Fuel Gauge Woes.

[freeride53]

so basically here's the problem with my fuel gauge on my instrument panel. It goes dead (pegged on empty) but if i hit the top of my dash, it'll go back to its correct reading (however much gas is in my tank) then back to dead. If repeat the process several times, it may hold, but then it goes back to dead. Can anyone help me out? Car is a 91' 318i M42

Thanks!

[Adrian_Visser]

Bad contact/broken solder joint in the cluster. It would be easiest to find a used cluster and swap it.

[freeride53]

oh noes. i dont wanna swap my clusters, i wanna have at least *one* car with a correct speedo reading. how would you recommend going about the problem w/o replacing the cluster?

[Adrian_Visser]

You will have to remove the cluster and trace the circuit through the printed circuit boards I really can't help you much more than that. I haven't had an e30 cluster that far in pieces but if it's anything like an e28 one you can swap the speedo gauge out just by pulling it off its contacts and dropping it onto the PCB of the "new cluster." It isn't hard to break something and end up worse off than before though so be careful.

[accident]

you can swap the spedometers between clusters.

[freeride53]

Hmm.
Alright, so today I took the car the local German Auto Mechanic, he had a look at it, and told me that they could take it out and send it to VDO in Concord, CA...
Like you said Adrian-I have very little experience working with such fragile parts. Plus the bimmer world is very new to me, and with my shitty luck, I've gone through 3 Clusters on my old Peugeot. I'm expecting a call tomorrow, if that fails, I'll ask back here.

[Adrian_Visser]

That is going to cost you at least $200 are you ready to shell that much out?

[freeride53]

I mean I don't know. It's like, I'm not sure if i can get a cluster for less than that around here. The e30's in the local yards are all usually pretty shitty, mostly really early models. Plus the selection is getting worse and worse every year.
If i can find a speedo for less than that, and someone's willing to help me out with the swap that'd be dope! :D

[bimmerpirate]

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51635

that's how to take it apart. it's pretty straightforward. plus a few other things you can do while there.

[Burnera]

french <----a few light years----> german

[mazur]

Push 1 and 1000 at the same time on your OBC for amount of fuel left.

Even if your gauge fails that function should still work.

[freeride53]

Push 1 and 1000 at the same time on your OBC for amount of fuel left.

Even if your gauge fails that function should still work.

I have the lame OBC w/o the cool stuff :-|