Illuminated gearshift selector???

[EonPeon]

Hi,

I have a 530i 1994 Automatic (E34).

At night, with the lights on, I cannot see which shift I'm selecting - shouldn't the shift selector be illuminated like it is in every other car I have ever driven?

Sure, the shift selected is displayed on the instrument cluster, but I surely that can't be the only way to see in the dark?!?!?

Also, the shift-type (Sport/Adaptive) switch is not illuminated either, when the same type of switch (like on the sunroof), is illuminated.

Have I got a blown lightbulb somewhere, and if so, how can I get under there without wrecking the wood fascia around the gearshift?

Please help!!!!




Ian

[Kai@e34.de]

the switch for the driving programs is illuminated. blown bulb, like you've noticed.

but don't know anything about the gershift selector, it's not illuminated in the ECE, don't know why.

[rps1072]

There's a bulb that plugs into a little prism where the gear selector is. You will have to pry up the panel that surrounds the shifter.

[EonPeon]

Thanks!

I'll give it a go in the morning!


Ian

[rps1072]

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_13.htm

Be careful. Here are some destructions on how to remove the panel.

[EonPeon]

Thanks Ryan!!

From those photos, it isn't obvious where the bulb is (is it just one?), will it be clear once I lift the fascia?

Also, the light in the Sport/Adaptive switch has gone too. Is that a separate light or do they share the same lightsource?

Many thanks!




Ian

[EonPeon]

Thanks Ryan!!

From those photos, it isn't obvious where the bulb is (is it just one?), will it be clear once I lift the fascia?

Also, the light in the Sport/Adaptive switch has gone too. Is that a separate light or do they share the same lightsource?

Many thanks!




Ian

[rps1072]

I think that they are both the same light bulb. When you get the panel off, there are wires connected to it. Follow them to the light bulb socket. The prism is actually attached to the bottom of the panel, so it will be tethered by the wires.

Although it is not listed, the light is #'s 29 and 30 on the diagram.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HJ63&mospid=47414&btnr=51_3030&hg=51&fg=35

[EonPeon]

Cool!! Many thanks!!

I'll let you know how I go!

All the best,




Ian

[uscharalph]

Mine isn't illuminated. It just has painted letters / numbers. Is this an upgrade / option?

[EonPeon]

Well, that's a very good question!

Mine appears to be painted in (chrome/silver) too, but I cannot believe this is not illuminated! Surely BMW of all manufacturers would NOT have sold a car that you cannot see which gear you're selecting at night?!?

Do we have any friendly BMW dealers in the forum who can confirm this either way?

The gear selected is displayed on the instrument cluster - as is the setting of the Adaptive/Sport switch - which is also NOT illuminated in my car at the moment (I'm hoping they share the light from the same bulb). A similar switch is used for the sunroof and THAT is illuminated... Why would I need my sunroof at night and not my gears...?!?

I'm hoping this is a simple bulb that's gone. Ryan has been fantastically helpful by providing the exploded diagram which does indeed show a light bulb!

If yours isn't illuminated, possibly you have a blown lightbulb as well?

Does anyone else have this problem? Does anyone have an E34 WITH an illuminated shift selector and A/S switch?!?

[EonPeon]

I should just add - the switch next to my gear shift is marked A and S, which according to my manual stands for Adaptive and Sport.

Other E34s out there appear to have the markings A and M - Auto and Manual?

Anyway, if YOUR switch is illuminated - or not - PLEASE TELL US IN THIS POST!

[KurtM]

illuminated gear selector. There is a small light that illuminates the gear your in.

Kurt
95 525ia

[EonPeon]

In that case, I suppose a quick way to tell would be to prise off the selector indicator panel and have a look underneath....

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/console1.jpg

[rps1072]

Perhaps the bulb is gone on yours too. Most every automatic I have ever been in BMW or no) has an illuminated gear selector. The painted letters are probably translucent. If that is not the case, you could order the part and install it.

[EonPeon]

Hi Everyone,

Well, I prised off the P-R-N-D-etc... shift selector plate with a penknife, it pops out quite easily.

Underneath, I could see no immediate evidence of there being a lamp underneath. The shift selector plate is black, opaque plastic, with the letters in relief and painted silver, so I fail to see how a light underneath would make any difference.

