Tachometer and Temp Gauge Question

[89Cali325i]

Hi All,
Ijust purchased a used 89 325i that runs great.
Only thing is that neither the tachometer or temp guage are functional.
Is these controlled by a fuse? and if so, where can I view a diagram of the fuse layout..
Thanks in advance

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Check the fuses, there is a 7.5 amp fuse that runs on this circuit path.

[Jeff at WallWerks]

also, check your grounding strap. If that is marginal, your gauges will
act funky.

One thing i have noticed on one of my e30s that doesnt get driven a lot,
right before the battery gets low enough to not start, my temp and gas gauge dont work.

[89Cali325i]

Thanks for the information. The car did have a dead battery when I picked it up and I had the dealership drop a "new" one in so maybe they did an inadequate job of grounding or just gave me a poor replacement battery.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Check the fuse in the panel in front of the sttering wheel in the engine compartment. You also might want to check the service interval batteries

[89Cali325i]

is there any way to identify which fuse controls what? i know the fuse panel you're referring to but am not sure which fuse to check.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

It is on the passenger side of the two banks of fuses, near the middle.

[89Cali325i]

Thanks, i'll check tonight

[89Cali325i]

PS - where can I check the service interval batteries? The reason I ask is because the "service" lights..the ones right at the center of the dash, that go from green to red also do not light up. Can these problems be connected? I apologize if the questions some "amateurish"..this is my first BMW...

[Jeff at WallWerks]

Thats probably the problem. I think Jared did a tech article on that
if not, it is in the bmw enthusiasts guide published by bentley.

It is a pain in the butt, my cars need it but ive been lazy.

not a bad question at all, good luck!

[golden]

bmw dash is the easiest one ever to take apart. Hell,....take it out and throw it on the table just to impress your girlfriends but then read the bentley manual for disassembly.

[Lord Eros]

My Tach and Temp guage dilema.
I also got my first BMW (2 months ago) with a dead battery, service indicator lights, tach, temp, mpg didn't funtion.

However, today when I was leaving for my second job, the red S.I. light was on???? then I noticed the tach was working as well as the temp guage??? my "oil service" light is also on. the mpg needle is still funky though.

The best that I can gather is....that today was the hottest day of the year so far, and it gave one of the S.I. batteries enough gumption to work.

What is weird to me is that now, I have one orange and the red S.I. light _constantly_ on. Even when the car is off and locked the lights are still lit up.

Either way I am going to replace the batteries.

I was also wondering if....the car would still drive sans the instrument cluster??? (in the interim of having the batteries replaced)?

*Lord Eros*

'87 325e

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Eros,

sounds liek the batteries are dea. If you send me your email address, i can send you the article on how to replace the batteries.

[89Cali325i]

Hi All, a few days I posted a question regarding my tachometer/temp gauge that was no longer working.
Thanks to Jared who forwarded me an article on how to replace the NiCad batteries, my gauges now work!!
I did get the "Inspection" light but was able to reset the cluster thanks to other online articles regarding the instrument panel.
My follow up question(s) is:
Currently, none of the green service indicator lights are lit; is this because my speedometer is not working? (broken gear). Do the lights gradually light up or should they all be lit and gradually diminish as I drive the car? Not that I would put much weight in using the lights as I means to measure when Im gonna service the car...but, im just curious.

Also, I noticed that I'll get a series of 3 "beeps" every now and then when I drive the car (about 3 times since I bought the car 3 weeks ago). It sounds like its coming from beneath the instument cluster down by the steering column but I can't say for sure. No other gauges or warning lights flash to indicate something is wrong. There's no set pattern either as to when it happens...
Has anyone see this before?

Thanks in advance!

[Lord Eros]

>Thanks to Jared who forwarded me an article on how to replace the >NiCad batteries, my gauges now work!!

Did _you_ replace the batteries?? If so, did you add the fusible link, or
just replace the batteries? any problems along the way?

>Also, I noticed that I'll get a series of 3 "beeps" every now and then >Has anyone see this before?

I guess if you did the batteries, you would have seen the buzzer assy.
I get the beeps every now and again also, sometimes it is telling me it is 20 min to the hour. From what I have read in the manual some beeps can be set from the clock, and not always having to do with time to set beeps.
My clock display is fouled up so I can't see it to reset it.

HTH
*Lord Eros*

[89Cali325i]

I just replaced the batteries per the instructions I received from Jared (ie, using a soldering iron to remove and re-attach the batteries). No real problems along the way apart from the usual stuff I encounter whenever I try to use my soldering iron :-P. I should also add that after replacing the batteries, I verified that the green service indicator lights do work by turning my ignition key to the "on" or "2nd" position.

Thanks for the input regarding the clock; I'll check next time I hear the beeps and see what time it is - I didn't start hearing anything until after I had replaced the batteries.
Thanks for your help!
-The Newbie

[Lord Eros]

I never have soldered myself, so I am having a friend replace my batteries. I'm taking time off of work next week to replace my timing belt, and will remove the S.I. board while the car is out of commision.
*Lord Eros*

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

It's a very easy fix, provided you have some experience with soldering. Really, all the hard work in just in the safety precautions. Just be carfeful when removing the rear panel off the instrument cluster, as the circuit board can be quite fragile. Also, be sure to ground yourself to the board, as static electricity can cause possible damage to components.

[tht828]

As for the green lights did you reset the oil service or just the inspection. The green lights are just for telling you how far the car has been since the last oil change, then the yellow will com on and then the red

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Replacing the batteries will automatically reset the lights.