cmyachtie

Hello,
have been searching here for a solution or similarities bu nothing really seems to match what is happening to me lately.

Ever since it has been getting colder here (around freezing overnight), I have noticed the trip odometer is at 0 when starting the car and after driving for approx 1 km, the whole instrument cluster seems to "re-boot"or something weird like that, it happened three times during a 60 km strip today. All gauges swing back and forth and the consumption computer starts at the beginning again as well. It actually looks like it is doing the cluster test by itself............duh....

Any ideas what I am in for, while staying away from the BMW $tealership?
thanks

AchtungE60

Take it out for some time. Leave it out and then lock the car and let it go to sleep. Wake it back up and reinstall. Maybe the issue will be gone.
There are two hex screws probably like T10 or so and then just two plug/clips.

cmyachtie

Thanks will try that, any chance that in the meantime driving this car will get stuck by the side of the road because of this??

BEE M

I would say check battery and alternator..

cmyachtie

Battery is new, installed by dealer a few months ago and connections are good as far as I can tell.

Problem seems to really bad when car has been parked three days, drive it everyday and it is not really happening....... Today only once the trip odometer reset itself.
WTF...??

Yesterday after having been parked since Saturday the whole shebang reset itself twice and then some during the trip.

cmyachtie

Hello AchtungE60,
Your expertise here is much appreciated!!
Doing some more reading on this before I have had the chance to pull the cluster, and just want to make sure if there is any coding to be done after re-connecting it?

thanks

pcy

coding/programming is not necessary, unless the cluster is being replaced with a new one.

cmyachtie

Have not removed it just yet, but did notice that it is worse when car is cold and stops acting strANGE WHEN THINGS WARM UP. Yesterday at first it it reset tiself a few times initially into the trip and then last time only the trip odometer went to 0 and after that stayed on as is supposed to be.
So suspect it may be a bad electrical connection.

With my lifelong career in electronics should hopefully be able to find a fix rather than having to get a new $600 cluster (I hope anyway)

LOL

AchtungE60

No, you can take the cluster out and drive actually, it's not going to be a problem. There is nothing to be done when removing and replacing. The unit is already encoded to the car.

cmyachtie

Well, took out and disconnected the instrument cluster. Took off the back cover and inspected the circuitry and connections, could not find anything obvious and a couple hours later plugged it back in and next day few mins into the ride the cluster being back to its old tricks re-booted itself several times again, after car warmed up seems to be OK, once interior gets warm it works OK which makes me suspicious of a bad electrical connection somewhere, just seem to be unable to diagnose it.....yet. All things considered I suppose it really is only a nuisance at this point. Very disappointing from a BMW quality standpoint though, this should not happen. Just like the seat heater burning thru the leather seat should not happen but it is.....That makes two super annoyances sofar that are not showstoppers but not something I would expect from a $60K automobile................even though it is 8 yrs old and only 40000miles never winter driven AFAIK..

Need to do some more research on this and see what I can do if anything....