Instrument panel gremlins

[Scott314]

Here's the deal: I've been having problems with my instrument panel for about the past year (it seems worse when its colder). At first, the speedo would drop to zero for a few minutes in the middle of a drive, or the tach would stay at zero for a minute after I started the car. Then, probably around last winter, I started having trouble with the temp. gauge. It got to the point where it would barely work at all (flicking the dash would make the needle jump for a couple seconds, and then it would die again).

I took apart the instrument panel to look for any problems, and didn't find any. No traces on any PCB that needed resoldered, no capacitors that looked burned out (I don't know if this applies to E30s or not, but I've heard of E34s with that problem), no loose wires, etc. Also, all the connectors were clean, no corrosion...

When I put it all back together, I haven't had any problems with the temp. gauge, but now the speedo stops working much more frequently, and the idiot lights on the bottom of the panel don't go off until the engine is revved past 1k RPM. Any ideas?

[Ravins]

My SI Board was bad on my cluster sometimes stuff works sometimes it doesnt only thing that works all the time is the Speedo

[E30SRPower]

I don't know anything about the BMW gauge clusters... I took mine out of my E30 project and made an autometer one. If you have an "i" engine, and want to replace it, shoot me a PM. IT worked fine when I took it ouit last month.

[Scott314]

My SI Board was bad on my cluster sometimes stuff works sometimes it doesnt only thing that works all the time is the Speedo

Hmm...At the moment thats the only thing that *isn't* working right (usually in the mornings, when its colder out), althought the temp. gauge is starting to waver sometimes when I go over a bump.

[Scott314]

I don't know anything about the BMW gauge clusters... I took mine out of my E30 project and made an autometer one. If you have an "i" engine, and want to replace it, shoot me a PM. IT worked fine when I took it ouit last month.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I just don't want to buy an instrument panel, install it, and find out that some of the wiring is bad. If I do decide to replace it, I'll shoot you a PM.

[DrMcDave]

they guy at the local dealership said that they have a thing they use to test all the functions off the gauge cluster. I am going to take mine out and have it tested. At this point i almost hope its the cluster and not the wiring, because tracking down the faulty wiring could be painful.

[bimmer8604]

chances are its the batteries your SI board. just get some new batteries, or a new SI bored. you'll have to do a search on how to put in the new batteries, but i think youcan get everything you need at like radioshack or something.

kyle