goes out.

    I ASSUME my cluster is dying on me... but I was curious if it could be anything else?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Woodinville, WA
    Posts
    531
    My Cars
    2002 BMW 330Ci
    Use the hidden OBSC menu to activate the cluster self test.

    http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=463376



  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Chicagoland area
    Posts
    4,372
    My Cars
    EXOTICS
    Check for corrosion and clean connections with electrical contact cleaner.
    Btw,e36 or e46?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    27
    My Cars
    1994 325i
    Ok I'll give that a shot. It's an E46. 2002 325ci

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    27
    My Cars
    1994 325i
    I've run the 2 (test) and everything goes as it should. Maybe run the 1.4 diagnosis function?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Woodinville, WA
    Posts
    531
    My Cars
    2002 BMW 330Ci
    Quote Originally Posted by whcornell View Post
    I've run the 2 (test) and everything goes as it should. Maybe run the 1.4 diagnosis function?
    Give it a whirl, the worst thing you can do with these cars is start throwing parts at it. Have you tried INPA?



  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    27
    My Cars
    1994 325i
    Quote Originally Posted by Silverdogz View Post
    Give it a whirl, the worst thing you can do with these cars is start throwing parts at it. Have you tried INPA?
    I haven't, in fact I'm not familiar. Diagnostic software?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Woodinville, WA
    Posts
    531
    My Cars
    2002 BMW 330Ci
    Quote Originally Posted by whcornell View Post
    I haven't, in fact I'm not familiar. Diagnostic software?
    INPA is very powerful diagnostic software, It's the same stuff BMW uses to code the cars out of the factory, some searching around will help you figure it out.



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