E30 Zone

I installed my stereo last night. I got one of those looms to go from the accessories panel to an ISO block.

The only thing that went wrong was that I managed to bust the glove box light and sprung pin.

Anyhow, I jumped in the car this morning and started on the journey to work. I have no indicators now! The stalk stays down/up and returns to center when i've finished turning but no flashing lights on the console or outside.

The Main beams still work from this stalk and if I press the hazard button everything works as it should.

I'm hoping I've dislodged a cable somewhere... maybe around the accesories panel. Something very simple I hope as I need to get it sorted tonight or I can't use the car.

Please please please help!

Graham

Grimbo,

This is hopefully a simple fix, I had the same problem. I'm assuming your car is a later model e30? If so, then the glove box light is linked in to the circuit for the indicators, and the light is likely to have been shorting. Check the fuse (number 4 iirc) and it'll probably be blown.

You should tape the wires around the golve box bulb holder, or re-fit it properly, as they can short without a bulb. Then replace the fuse, and your indicators should hopefully be sorted!

Hope it helps,
si

It's an mid 89

That sounds very plausible. The floor of the car got covered in little washers and springs but I couldn't figure out where from. It was when the cable sparked off the bare metal that I figured out what I had broken!

I then taped up the two ends of that which were seperate at the time. Do I need to try and fit the broken pieces back together?

Can anyone confirm that it's fuse 4?

Also is there a redunant fuse in the box that I could swap over by any chance? Not sure I'll be able to get to a shop today to get one. Any would like the indicators to be working. For instance I'd prefer indicators to the other internal lights which still work and the map lights also work...

it is indeed fuse 4 mate, 15A. As your car is a later model, the glove box light is linked into this circuit, even though no manuals confirm this (I only know this thanks to this site, it's a lifesaver)!

So long as the two bulb wires are separated and taped up, that should sort it for now. You could change the fuse for number 3 (auxiliary electric fan) or 16 (heated seats) if you've got these in there, as they won't be being used assuming you haven't fitted an electric fan or heated seats! There are a couple of other alternatives for the horn or the hazards, but I wouldn't recommend taking those unless you really have to!

Let me know if it works!

I don't have either of those fitted. Will there definitely be fuses in the box for them? If not can you tell which fuse numbers will do the horn and hazards so I definitely have something to swap over?

Thanks for your help!

This is the kind of problem I like - easy to fix!

I'll let you know how I get on, but it sounds as if you're on the right track.

If neither are fitted, if there are fuses you can take them. It's possible that you would have the fuses in the fuse box, but certainly not guaranteed! Someone may have stuck them in there sometime in the past!

The horn is fuse 7, and the hazards are on fuse 24.

Fingers crossed it is an easy fix - sounds like it especially as you mentioned busting the glove box light.

I checked and fuse 4 was blown. There weren't any fuses in 3 or 16. So I took a quick spin to the local dealers and got one. They wanted a euro for it, but when I produced a 50 he said forget it...

Threw it in and now I'm back being a polite indicating driver!

Thanks for the info!

glad to have helped mate, I've taken lots of help from other zoners, but try to give back whenever i can!!