help e30 325i instrument cluster failure

[savvi]

hi , my rpm an economy was first to stop workn about 2 weeks ago but now my water temp has stopped workn to, this is the one you really need 4 peace of mind, im guessing its the batteries that have made this happen i still have speedo an fuel , cars done 312,000ks

what type of batteries do i need {genuine bmw ones } is there a particular name for the batteries
or is it related to another problem that causes this,

any help appreciated ,

shane

[A1BMW325iSport]

hi shane, does indeed sound like a problem with the service indicator board.

what year of 325 do you have? as there were 2 types of service board/batteries used

[savvi]

hi shane, does indeed sound like a problem with the service indicator board.

what year of 325 do you have? as there were 2 types of service board/batteries used

thanks 4 replying, my car is an july 86 model

[A1BMW325iSport]

ok, that pretty much confirms it those batteries are the older type and do tend to leak and being older as well they will be dead by now, sometimes the acid that leaks takes the cct board out as well, only way to tell is strip down the insrtument cluster and check it over.

i can supply the correct batteries for it as well if u get stuck.

my advice though would be just to upgrade to the later type instrument cluster, find one from a 320/325 that has similar milage and your sorted. its a straight swap for the later instrument cluster i did the same in mine.

[Brianmoooore]

There are unlikely to be many E30s around still with their original NiCd SI board either working or recently deceased! Most will have had at least one replacement by now, and that replacement could be either NiCd or lithium.
The boards are directly interchangeable.
BMW will sell you a complete new SI board, but not just new batteries, but these can be bought from the likes of CPC or Maplins. Not a guaranteed cure, though, as the batteries may have leaked and corroded the board.
It's a while since I changed batteries in a board - these days I harvest all the lithium batteried ones I can find from scrapyards.

[A1BMW325iSport]

seen somewhere online selling new service boards for about 85quid prob have the link somewhere


upgrading to the later instrument cluster is easiest and cheapest option if your service board turns out to be corroded

[martletE30]

There are unlikely to be many E30s around still with their original NiCd SI board either working or recently deceased! Most will have had at least one replacement by now, and that replacement could be either NiCd or lithium.
The boards are directly interchangeable.
BMW will sell you a complete new SI board, but not just new batteries, but these can be bought from the likes of CPC or Maplins. Not a guaranteed cure, though, as the batteries may have leaked and corroded the board.
It's a while since I changed batteries in a board - these days I harvest all the lithium batteried ones I can find from scrapyards.

Hi, Can I ask what you do with boards that you harvest? Can you sell me a couple, I seem to be having a problem locating suitable replacement batteries to do the solder-replacement-trick.

Thanks Dave

[Brianmoooore]

None available at the moment - they've all gone into the clusters in E30s.
Suitable batteries to replace the NiCds on the earlier boards are available from www.cpc.co.uk , part no. BT00170 at £1.43 each. These are NiMH types and are shorter than the originals, which makes them easier to wire in the limited space, but work perfectly.
Beware of the small order carriage charge! Loads of other things available from cpc - bulbs for OBC, bulbs for window switches, etc., batteries for OE alarms, batteries for remote fobs, batteries for glovebox torch, tweeters, speakers, steering fluid, oil, etc., etc., as well as loads of non car related stuff. £40+ order gets you free carriage.

[old_skool]

^^ Brian, a list of the part numbers for all those things you mentioned would be great.