Gage cluster issue

[chicozoo17]

A month or two ago after having my e30 in hibernation some new issues have come up. My radio stopped working and wont turn on. The tachometer needle and temp needle, mostly the tach, seem to stick don't move for 3-4 sec on cold starts. Does this mean the gears are going bad?

[SamE30e]

Could be the SI board batteries being weak. The battery must have died since the radio doesn't work. Does it say "CODE" on it?

[chicozoo17]

The radio doesn't even turn on anymore, nothing on the screen. The light on the knob is the only thing that turns on. What other issues are associated with the SI board? All the bulbs and service lights are working fine.

[jmairs]

Sounds like a dead / low battery to me. Radio is always the first to go when my battery gets low. Then dim lights, then poor idle, then complete death.

[Fidhle007]

You should be able to run off the alternator though so make sure you're charging still.

More importantly check your fuses, I think it's 21 which controls the tach and a lot of interior stuff.

[deekay]

how do u replace the batteries in the SI board? maybe a stupid question sorry if it is.

[Jean]

take the cluster out, take the si board out, get your soldering gun and desoldering pump/wick ready, order new batteries and get to work. sometimes boards are damaged where new batteries won't fix it, so keep that also in mind as might need to get a spare.

[Fidhle007]

The new ones are solid state too, no batteries to fail!

[Jean]

yep, had one of those in my early cluster...

[deekay]

and the best place to order new batteries?