850 CSi drain battery + cluster problem.

[Johanswe]

Hello!

I own a 850 CSi from -93 build 1992-10-02 that have some problems i cant figure out.

First of all the car drain the batteries. I hooked up the multimeter and after 16 min it goes down to 0.4-0.3 amps and from what i know it should be 0.05.

When i pull fuse number 1 in the engine bay the number drops to 0.12 and i cant get it under that. Ive tried pull every single fuse but nothing. And when i pull the instument cluster it also goes down to 0.12

And the second problem i have is that the clusters gauges goes of an on as it wishes, like a ground problem or something.

The ODO milage dislay turns on and of while the car is locked in sleep mode. For the most part the ODO meter is on. When i unlock the car and open the door when the ODO meter is off it turns on. Should it be like that? Ive tried to remove the ODO meter to see if that is the problem but when i do that and hook up the cluster there are 2 lamps behind the thing glowing. And also they turns of for a small moment to then start glow again. Like the ODO meter.

Sorry for my bad English

Any suggestions?


regards Johan

[kiwiCSi]

Sounds like a problem with the GM.

[Johanswe]

So the GM can cause this issue with the cluster?

[Omega man 1969]

I had a similar issue with my cluster, as if it was a ground fault. Sometimes they would come on, mostly off. Do any of your dials work ? My speedo worked but fuel, temp and rev counter were dead. Trying the instrument cluster test by holding in the mileage reset button whilst turning on the ignition worked perfectly.

In the end I had to buy a used Cluster, remove the PCB off the back (so that I could keeo the CSi red needles) and then transfer the mileage to it from the EKM using toolset32 and INPA.....with a lot of help from Revtor.

GM wont cause an issue with the cluster but if the EKM is faulty you usually get only the Rev counter as that's fed directly from the DME.

[Johanswe]

The instrumental cluster test works perfect, all my gauges works when the ODO meter works.

[Johanswe]

But everytime the ODO meter works, when it turns on itself while the car is lockt and in sleep i can open the door and start the car and all gauges works fine. Can a faulty switch or something that drains the battery cause the cluster to behave like this? If i know the cluster is bad i can buy a new one but it will not be fun paying that sick amount and not fix the problem...

[kiwiCSi]

So the GM can cause this issue with the cluster?

I was thinking more in relation to the battery drain issue you have - the GM controls the 'sleep mode' relays, so it could either be a relay, or a GM issue.
Also, how old are your batteries, and what is the battery voltage immediately after fully charging?
Could be they are past their best and you just need some new batteries.
If you go to Timm's site at http://www.meeknet.co.uk/E31/Index.htm there are some good troubleshooting links.

[Timm]

Give us a bit more information:

When did this problem start?
Are your batteries new?

Measuring battery drain (as Kiwi says) can only be done with good, fully charged batteries - trying with poor batteries will give erroneous results. Here's how it is done:

https://www.meeknet.co.uk/e31/E31_Ba...iagnostics.htm

[MIKYZZ4]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRso1A0VScw

[Johanswe]

I was thinking more in relation to the battery drain issue you have - the GM controls the 'sleep mode' relays, so it could either be a relay, or a GM issue.
Also, how old are your batteries, and what is the battery voltage immediately after fully charging?
Could be they are past their best and you just need some new batteries.
If you go to Timm's site at http://www.meeknet.co.uk/E31/Index.htm there are some good troubleshooting links.

I got 2 brand new 95AH batteries. They are at 12.70+ voltage

- - - Updated - - -

I bought the car last year from a guy who had it stored since 2007. So it havent been used for 10 years. I had this cluster problem since day one and i found a batterie tester thing in the car that you put in the cigaretlighter so i assume he had the problem too. I have replace the all the 6 relays in the trunk with this who i got from bmw : the orange relays : 61.36-8 373 700/01 they are now light green ones and the dark green relays : 61-36-8 353 447 they are black ones.

[Timm]

Thanks, that is what I had thought - you've had the problem for a while!

As Kiwi says, the General Module is the first candidate, the electrolytic capacitors will need to be replaced - EEDegreeTodrive can do this work, or find a radio repair shop and ask them to replace the capacitors. The details can be found on this Forum (somewhere).

I'm not quite sure if your cluster is fully operational from your description (apart from that fact that the Odometer section illuminates when it shouldn't) - but I'd get the GM sorted first and then move on to that later.

[Johanswe]

Thanks, that is what I had thought - you've had the problem for a while!

As Kiwi says, the General Module is the first candidate, the electrolytic capacitors will need to be replaced - EEDegreeTodrive can do this work, or find a radio repair shop and ask them to replace the capacitors. The details can be found on this Forum (somewhere).

I'm not quite sure if your cluster is fully operational from your description (apart from that fact that the Odometer section illuminates when it shouldn't) - but I'd get the GM sorted first and then move on to that later.

Thanks for you information. All warning lights and so on works in the instrumental cluster and all the gauges works when the ODO meter shows the milage. Ive already replaced the caps in the GM module. Everything works in the car from what i know, centrallocking,sunroof and so on.

Do you know if the relays i got from BMW are the correct ones?

[Johanswe]

Thanks for you information. All warning lights and so on works in the instrumental cluster and all the gauges works when the ODO meter shows the milage. Ive already replaced the caps in the GM module. Everything works in the car from what i know, centrallocking,sunroof and so on.

Do you know if the relays i got from BMW are the correct ones?

Edit; The centrallocking dosent open the trunk, i have to manually open it with the key and press the coil up.

[Timm]

Tackle the boot actuator first:

https://www.meeknet.co.uk/e31/BMW_E3...eplacement.htm

....do your wipers work?

[Johanswe]

Tackle the boot actuator first:

https://www.meeknet.co.uk/e31/BMW_E3...eplacement.htm

....do your wipers work?

Mine goes automatically out by itself when i pull it in so then mine should be good? When i hook up my mutlimeter to the contact i dont get any readings when i open the car with the key.

My wipers works havent used them much but when i have they worked.

[Timm]

Is your glovebox locked? If the glovebox is locked then the boot actuator will do nothing.....

[Johanswe]

Is your glovebox locked? If the glovebox is locked then the boot actuator will do nothing.....

Its not locked.

[Johanswe]

Trunk locking sloved! I changed all the fuses in the car for aftermarket ones and i found out they are 1mm shorter than the original. So fuse 31 in the trunk did not have contact, only when i was pushing it in. Can you still buy original fuses at bmw or are they also selling this ones?

Attachment 633092

[Timm]

You can still buy BMW fuses - and it would be a good idea to swap them all back. QUite often you will find complete fuse boxes from an E32, E34 or E36 complete with fuses for nearly nothing - and that's a lot cheaper way to buy fuses!

[Omega man 1969]

The instrumental cluster test works perfect, all my gauges works when the ODO meter works.

Sorry I misunderstood your post, I thought you had intermittent gauges.

[Johanswe]

The ODO + gauges still dosent work. But when i sat in the car and had it on idle i noticed the MID dislay was flickering. How much voltage should the batteries be when the car is on? Mine is at 14.08 V

[MIKYZZ4]

14.08v is excellent.

[Timm]

But flickering isn't good - often caused by a failed diode in the alternator - and often the alternator is the source of current drain. Certainly worth disconnecting the alternator (disconnect the batteries first), insulate the alternator cable and then measure the current drain.

[MIKYZZ4]

That's the reason for my avatar,
always learning, Thanks Timm!

[Johanswe]

Disconnecting the altenators did not help. Going from 0.39 to 0.22 and back and forward in sleep mode. What else can cause this problems? Bad ground? Im getting rly tired