''check'' light dead

Sat May 03, 2008 7:29 pm

I replaced my dead dash about month ago with used one from 320i cabrio, year 1992, that's what salesman said, when I fitted her it worked fine except rpm, then I changed ''chip'' from my old cluster and worked fine BUT check panel light doesn't come on, today I removed cluster and find out there is no bulb in the socket so i fitted new one. Still nothing, no CHECK light on.
Any ideas?

Sat May 03, 2008 10:22 pm

If there was no bulb assembly fitted to the replacement cluster, it probably came from a car without the 'check' system. If it did, there will be a piece of opaque plastic fitted in the cluster in place of the piece in your old cluster with CHECK on it.
This piece of plastic is held in place by the same white plastic bracket that retains the SI board.
There's something that doesn't quite add up here! If your car has a 'check' system, then you have a six pot car. (Wasn't fitted to four pots). You say the replacement came from a six pot, yet you still had to change the coding plug to get the tacho reading correct?
This suggests that you have a four pot cluster, in which case the fuel gauge is probably the wrong type as well.

Sun May 04, 2008 12:25 am

Brianmoooore wrote:If there was no bulb assembly fitted to the replacement cluster, it probably came from a car without the 'check' system. If it did, there will be a piece of opaque plastic fitted in the cluster in place of the piece in your old cluster with CHECK on it.
This piece of plastic is held in place by the same white plastic bracket that retains the SI board.
There's something that doesn't quite add up here! If your car has a 'check' system, then you have a six pot car. (Wasn't fitted to four pots). You say the replacement came from a six pot, yet you still had to change the coding plug to get the tacho reading correct?
This suggests that you have a four pot cluster, in which case the fuel gauge is probably the wrong type as well.

yeah, it's pretty weird. My car is six pot and check light on my old dash worked fine, but when I put new dash I changed the coding plug because the RPM reading was incorrect. Anyway new dash has gas gauge up to 60L, on coding plug is written 09.92, guy who sold it to me swears it's from 320 cab.
How to know it's from four pot?
I mean, that check light doesn't mean a much to me, but I love when it's working

Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:21 pm

Brian I need your help one more time

I opened my old cluster and took out small plastic piece with check light marks on it. Is it possible to fit it into a four pot cluster to get ''check'' light on?
Looks like my new cluster is from 4 pot, you were right, realoem says E30 318i touring 1992, gas gauge works fine...I only want the ''check'' light to blink

thanks mate

Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:23 pm

The piece of plastic with 'check' on it is easy to swap with the totaly opaque version. It's held in place by the same bracket that retains the SI board, and often falls out unnoticed when changing a SI board.

Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:25 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:The piece of plastic with 'check' on it is easy to swap with the totaly opaque version. It's held in place by the same bracket that retains the SI board, and often falls out unnoticed when changing a SI board.

Ok fella, will do this and post how it works

Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:26 am

well Brian, It's still dead.
I took apart cluster, installed that small plastic piece, new bulb fitted also but nothing, check light won't light up

Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:42 am

take the cluster back to the guy who sold you it and get another 1 else where and try it, or you'll have to live with it

and if your a perfectionist like me you wont be able to!lol

Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:35 pm

magoose wrote:take the cluster back to the guy who sold you it and get another 1 else where and try it, or you'll have to live with it and if your a perfectionist like me you wont be able to!lol

I am more than perfectionist, everything needs to be like new and without sign of damage or smth
Problem is that good E30's are very rare around here, so I can't find cluster in good working order, I bought this one cause guy said it's like new, and it is but from 4 pot car

Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:13 pm

There's no electronics relating to the flashing check light in the cluster - just a PCB track from pin 4 of the blue socket to the lamp holder, and a connection to the green/white ignition switched supply to the cluster which comes in on pin 23 of the blue socket.
Try connecting up the blue plug to your old cluster.

Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:58 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:There's no electronics relating to the flashing check light in the cluster - just a PCB track from pin 4 of the blue socket to the lamp holder, and a connection to the green/white ignition switched supply to the cluster which comes in on pin 23 of the blue socket.
Try connecting up the blue plug to your old cluster.

my old cluster is ripped apart

So there is no much philosophy about this, it needs to work if plastic is inside?

Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:40 pm

Try applying 12 volts between pin 4 and 23 on the new cluster, then. Bulb should light.

Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:00 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:Try applying 12 volts between pin 4 and 23 on the new cluster, then. Bulb should light.

I am personally dumb for leccy stuff, will try to get friend to sort it

Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:16 am

I can't believe it, I just got back from drive, looks like some lights on dash doesn't work

Under 6button BC is dark

Brian your help is needed again mate