lights flashing on dash help!!

Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:03 pm

hi guys i've got my battery light my exclamation light and my handbrake light flickering at me mainly at tickover or when i depress the clutch coming to a stop. i had the alternator and battery checked the other week and they said the battery was on its way out so i have had that replaced but the lights are still flickering also when i had the battery replaced the inspection light has come on the service indicator even though the car had an inspection 2 three months previous. do you think the batteries are leaking on the service indicator or could it be something else thanks.

Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:42 pm

If the SI lights were affected by a battery change (and it's not just the annual clock symbol coming on by coincidence), then the SI board batteries are dud.
The flickering lights are not a thing I would normally associate with dud SI board batteries, but I wouldn't totaly discount it.
The other possibility is the regulator pack on the alternator. Does the the ignition warning light flicker on?

Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:46 pm

hi brian sorry for the late reply after i posted my query i then drove home for 75 miles and the lights didn't flicker once travelling on the motorway but as soon as i pulled up at the traffic lights they came on again! does this help anymore cause its driving me mad. how much is an si board and where is the best place to get one? thanks again!

Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:57 pm

brettski wrote: i then drove home for 75 miles and the lights didn't flicker once travelling on the motorway but as soon as i pulled up at the traffic lights they came on again!

From this I think it's more likely to be the regulator pack on the back of the alternator.
Get one of a scrapper with a Bosch alternator in a yard. Look for one with plenty of length in the carbon brushes.
There are two sorts of SI board; one with AA sized NiCd batteries, and one with shorter, non rechargeable, Lithium batteries. Only the NiCd boards normally give trouble, so it's worth opening up any E30 clusters you find in a yard to find the Lithium type.
Your existing board may be a Lithium type of course.

Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:01 pm

try another instrument cluster or remove the bulbs

Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:25 am

thanks brian i'll let you know how i get on!

Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:39 pm

hi brian well the car has been in today and there is no fault with the alternator and they have reset the service lights so they are going to put a new pcb in next week and hopefully that will be the end of the problem.....

Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:26 pm

well i have had a new pcb board fitted today and the lights still flicker on its now really doing my head in any ideas guys as to what is wrong with the bloody thing?! thanks.

Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:47 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
brettski wrote: i then drove home for 75 miles and the lights didn't flicker once travelling on the motorway but as soon as i pulled up at the traffic lights they came on again!
From this I think it's more likely to be the regulator pack on the back of the alternator.
Get one of a scrapper with a Bosch alternator in a yard. Look for one with plenty of length in the carbon brushes.

Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:55 pm

hi brian i've had the alternator checked and they said it was fine do you think i should get it checked somewhere else.....?

Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:51 pm

Beg or borrow another one.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:51 pm

ok brian i'll see what i can do thanks very much for your help!

Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:05 pm

I have a similar problem the last few days.
Sometimes, when at idle, the battery light on the cluster flashes. Only at idle-2000rpm and not every time.
Did you find the problem with yours?

Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:33 pm

Brian, is this the regulator pack?

Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:49 pm

The part you have arrowed is the suppression capacitor, the voltage regulator, is the part above it.

Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:52 pm

rj wrote:The part you have arrowed is the suppression capacitor, the voltage regulator, is the part above it.

Correct!