Very strange thing happend - car stopped at lights!! happy ending

[Lordsneldon]

Hi everyone, thought i'd share this one with you as it surely had me pissed of on the side of the road last night.

I am a taxi driver and I use my good old trusty e34.!! I was finishing work last night and i went to the garage to fill up with petrol. When I had refuelled i got in the car started it up and drove it out the garage forecourt onto the road and stopped almost immeadetely at a set of traffic lights. all of a sudden every single light on the instument cluster started flashing violently as dod the fuel gauge and temp gauge were going up and down as were the rev counter and speedo!!!!
So i engaged park, and switched off the engine and immediately tried to restart it.................nothing not a sausage!!! no Check contol display nothing. ****!!!

I got out and pushed it down road into a layby where i quickly lit up a ciggarette and drank my bottle of coke: I then tried again...nothing no electric windows, but apart from that everything else worked??? So i checked the fusable link which turned out to be fine. I then lifted the bonnet and started to check every fuse in the box, I found that fuse 17 which is the electric window fuse had blown, so I replaced it and eveything came back to life...i.e car started etc etc!!!
So if this ever happens to you guys remeber fuse 17!!! Merry Christmas

[632 Regal]

i'm glad you found a quick fix however fuse 17 wont cause the engine to stop and no electrical stoppages except what that fuse is for. I think you should re-inspect the fusible link for micro cracks and check all the grounds, you have something rather seriously going on electrical wise. Check the positive cables path for shorting and corrosion.

[Ross]

I'm with regal, you haven't seen the last of this.

[632 Regal]

LOL the gift that keeps on giving...

I'm with regal, you haven't seen the last of this.

[Lordsneldon]

thanks for your inuit guys. Now i'm worried. I will put another fusable link in just for the sake of it i think and to be on the safe side. It could be the engine earth strap, i'll check that out. I fully agree that fuse 17 which is a 7.5amp fuse shouldlnt stop the car running. I only thought that because a few years back i was working on a Rover 400 series and I managed to pop a fuse whilst re-wiring the back lights --- fine but it killed absoultely everything inside the car i mean everything and the fuse i blew (which was just by accidently earthing the left hand side indicator whilst it was flashing) was just the indicator fuse.
So i thought maybe just maybe the 5 series is wired a little bit simmilar.

Im just hoping now that the ****ing thing doesnt catch fire whilst i'm doing 80on the motorway with any clients in the car!!!

[whiskychaser]

Fuse 17 does a bit more than just your windows. If that went I'm not surprised it stopped running. Apologies for the copy quality but the book doesnt fit in the scanner If the guages went up it sounds like the obc went into 'check cluster' mode. Curious. Perhaps the important question is what caused the fuse to blow?

[Tiger]

Whoa! That's alot for only one fuse!

[whiskychaser]

Whoa! That's alot for only one fuse!

Yeah it also says electronic throttle control (EML). Wonder if thats why us poor relations with a bicycle cable for throttle control cant do a stomp test