Dash & Cluster lights (out)

[Beez540]

So I just got my 94 540. I'm in the process of fixing all the little things wrong with the car. Trim pieces, power windows not going down, etc.

Well, I hadn't driven the car at night much...but I've realized that the temp. gauge has no night illumination, as well as some of the climate control switches and dials/knobs.

Some of them seem like they must be LED (the vent control lights).. which I'm not super worried about.

But the Temp. gauge kind of stresses me out (and I'm assuming that's a bulb)... especially since I have a very small coolant leak coming from somewhere around the lower passenger side of the engine compartment (pardon the vagueness, but I don't know my way around these cars yet... YET).


So I guess my question is... I'm taking the car in next week to have the power windows fixed / checked out. Is it easy to fix gauge cluster night lights? Is that something they could fix fairly easily?

Anyone have any ideas?


Thanks

-B

[Dave M]

So I just got my 94 540. I'm in the process of fixing all the little things wrong with the car. Trim pieces, power windows not going down, etc.

Well, I hadn't driven the car at night much...but I've realized that the temp. gauge has no night illumination, as well as some of the climate control switches and dials/knobs.

Some of them seem like they must be LED (the vent control lights).. which I'm not super worried about.

But the Temp. gauge kind of stresses me out (and I'm assuming that's a bulb)... especially since I have a very small coolant leak coming from somewhere around the lower passenger side of the engine compartment (pardon the vagueness, but I don't know my way around these cars yet... YET).


So I guess my question is... I'm taking the car in next week to have the power windows fixed / checked out. Is it easy to fix gauge cluster night lights? Is that something they could fix fairly easily?

Anyone have any ideas?


Thanks

-B

Good Morning Beez,

Can't speak to the power windows (I'm sure you'll find something archived here), but the cluster lights are something you could do yourself. Check the link to a recent post below and note the airbag comment. My vehicle is 'bagless' and it took @15 minutes to remove the cluster. With new bulbs handy, it shouldn't take much longer to complete your job. If you get the dealer or an independent to do the job, let us know what it cost.

Cluster Lights Post (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=9355)

Good Luck

[Beez540]

Good Morning Beez,

Can't speak to the power windows (I'm sure you'll find something archived here), but the cluster lights are something you could do yourself. Check the link to a recent post below and note the airbag comment. My vehicle is 'bagless' and it took @15 minutes to remove the cluster. With new bulbs handy, it shouldn't take much longer to complete your job. If you get the dealer or an independent to do the job, let us know what it cost.

Cluster Lights Post (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=9355)

Good Luck
Thanks for the link... that's a good write up.
Very interesting... I probably could do that. However, the only light out in the cluster is the temp gauge. The cluster in that write up didn't even have bulb sockets in the 4 major meter/gauge locations. hmmm? Anyone else experienced a working temp gauge without the night illumination?

[shogun]

http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/sean750/dash_bulbs/showOpenCluster.jpg

[Kalevera]

Also, you might just want to pop out the window lift switch(es) and clean the contacts. My PS rear window was working off and on until I pulled the switches and cleaned them. Not that hard to do - takes 5 seconds.

And get a Bentley's if you don't have one already. This stuff is run of the mill <15 min repairs.

Good luck!

[Bill R.]

you want to replace the 3 3watt that you see here, they control all the gauges lighting at night.

http://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/0988dashcluster1%20copy.jpg

And here's the procedure for removing the dash cluster, the only difference on your car will be that the battery is under the rear seat on the passenger side and that a bolt holds the steering wheel on and its a smaller size.


And here's the procedure to pull the light switches out of the center cluster http://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/windowswitch.jpg

And here's the inside of one of the switches, ignore the part that says to cut these leads, that was to replace the bulbhttp://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/window_switch3.jpgDash cluster removal (http://www.bimmernut.com/~billr/images/airBagAndBulbs_files/airBagAndBulbs.html)

[Beez540]

Dave, Shogun, Lowell, and Bill... you guys are awesome. Thanks for the info... I'll see about cracking into it on Saturday. I know the rear left side window has something very wrong with it though... that is not a switch issue. You can hear the motor going up and down... window won't move, but when the motor (or gear or whatever is in there) comes back up.. you can hear it crunch into the window and you can see the window move a bit.

[Beez540]

Also, you might just want to pop out the window lift switch(es) and clean the contacts. My PS rear window was working off and on until I pulled the switches and cleaned them. Not that hard to do - takes 5 seconds.

And get a Bentley's if you don't have one already. This stuff is run of the mill <15 min repairs.

Good luck!

You guys are awesome, this site is awesome. I did like you said and popped out the window swtiches (totally filthy btw)... hosed them down in contact cleaner... cleaned out tons of gunk with toothpicks and q-tips... blew it out... put it back together... and VIOLA! The drivers window is working perfect. Unfortunately, the left rear window has a more serious issue... something is up with the regulator or regulator pivot bushings (I've learned so much in 2+1/2 days)... So I think I may crack into that this weekend rather than take it to a shop next week.


Sadly, something new has happened... I have a coolant leak up around the radiator. I'm going to start a thread on that too I suppose.

Thanks,

-B

[PatrickPGH]

Have you tried slamming the door closed? Worked for me.

I just replaced the radiator on my 95 530. The leak is probably coming from the lower radiator hose. Remove the airbox and you'll be able to dig down in their to see the connection. Make sure the hose clamp is on there tight and properly seated. If the leak is coming from the plastic you'll have to replace the whole radiator.

Do a search, it's a very popular DIY repair. You'll find some good write-ups.

Pat


Dave, Shogun, Lowell, and Bill... you guys are awesome. Thanks for the info... I'll see about cracking into it on Saturday. I know the rear left side window has something very wrong with it though... that is not a switch issue. You can hear the motor going up and down... window won't move, but when the motor (or gear or whatever is in there) comes back up.. you can hear it crunch into the window and you can see the window move a bit.

[Beez540]

Have you tried slamming the door closed? Worked for me.

I just replaced the radiator on my 95 530. The leak is probably coming from the lower radiator hose. Remove the airbox and you'll be able to dig down in their to see the connection. Make sure the hose clamp is on there tight and properly seated. If the leak is coming from the plastic you'll have to replace the whole radiator.

Do a search, it's a very popular DIY repair. You'll find some good write-ups.

Pat

On the window thing... yeah, slamming it doesn't work.. the window is off the track. I'm fairly certain it's the regulator pivot bushing.

Thanks for the heads up on the radiator... I felt around the area where that lower hose is... but I couldn't feel any coolant... I'm wondering if it might be the seal between the radiator and the plastic inlet/outlet tanks on the sides. Either way, I'll probably have to replace the radiator.

Anyone know of a reasonably priced radiator upgrade?

[wengenstein]

Before going that route (new rad) where abouts is the coolant dripping/pooling up? If its just inside the front right wheel, towards the back of the engine compartment it could just be the the little pisser hose comming out of the expansion tank. It extends from the right side of the expansion tank out to just below the wheelwell. If you over fill the expansion tank or if the system wasn't bled, etc., you'll see some coolant come from that hose.

Dennis


On the window thing... yeah, slamming it doesn't work.. the window is off the track. I'm fairly certain it's the regulator pivot bushing.

Thanks for the heads up on the radiator... I felt around the area where that lower hose is... but I couldn't feel any coolant... I'm wondering if it might be the seal between the radiator and the plastic inlet/outlet tanks on the sides. Either way, I'll probably have to replace the radiator.

Anyone know of a reasonably priced radiator upgrade?