E36 Dash Crazyness

[Richair]

Hi all,

Bought a very nice E36 328i Touring a few weeks back. All has been fine, until Sunday when I started to get some strange problems with the instrument binacle.

Basically two scenarios happen:

-Number one is the guages freeze, with both the fuel and temp guages moving to an innacurate position and the speedometer drops to zero. Also, whilst this happens the orange backlight on the console computer goes very bright (the computer functions still toggle though).

-Number two normally follows number one, but has happened on its own; The instrument panel seems to restart as if the ignition has just been switched on I.E. all of the warning lights illuminate and then go out.

The problem does not seem to conincide with me doing/operating anything, or the car going over a bump etc. However, It has failed to happen on my drive into work, but has occurred on the way home.

Any thoughts anybody? Thanks! Rich

[MitchT]

Could the battery be just about flat? Mine goes similarly haywire if the battery is 99.9% flat. That said, it happened to me when I tried to start the engine, not just randomly.

Edited by MitchT on Tuesday 17th February 19:18

[Richair]

No other battery-related symptoms I'm afraid; the car was parked up at the airport all last week and started no probs. If it were the battery, I would expect a problem like this to occur first thing in the morning.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

[MarkwG]

That sounds a little like the test cycle you can generate by turning the ignition to position 2 (I think) & pressing & holding the mileage reset: so it may be a dodgy connection somewhere?

[Richair]

Well without fail on my way in this morning, no faults! But I can be sure when I drive the car again later it will occur again

My first thoughts were it must be a poor earth somewhere, but then that just doesn't explain the fact it doesn't occur during the first drive of a day... Which seems to suggest it's engine temp related, BUT HOW!?.... grrrrrrrr

[Invisible man]

Could be a worn ignition barrel?

[MarkwG]

Yep, I'm thinking the same - might explain why its temperature, but not neccesarily engine temp related?

[sniff diesel]

Rich, if you want to try another instrument binnacle I have one off that 320i I broke up the other week.

[Richair]

Invisible man said:

Could be a worn ignition barrel?

Very unlikely im afraid as it had a new one from BMW just last year following a steering lock failure...

Just been out in the car on site (a 60mile round trip) and it happened several times, but is deffinately random (whilst hot). So im thinking its a connection/feed onto the binnacle. So I guess i'll be having a root behind the dash then... D'oh!

sniff diesel said:

Rich, if you want to try another instrument binnacle I have one off that 320i I broke up the other week.

Thanks for the offer Rich; I may well take you up on that!

[Ladvr6]

I have this problem on my e36 coupe, the binnacles randomly lose power in the same way you describe, sometimes its fine for a week, then other times i drive to work with a dico going on! from what i have researched it looks like something going on inside the clocks. i took the clocks out and unplugged and replugged them in, made no difference, next step is another set of clocks

edit - still does it after i recently fitted a new battery

Edited by Ladvr6 on Wednesday 18th February 12:50

[Richair]

Cheers for that! At least I'm not the only one lol. The problem comes in trying to find some clocks with similar mileage; my car has a pretty comprehensive history and I don't want to comprimise it. But then I suppose if it were all properly recorded

[Invisible man]

If the 328i binnicle is the same as the coupe, my son has one from an older model

[sniff diesel]

Richair said:

Cheers for that! At least I'm not the only one lol. The problem comes in trying to find some clocks with similar mileage; my car has a pretty comprehensive history and I don't want to comprimise it. But then I suppose if it were all properly recorded

I've got 2 spare clocks, one set with about 210k on them and another with about 130k IIRC

How many miles on yours Rich?

[Richair]

Just over 120k, however it seems to have stopped doing it for the time being!!! Random. The problem seemed to progressively diminish last week so I'm now monitoring the situation. Must have been some damp somewhere perhaps...

I'll be in touch though if it comes back! R

[TheEnd]

Depending on the age, you might have a coding plug which contains all the important bits, so you can keep the coding plug, and just swap the hardware and everything will act as before.

[MitchT]

If you're bothered about the milage on a replacement clock why not have it 'corrected'? There are companies which can change the mileage on digital odos - I saw one become the subject of an undercover investigation for 'clocking' cars on a TV program - but there's nothing wrong with having a new odo changed to show the correct milage. I believe that is what the equipment used is supposed to exist for!

[Richair]

Kewl, good to know that is! If I do need to change it, I will investigate and report back

[sniff diesel]

Rich, if you want to try another set of clocks you're welcome to borrow a spare set from me. It's only 2 screws then plug them in at the back to fit them.