Changed Battery-Multiple Electrical Issues

[Mordakyblu]

Hello,

New here. I have a 2001 330CI. Recently I changed the battery and now I have multiple electrical issues. The wipers don't work, the windows don't work, and the IC gauges don't work. The first thing I noticed was the IC. I checked the fuses for the IC and they were fine. Didn't get a chance to check the others because I found those issues taking the car to body shop. I get it back on the 2.

Any help would be appreciated.

M

[328 Power 04]

Any chance that upon mounting the battery that the leads were reversed even for a fraction of a second?

[Mordakyblu]

No. Was very careful.

[bmwdirtracer]

Why is the car at the body shop? Are the front carpets wet?

[Mordakyblu]

No. Side swiped. Front fender driver door. All dry.

[bmwdirtracer]

Windows and wipers meet at the GM (body module). Instrument cluster doesn't share a thing, according to the wiring diagrams. (I doublechecked for you)

You're going to need to read the codes in all modules with a good BMW specific diagnostic scan tool.

If the GM is toast, this place can fix it:

https://www.bmwgm5.com/

Again, though, the cluster is a different matter. Fuses 34,43, and 10.

[dworthy]

+1

A funky battery can play havoc with any electrical system. How old is the battery?

[Mordakyblu]

The battery is new. The old battery wouldn't crank anymore. I read about GM module. The locks work with the fob. But the windows and wipers don't. I checked the fuses they were fine. The IC was on its last leg, so no surprise.

Thanks for the help.

Paul

[MarcoZandrini]

Check the voltage at the jumper lug under the red plastic cover under the hood. A properly charged battery should show ~12.6VDC. Also, check the voltage when the engine is idling and when it’s revvibg at 2000rpm. Those voltages should be about 14VDC-14.6VDC.
How serious is the right side damage? Is it more than cosmetic? The main power cable runs along the right side of the car.
The GM5 module is a bunch of relays. As a result certain functions that are controlled by the GM5 can work while others do not. The person who owns the GM5 website also fixes instrument clusters.

[Mordakyblu]

Looks like the communication system is down (ICAN). Stemming from the instrument cluster. When the mechanic put a used IC in everything came back. He wants to change me $1700.00. I wonder if I can do that myself? How would I transfer the mileage?

[bmwdirtracer]

Well, you see, the instrument cluster and the LCM (light module) each store the mileage. When they don't match, you get a "tamper dot" on the instrument cluster. You can't "transfer" the mileage, unless you can find someone who can virginize the instrument cluster. And while I know people who can virginize the DME, I'm not familiar with virginizing the cluster. I will say that I've temporarily swapped clusters on a similar era E46, and got a PERMANENT tamper dot, for my efforts.

Maybe Abel can help?

The shop wants $1700, because that's what it will cost to buy a new cluster from BMW and install it, and code it.

OR, just buy an identical used cluster from an identical car (manual vs auto, and same year and...), install it, deal with the changed mileage and the tamper dot.

[dworthy]

Chris, the mileage on the older E-46 (MY-98 to MY-00) puts the mileage in the LCM and dash. The newer E-46's keep it in the EWS and Dash, not sure why BMW changed it at MY-01 perhaps for Y2K?

[bmwdirtracer]

Thanks, Darin, didn't know that. Still, the cluster would have to be virginized, one way or another, to change mileage and avoid a tamper dot. I'm sure there's some way that SOMEONE can do it, but I don't know who or how.

[shadowpuck]

i know the basic steps to virginize a cluster, but i've never actually done it. at least at one time, you needed to desolder a chip and replace it - not sure if that's the case on all e46 or if that's the only way to do it.