Gauges/Cluster Not Working! Help Please

[floriandotti]

I have a 1983 323i euro, with a 1989 328is in it.

recently I have been having some battery problems. I think there's a draw somewhere, but my gauges have stopped working

the light on my LEFT side of the cluster won't turn on (sometimes it will with a tap)

my odometer (YA), mpg meter, and speedometer are all not working too.

anyone have any ideas?

thanks so much

[jlevie]

Start by checking the fuses.

[kylekrueger]

I have had the same issue in my cluster. One thing that I found was that there was a short some where. For me it was my faulty 6 button OBC. since the wires from the obc come from the speedo harness and it would short there and blow the fuse for the speedo.

I believe the fuse for the speedometer is #12 if I am correct.

I still cannot figure out why the light goes out like that.

My fuel level gauge has not works lately and that is because there is a bad connection between the connection. I would try that, make sure all contacts are good.

Another thing you can do (I have not tried) but take a ohmeter and check all the little pins in the male connectors and make sure you are getting power to each.

Thats my 2 cents hope it was a little helpful, especially if you are electrically slow like I am.

[floriandotti]

I checked the fuses and they're all ok. but what is weird is sometimes the gauges will start out working, but then the needle on the speedometer will start jumping around and then nothing works.

the light behind the gauges works with a little tap. are there wires or something that i can check?

[kylekrueger]

Yes, there are a whole bunch of wires. Take the gauge cluster out and check the connections to the cluster.

[bddog]

Si board. Almost always.

[REVHARD05]

sometimes the bolt on the back of the cluster will corrode and break connect