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Thread: 2003 e46 gauge cluster not working.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2003 e46 330Ci

    2003 e46 gauge cluster not working.

    I have a 2003 e46 330Ci Convertible.

    The car and gauge cluster all worked fine a week ago. Then, one morning, my gauge cluster didn't turn on when I started the car. I turned the engine off, tried restarting it, and the engine didn't turn back on. It just cranked.

    I started looking for answers to this problem, and came across a post saying to remove all of the instrument cluster fuses one by one (10, 34, and 43) and start the engine sequentially. Miraculously, this didn't do anything to help the gauge cluster, but the engine started turning on, so there's that.

    Here are a list of details that may help with the diagnostics, because I have no hope of figuring this out on my own:


    -None of the gauges work. No gas level, speedometer, rpm, or engine temp.

    -The only lights that turn on in the gauge cluster are in the bottom right: an orange "ABS" light, red passenger airbag light, and orange convertible roof light. There is nothing else that shows, not even the orange display in the middle that has the trip length, outside temperature, and such.

    -When the engine is running, the front ceiling light turns on and off in regular intervals. It's not flickering. It seems like it is a warning of some sort. When one of the doors are open though, the same light stays on and doesn't blink.

    -All of the fuses look healthy, none are blown out or anything.

    -My power steering hasn't been working for a couple of months. This probably has no effect on the gauge cluster but hey, you never know.


    Any suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    The interesting part is the ceiling lights go in and off, when ignition switches start to act up alsorts of strange things happen, don't over look the basics like tight battery connections

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    Posts
    9,933
    My Cars
    2018 BMW M240i
    When you say the power steering doesn’t work I’m assuming the serpentine belt is still in place. Am I correct?

    Be advised that only way to properly check a fuse is with a meter, preferably a digial volt/ohm meter. “Looks” can be deceiving. Please use the meter to check the voltage at the jumper post located under the red plastic cover under the hood. Use the engibe’s lift ring (at the front of the engine) as the ground. Check and report the voltage when the:
    - car is asleep
    - car is awake (open a door and put the key in the ignition; don’t turn it)
    - ignition is in “run” position with the engine off.

    How old is the battery? Whacky voltages cause whacky issues.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Winder, GA
    Posts
    9
    My Cars
    2008 BMW 335i

    Cool

    Hey, just curious, did you buy a Flood-Damaged Vehicle? The NE was notorious for unscrupulous dealers buying Hurrican Sandy vehicles and shipping them North and South and West...

    If you have a Flood-Damaged vehicle the problems you'll have are unending... :-(

    I found out some more info from my buddies at MyAirbags...
    • First e46 cluster some of those clusters have complete power loss which results in needing a replacement cluster with the same part no.
    • We can clone his original data if he sends in his original and replacement.
    • Part no.s must be exact as there were literally 3 or 4 manufacturers that made clusters just for e46.
    • If only the gauges aren't working we can replace the stepper motors if they're faulty.


    Hope this helps!

    Last edited by mboclassic; 11-16-2018 at 03:18 PM. Reason: found more data that could be helpful

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Ozark, Al
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2003 328i
    Did you ever come up with a solution? I have the exact same problems

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    51
    My Cars
    1991 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by weatcoast4490 View Post
    Did you ever come up with a solution? I have the exact same problems
    I have the exact same symptoms as well, just started this morning. I got the car to start once after many attempts but the cluster is still dead. I tried cleaning up the contacts in the ignition switch, but no luck there.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Indiana,USA
    Posts
    7
    My Cars
    2002 BMW 325Ci
    Same EXACT issue here as well. Mine is a 2002 325Ci E46. NO I.C. funtions at all, EXCEPT seat belt and airbag lights "prove out" as they should. No dash lights, gauge functions, ODO inop, and no I.C. computer function. Also, intermittent "crank/no start" condition. Looking at thread regarding replacing the 47000uF 25VDC capacitor on the back of the I.C. to correct the concern.
    Patrick

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    51
    My Cars
    1991 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by NSDAP1933 View Post
    Same EXACT issue here as well. Mine is a 2002 325Ci E46. NO I.C. funtions at all, EXCEPT seat belt and airbag lights "prove out" as they should. No dash lights, gauge functions, ODO inop, and no I.C. computer function. Also, intermittent "crank/no start" condition. Looking at thread regarding replacing the 47000uF 25VDC capacitor on the back of the I.C. to correct the concern.
    Patrick
    I have the same suspicions about that cap as well. I pulled the cluster and tested it for capacitance, and got nothing. But I don't understand where the no-start is coming from if the cluster is dead? I also pulled the ignition switch and cleaned up the contacts inside. No change to the starting situation.

    EDIT: I should note, my power steering is fine. I think the OP's power steering issue was separate.
    Last edited by Systema; 04-14-2019 at 06:31 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    9
    My Cars
    BMW, Ford, Volvo
    Has anybody figured out the cause of this issue ? I'm having the exact same problem with my '03 E46 330Ci . When it first happened yesterday the engine would crank but no start. That seems to have fixed itself now, but the courtesy light under the driver's side pulses and the instrument cluster is dead except for those lower right warning lights. The backlighting to the cluster doesn't illuminate at all now either. Anybody else have any luck adding an additional ground wire from the cluster harness brown wire to the under dash frame? It's almost like there's no ground for the cluster or something. When it stops raining I'm gonna go through the fuses one more time with a multimeter. But for now there's no backlighting in the cluster when I turn the headlight switch ON. All the other backlighting works fine.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    I don't it's a ground issue could be an ignition switch

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    330ci, 330d, 840ci
    Did anyone get a fix for this? I have a 2002 330ci convertible, I didn’t drive the car for a week but it started absolutely fine but the cluster didn’t work besides the 3 lights in the right hand bottom corner. Fast forward 5 days and the car started fine, however I then turned it off for a minute after a 15 minute drive and it would not start. Luckily I was on a hill and it bump started, and then after that it has been fine, not sure if those issues are connected?

    Also I have realised the one touch function on the drivers side window doesn’t work when closing the window only, again i am unsure if this is a connecting issue.

    I have unplugged and replugged the cluster after 2 minutes and it still doesn’t work.

    Any ideas? I am putting the car up for sale in a couple of weeks so I need to get it sorted asap!

    Thanks all!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    Los Angeles,CA
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2001 BMW 330i sedan
    I had the same problem after I changed the alternator after not running for 6 months. Once i replaced it the gauges weren't fully functional at all. I kept driving for a few days just to work at then one day they just turned back on while I was at red light 1 mile away from work. So maybe after driving for a few miles it'll work again, I thought I had to replace my cluster board but thankfully I didn't have to.

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