Does anyone know of any retrofit that can be done to get that shift illuminated? My car was built in Dec 93 - did later models have an illuminated shift selector?

I would very much appreciate any suggestions people might have about this!

Best regards,



Ian

[uscharalph]

It was later models.

[hubster999]

I have a 94 and mine are lit up. I've had the wood part up and the wire to the bulb runs directly to the plastic around the RND321...........my 2 cents worth

hubster

[Randell]

just had a look at mine... it's non-translucent black plastic, so the light from any bulb underneath wouldn't get through anyway... kinda odd, but then again it's not really hard to remember P-R-N-D-3-2-1 is it?

[upallnight]

You have a blown bulb. The gear shift selector is illuminated.

[Marshy]

Why is it a problem that the selector itself it not illuminated when the dash tells you which position the lever is in? I find it infinitely preferable to glance quickly at the dash rather than all the way down to the lever...

[EonPeon]

I have a 94 and mine are lit up. I've had the wood part up and the wire to the bulb runs directly to the plastic around the RND321...........my 2 cents worth

hubster

Hi Hubster999,

What sort of material is used in your plastic plate with the PRND321 etc printed on it?

Is yours black plastic with lettering raised and painted silver (like mine) or some other construction? Mine looks similar to the one in this photo....

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/console1.jpg

If someone else is reading this post, would you please tell me if yours is illuminated, and if so, does it look like the one in this photo or is it different?

Many thanks,




Ian

[Qsilver7]

OH-MAH-GAWD...okay....now that I have my head wrapped in duct tape to keep it from exploding...I will respond with this bit of info! :p

Reading thru the thread...a few times someone has mentioned that the illuminated gear shift selector is YEAR specific...and y'all kept posting right past that (twice) as if it was never mentioned.

By now...all of us (that frequent the board everyday) should now that things start and stop...stop then start again etc thru the production run of a BMW model. For instance...ellipsoid lights...start, then stop for a few years, then return again. The illuminated thumbwheel on the center air vent (1989-1992)...stops with 1993 model year and the thumbwheel gets "painted dots" instead...only the V8s have the wide grill, then in the 1995...all e34s get the wide grill...yada, yada, yada.

As some of you can attest...that went out and flipped up the little PRND321 panel...if it's opaque...there's no way to illuminate it. THIS IS SIMPLE and has already been stated...the lighted PRND321 is year specific and if yours is lit...it will NOT be opaque but will have little small windows/dots next to the PRND321 and the panel & lettering is transluscent to allow the light (shown in a diagram that was posted) to pass thru.

(this is what the illuminated gear selector looks like...note the dots to the right of the flat letters):

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/433000-433999/433594_368_full.jpg

(and this is a NON LIT gear selector from my 91 735iL...the PRND321 is opaque and raised):
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/433000-433999/433594_158_full.jpg

As far as your A / S switch goes...it should be illuminated and it does NOT share the same bulb...its bulb is soldered inside the switch. You will have to find a small 12v bulb to replace it after you've opened the switch or buy a new switch (more money). If you pull your sunroof switch out and hook it up to your tranny switch's electrical connector...you will see that it will light up in both places.

Your A/S switch is another example of how little things change by model year...early e34s had an S/E/M switch, then came the A / M switch, yours has the A/ S switch and later V8s have an A/ * (snowflake) switch. Along with the V8s with their different switches...they also have ATC (adaptive transmission control) which was a big advancement in tranny technology. Here is a detailed BMW bulletin that describes its introduction: http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e34/specs/all_adaptive_trans.html

[uscharalph]

Hopefully you can take off the duct tape now. Great Post!

[Omega]

Jeez, who would have thought a couple of lights could cause so much trouble?

For the record the shifter in my 90 525 doesn't light up, but the gear selection is shown in the dash. For ease of reference if you're driving at night and the car is moving forward you're probably in Drive. If you are moving backwards I'd hazard a guess that you're in Reverse. No movement, dispite putting your foot on the Gas? Probably Neutral or Park..... :D

For a quick fix, remove the torch from the glove box and Duct-tape it to the shifter rod. In the dark, turn on the torch and hey-presto... a lit up shifter. ;)

[Karl]

I tried...
...to update the console with illuminated shift position plate, when the original PRND... strip got lost. The illuminated strip doesn't fit into the slot where the non-illuminated part fits. Fortunately the parts guy was nice about exchanging it.