Instrument cluster bulbs.

[csl]

I have removed my instrument cluster to replace my two 3w dash bulbs, as they were out.

When i was checking the rest of the cluster over, there seemed to be one of the smaller (1.2w) bulb holders missing from behind the temp. gauge,the opposite side (behind the fuel gauge)has one fitted,so i'm assumeing it originally had one here ?

Also should these two be coloured bulbs or just plain ?

First time i have seen behind a dash on an e30,so sorry if it seems obvious,just want it right before i refit it

Thanks in advance.

[slinky2000]

no e30 to my knowledge came with a little bulb for the temp guage mate, the hole is there alright though

[E30Mark]

There is a place to fit a warning lamp for when the engine temp hits the red... my old 318iS had the lamp fitted, but i never over heated the car to see if it worked!

Fit a spare lamp in this vacant position, and short out the wire that goes to the brown temp sender on the engine to earth, the temp needle to climb into the red with the ignition switched on, see if the lamp illuminates.

[Chris]

All the bulbs in the cluster are clear.

[Brianmoooore]

There is a place to fit a warning lamp for when the engine temp hits the red... my old 318iS had the lamp fitted, but i never over heated the car to see if it worked!

Fit a spare lamp in this vacant position, and short out the wire that goes to the brown temp sender on the engine to earth, the temp needle to climb into the red with the ignition switched on, see if the lamp illuminates.

All E30s have the position for an overheat light behind the red part of the temp gauge, but the scale on every E30 I've seen doesn't have a coloured translucent bit for it to shine through. The connections from the lamp just lead to one of the connectors on the back of the cluster, so whatever works the light, it's seperate from the cluster.
Some markets have an overheat light in the overhead 'check' panel, and this is worked (I think) by a switch in one of the spare positions on the water outlet/thermostat elbow on six pots.
Since the iS (or any other 4 pot) didn't have 'check' panels, then I wonder if the position in the temp gauge was used on these?

[E30Mark]

The spare cluster i have here is from a '89 325i, it has a translucent red bit on the temp gauge... I can shine a torch through the missing lamp position, and make it light up!

[Brianmoooore]

If you check out the ETK, some six pot diagrams show four sensors mounted on the thermostat elbow. I suspect the short one (15) is the overheat switch.

[csl]

Thought i was asking a stupid question initially just wanted my dash refitting as it should be !

Thinking about it,am i right in saying the bulb behind the fuel gauge is a low fuel warning,that will illuminate a section on the fuel gauge if i let it get low on fuel ???

Just for clarification, my car is a 1989 325i Sport tech2...........did these have a 1.2w bulb behind temp gauge from new or was that for some other model ?

My dealer is chomping at the bit to sell me a new bulb holder for £1.30

Thankyou all for the input

[Brianmoooore]

Hold the cluster up to a bright light and look through the bulb holder hole. If you can see a red/orange translucent section, then fit the bulb. If it's all black in there (99% probability), then don't fit the bulb.

[csl]

Hold the cluster up to a bright light and look through the bulb holder hole. If you can see a red/orange translucent section, then fit the bulb. If it's all black in there (99% probability), then don't fit the bulb.

Thankyou Mr B.Moooore,i shall act on your advice

Didn't know there was a difference on temp gauges,so thankyou all cos i've learnt a bit more today!