Trip Odometer Zeros Out?

[dennyg]

HI everyone. I have had my 89 535ia now for about a month. I love the car now that suspension parts are completed. My odometer zeros out about fifty percent of the time when the car is started. Sometimes the dash will blink out when started and come back. This has happened maybe twice. One time it went into german language. Its no big deal about keeping track of miles because main odometer works fine. Its the trip odometer that is puzzling me. Any ideas as to why it is happening? Car is in great shape for 17 year old car. Has only 46k on it now.

[CharlesAFerg]

HI everyone. I have had my 89 535ia now for about a month. I love the car now that suspension parts are completed. My odometer zeros out about fifty percent of the time when the car is started. Sometimes the dash will blink out when started and come back. This has happened maybe twice. One time it went into german language. Its no big deal about keeping track of miles because main odometer works fine. Its the trip odometer that is puzzling me. Any ideas as to why it is happening? Car is in great shape for 17 year old car. Has only 46k on it now.

Don't know about that, but I'm going to have to ask whoever answers your question this-
I can't get my 89 M20 525i to go INTO german language mode, maybe I did it wrong... any suggestions anybody?

[shogun]

could be time to replace the capacitors
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/johan/dash_caps/dash_caps.html

Changing the OBC language:
The OBC language of the car will sometimes reset itself to German. To change it to whatever you like try this:
1. Turn the ignition to position 1.
2. Hold the CC button down for 10 seconds. Then the next language will appear.
3. Repeat this procedure untill you have the desired language.
The available languages are: Engish UK, English US, French, German, Italian, Spanish

[dennyg]

Thats easy. You have a push button on the right of your dash that looks like the trip odometer reset. Put key into number one position and hold button for about ten seconds. This will switch german to english so I am assuming that it will switch back to german this way too. It may take more then one try. Mine worked in two.......by the way I see from previous threads on a search that capacitors may be my problem. Guess I should have done the search before posting a thread huh? Oh well not my first stupid attack and certainly not my last.......good luck

[dennyg]

Thanks Shogun. Any info on what position the capacitor would be on board? Test them all for resistence? I will probably wait until another problem occurs because trip odometer is not important for me. I guess if one goes another might not be far behind. I will wait for better weather since I have no garage now.........

[shogun]

change them all out, they are dry and old. And they cost only a few $ for all 5.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/289051

[dennyg]

Hey charles.....was I being the straight man for a joke or did you really want german on your dash?.......If you live in portland maybe you can get portugeeze.......

[JerseySi]

Mine does this very occasionally too - maybe 3 or 4 times in the year i've had the car..
When it happens, the trip counter zeros and the dash display changes to german - yet the main OBC stays english..
It'l stay that way until it resets itself randomly again, if I try to change language, the dash display & OBC stay out of sync, although cycle through languages fine..
Odd, but not worried about it until it happens more often
*touches wood*