access to obc via glovebox ?

[cortina]

how do you remove glovebox or panel to get access to rear of obc to replace bulb that lights up the 13 buttons?

[smithy318i]

small screw at the top right, and 2 twist off plastic screws at the back of the panel.

[Jamesb318is]

Theres two ways to do this.
1. the hard way - undo the glovebox, undo the two straps holding it up, then remove the plastic cover on the right hand side (one phillips screw+some clips that you turn 90 deg to remove) you can the get to the rear of the OBC unit, and undo the 4 screws that screw it to the dash from behind - very fiddly and difficult to get to.

2.The easy way - remove your head unit, and its cage if it has one. On the left hand side in the hole where the head unit was - you will see the side of the obc, and a small white rectangle. This is the bulb pack and you can pull it out the side with a pair of pliers. It will move a little, but you will find it is blocked by a piece of dash plastic. All you've got to do is file/snap/cut this bit off (just enough to remove the bulbs, dont hack the dash to bits) and hey presto! (dont worry, you wont see the cut bit, nor is it structural in any way)

[smithy318i]

it's the bulb for the buttons he wants to remove. Not the LCD illumination.

[cortina]

correct!its m3 cab lhd,so its all the other way round,i presume.so if and when i get to the back of the obc the bulb holder will be there ready to come out.i hope

[smithy318i]

correct!its m3 cab lhd,so its all the other way round,i presume.so if and when i get to the back of the obc the bulb holder will be there ready to come out.i hope

erm... No.

Who told you that you can get the bulb out that way?

the bulb is burried in a hole and you need long nosed pliers to get it out.

look...

[Jamesb318is]

Sorry fellas, read it too quick! You'll be wanting to remove the whole OBC unit then.

[JAMZ]

Yea,the whole unit needs to come out if its yer buttons that arent illuminating.. they didnt make them easy to replace im afraid..

guys while were here i posted a thread in tech, my alternator is playing up and is spiking,now my OBC doenst illuminate at all..any ideas? im hoping its just the bulbs and not anything else..are these protected in any way..i.e fused?

rgds

[DaveD]

try this

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techart ... cement.htm


and do a search as there has been instructions on putting new bulbs(?) in the old board

[cortina]

dont think much to the pelican aticle.says prise out front panel,does not mention any screws.!so, to replace the bulb for the illum on the 13 lights obc i need to remove it from panel and then use longnoses to get bulb out?is that the way?

[DaveD]

try this

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... uter+bulbs

[NH325CAB]

Actually you don't have to remove the whole unit. Just undo the two screws on the bulb holder side (nearest the centre of the console) and you should be able to push the obc back far enough to be able to access the white bulb holder without removing the whole unit. I know cos i did it two weeks ago.

[smithy318i]

i love it when people dont read posts properly.

[cortina]

idont need to remove the white plastic jobby to fix the illum on the 13 button display,surely.What is the real answer to my ?I am still in the dark(sic)

[NH325CAB]

ooops...

[smithy318i]

PROCEDURE
1) First open the glovebox and remove the upper black plastic cover by removing the front 5 screws and taking out the two clips located on the left and right sides of it. Unhook the two prongs that connect to the light. Unhook the glovebox door by removing the two straps from its housing, then let it rest on the floor. (To avoid a mess it may help to remove the contents of it first.) Remove the right black plastic dashboard panel (adjacent to the glovebox) by removing the clip located towards the floor, then slowly wiggling it out of its position.

2) If you have a factory BMW radio, pop out the two tabs on the side and use the anti-theft puller to remove it. If you have an aftermarket radio, reach in from behind the dash and slowly push it out. (If you have an older Alpine, use a ballpoint pen and release the two tabs on the front.) Disconnect the wiring harness and power supply and set it aside. It may be helpful to remove the metal dashplate that holds the head unit in place.

3) Reach in from behind the dash and pop out the button closest to the clock. For me, it was the circuit breaker, but on your car it may be the defrost or hazards.

4) Flip up the switch on the back of the clock and pull out the green plug.There are 4 screws holding the clock in place, one on each corner. It is not necessary to remove the screws completely, so try to leave them partially unscrewed. If you do happen to take them out, be extremely careful that it doesn't fall into the bottom of the dashboard, where it will never be seen again. (Trust me, you will never see it again, so be careful. I've tried looking.) Now slowly remove the clock, taking care not to wiggle it excessively (otherwise the screws will fall out, duh)


Once it is removed, you have access to the Light Bar (for the LCD) and the light bulb for illuminating the buttons.

the bulb holder twists out using long nosed pliers.

hope this helps.

[cortina]

done it at last!removed radio,pulled out hazard switch,dropped glove box,undid g/box black side panel,reached in using small philips driver and tackled the 4 screws holding obc in place. totally removed the 2 nearest vehicle centre which i could see and touch through the radio and hazard switch hole.then crafully unscrew the other 2,butdo NOT remove!.this allows obc to be released .then more fun starts in just replacing the bulb, what a stupid bulb holder! anyway i peraevered using my continuity tester and finally got it to ILLUMINATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks to all. I'm a new boy to e30s and these web things