keep blowing fuse 21.....

[ffelan]

rev counter / fuel economy / clock

keeps blowing a 7.5....

put a 15 in and it doesnt blow but clearly there is a short as rev/ f/e gauge jump around?

any ideas before i start to cry.

[E30Mark]

Check the glove-box light, they fall apart and short out on the chassis..

Take the 15A fuse out NOW !

[ffelan]

lol there is no fuse it....

was just a test for few seconds to see what happened...

if i had a glovebox i would check it.. will however check the remaining wires for the light as suspect you may be right....

[Omi]

Reverse light switch is rubbing against your transmission tunnel. - Pull the gaitor up and move the cable that goes through the rubber gaitor underneath to have a look.

Ask anyone who went to Rockingham with the Northern convoy how many 7.5A fuses I used that day!!

[Brianmoooore]

Reverse light switch is rubbing against your transmission tunnel. - Pull the gaitor up and move the cable that goes through the rubber gaitor underneath to have a look.

Ask anyone who went to Rockingham with the Northern convoy how many 7.5A fuses I used that day!!

Only problem with that idea is that the reverse light is on fuse 10, and the problem is with fuse 21!

[Brianmoooore]

Check the glove-box light, they fall apart and short out on the chassis..

Take the 15A fuse out NOW !

One design of glovebox light socket almost always short circuits if the lamp is removed.
Glovebox light was only off fuse 21 on early cars, up to about the age of yours. Later cars, it's on fuse 10.

[ffelan]

re seated gear gaiter rubber bit.. managed 40+ miles with no blown fuse... however twice i saw a flash of a short under where the glovebox used to be... so further investigation is required.

[Steviec]

Might be worth checking for a loose black wire that should be earthed (somewhere near where the glovebox light goes I think) as I had that on my old 320i (iirc was a few year ago now).

[Brianmoooore]

There is no black wire that needs earthing near the glovebox, unless it's from a Thatcham approved alarm, and it's nothing to do with the gear lever/reverse lights.

[E30Mark]

Check the glove-box light, they fall apart and short out on the chassis..

Take the 15A fuse out NOW !

One design of glove-box light socket almost always short circuits if the lamp is removed.
Glove-box light was only off fuse 21 on early cars, up to about the age of yours. Later cars, it's on fuse 10.

The handbook for my 318iS (1991) states

Fuse 10 = 7.5A
Instruments, OBC, reversing lights, service Indicator

Fuse 21 = 7.5A
Interior lights, glovebox lights, luggage compartment lights (boot??) torch, clock, radio memory, and OBC (again...)

Haven't been outside to look at my car as it's raining !

[Brianmoooore]

Check the glove-box light, they fall apart and short out on the chassis..

Take the 15A fuse out NOW !

One design of glove-box light socket almost always short circuits if the lamp is removed.
Glove-box light was only off fuse 21 on early cars, up to about the age of yours. Later cars, it's on fuse 10.

The handbook for my 318iS (1991) states

Fuse 10 = 7.5A
Instruments, OBC, reversing lights, service Indicator

Fuse 21 = 7.5A
Interior lights, glovebox lights, luggage compartment lights (boot??) torch, clock, radio memory, and OBC (again...)

Haven't been outside to look at my car as it's raining !

Your handbook lies!
Glovebox light is on 10 on your car.

[Simon]

One design of glove-box light socket almost always short circuits if the lamp is removed.
Glove-box light was only off fuse 21 on early cars, up to about the age of yours. Later cars, it's on fuse 10.

The handbook for my 318iS (1991) states

Fuse 10 = 7.5A
Instruments, OBC, reversing lights, service Indicator

Fuse 21 = 7.5A
Interior lights, glovebox lights, luggage compartment lights (boot??) torch, clock, radio memory, and OBC (again...)

Haven't been outside to look at my car as it's raining !

Your handbook lies!
Glovebox light is on 10 on your car.

Bentley and haynes manual both say Fuse 21 too...

[E30Mark]

Well I've just been outside and pulled fuses 10 & 21 and the glove-box light remained on.... the glove-box light is fuse 4 on my car ! (indicators)

So they all lie !!

[Brianmoooore]

I'm getting confused now.
Typo in my last post. For fuse 10, read fuse 4.
On all E30s, post early 88 / late 87, the glove box light is on fuse 4.
BMW did not update the handbook.