E36 strange electrical problem

[paulj]

Well I got an E36 thinking all my worries would be halved (how wrong I was)
my car has now picked up a very strange electrical problem, every time I turn my lights off my dash stays illuminated my rear number plate lights stay on and the indicators go mental for about 20 mins, my handbrake light works but doesn't come on and if I open and close the boot a few times it all goes out but comes back on after 5 mins, I thought it may be a loose connection somewhere but its pretty much to the second every time


Any ideas lads I really don't want to go to the stealers to get it sorted



Cheers guys

Paul

[boybimmerm3]

I would check the wiring loom near the boot hinge, the wiring often breaks and shorts together. Pull the rubber protection off the loom and take a look, a good place to start.

[stuartgallafant]

I would check the wiring loom near the boot hinge, the wiring often breaks and shorts together. Pull the rubber protection off the loom and take a look, a good place to start.

you would have thought all these would have been done, eh stu!!

either that, which is more than likely, or, a problem with the glorious LCM!!

nice....

[paulj]

cheers lads ill look into that in the morning

[tristan325]

I would check the wiring loom near the boot hinge, the wiring often breaks and shorts together. Pull the rubber protection off the loom and take a look, a good place to start.

+1 had exactly the same problem. Get in there before the mofo catches fire!!

[Andyboy]

Apparently on E36's with the on board computer, dodgy wiring here can even stop the thing from running by sending an errant command back to the OBC and spiking the OBC immobiliser - I find that a bit hard to believe but it's on good authority. The classic fault where you lock the door and it immediately unlocks itself is normally due to that. BMW do a new loom but in the past I've chopped a section of loom from another car and soldered it in behind the boot side trim. It's pretty obvious when the boot loom needs changing as it looks shagged. Unlike the E30/E34/E32 it doesn't plug into the main loom but is part of it.....

[paulj]

cheers lads

i had a peek at the boot loom and low and behold the outer tape is shagged and there is a couple of exposed wires.
hopefully thats the problem im gonna tackle it on the weekend until the the car i tucked up safeyin my garage with the batt disconnected just incase

again thanks for your help lads