1988 735i questions....

[Tim Allgood]

Hi...you have a great website, and I am finding much useful information. I just fixed the mustard relay problem, and am now moving on to fixing the capacitors in the instrument panel. I have a question for you that I hope you can advise me on.

My dash lights and gauges are acting funny, so I will do the CAP replacement referenced on your site. However, sometimes my license plate lights will not work either, and I cannot figure out the problem. Might this be related to the CAP issue? Or so you think it is the LKM? Any advice?

Also, I have taken out the headlight switch (BMW Part# 38813700, also has KIRSTEN 61.31 1 374 449 on it) from the dashboard, as I was wondering if that might be part of the problem, and I noticed that one of the pins has corrosion at its base. Could that be an issue with the license plate lights, etc.? I could not locate this online at any parts places; do you know where I can get one if I need it? Also, my reverse lights do not work.

Lastly, the radio doesn't work, but I know it is getting juice.

I am just learning about cars, and simply love this one. I had it sitting out front for the last two years, jumped the battery and it has been running like a charm. I just had it emissions tested and the mechanic was amazed at how low her numbers were. He said that the engine on her is as good as most new engines he sees, and she has 140,000 miles on her. Her transmission, engine and body are in great shape, and people that see it think it is nowhere near 17-18 years old. I plan on keeping her and want to start picking up other BMWs as I can, as I think it is an amazing auto. I just want to get these little electrical demons worked out, and then she will be good to go.

Thanks again for the great job you are doing on your website. Take care.

Tim Allgood
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
703-981-8693 - mobile phone

[shogun]

welcome here.
As for the licence plate lights: remove them and check if there is corrosion inside the bulb holder and well as the connecting wires. That is a place where many people hadve problems. Just recently I did the same. Cleaned them carefully, used contact spray inside there and they now work like a charm.

Headlight switch: just clean it with some sandpaper, use some remover and it will be fine. A new switch is quite expensive. If possible try to get used parts. For example from here
http://search.stores.ebay.com/DISCOV...637604QQsofpZ0
But there are other places where you can get used parts. Go to my website and click E38org
There is a list of online vendors for used and new parts such as vinesauto.
Especially the expensive modules such as the LKM, CCM are all repairable by simply resoldering them. If you are not able to resolder it, bring it to a Radio repair shop, they do it within 30 minutes.
Cap replacement in the dash is best described on Johan & Sean's page. A link to their site is on my website below.
Have a look at it, some of the repairs are in German, many in English, and I even have a page in Japanese language. Also visit that site, because there are many picks and easy to understand without reading. But if you want to have it translated, use the online translation engines such as altavista.babelfish. They are not perfect but it helps.

As for the radio I have no idea. Maybe you explain the problem a little bit more in detail, as there are also some specialists in this field.
Finally, I would suggest you to buy a Bentley repair Manual, or 'The Bible of the E32 driver". It has close to 1000 pages, very detailed. Sometimes you can get it from Ebay. New it will cost you around 80 $ if you are lucky.
Another good tool is this, bookmark it
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do
BMW online vendor list
http://home.earthlink.net/~hainesinutah/bmwvendors/

That's it for today
If any more questions, do not hesitate to ask

[Tim Allgood]

Thanks for your help, Shogun. It is most helpful.

Regarding the license plate lights, it is strange in that when the license plate lights do come on, the dashboard lights will work as well (all of them....instruments, etc.), and when the LP lights do not work the dash lights, etc., won't work either. Having said that, since I have been working on getting the car back on the road and running her every night, the LP & Dash lights have maybe worked two times when I started her up.

When the radio worked it always sounded "sataticy", for lack of a better word. When you would turn it on there would be very loud crackling from the speakers, but once it was on and you had leveled off the volume it was fine. Now, nothing, although the radio is getting power.

I will fix the dash CAPS this week, and hopefully that will eliminate some of these gremlins that like to reside in the old gals electrical section.

Hope you all are having a great day/night wherever you are.

Tim

welcome here.
As for the licence plate lights: remove them and check if there is corrosion inside the bulb holder and well as the connecting wires. That is a place where many people hadve problems. Just recently I did the same. Cleaned them carefully, used contact spray inside there and they now work like a charm.

Headlight switch: just clean it with some sandpaper, use some remover and it will be fine. A new switch is quite expensive. If possible try to get used parts. For example from here
http://search.stores.ebay.com/DISCOV...637604QQsofpZ0
But there are other places where you can get used parts. Go to my website and click E38org
There is a list of online vendors for used and new parts such as vinesauto.
Especially the expensive modules such as the LKM, CCM are all repairable by simply resoldering them. If you are not able to resolder it, bring it to a Radio repair shop, they do it within 30 minutes.
Cap replacement in the dash is best described on Johan & Sean's page. A link to their site is on my website below.
Have a look at it, some of the repairs are in German, many in English, and I even have a page in Japanese language. Also visit that site, because there are many picks and easy to understand without reading. But if you want to have it translated, use the online translation engines such as altavista.babelfish. They are not perfect but it helps.

As for the radio I have no idea. Maybe you explain the problem a little bit more in detail, as there are also some specialists in this field.
Finally, I would suggest you to buy a Bentley repair Manual, or 'The Bible of the E32 driver". It has close to 1000 pages, very detailed. Sometimes you can get it from Ebay. New it will cost you around 80 $ if you are lucky.
Another good tool is this, bookmark it
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do
BMW online vendor list
http://home.earthlink.net/~hainesinutah/bmwvendors/

That's it for today
If any more questions, do not hesitate to ask

[shogun]

while you are in the process to resolder the caps in the dash, also do the socalled mustard relay (only installed in early E32 built years, later the function was inegrated into the LKM) and the LKM. Good info on this site, there is also a link on my page
http://www.e32fixes.com/results.asp?...rmal&startat=0

And, also remove the CCM and see if there are also some point to be resoldered. Use a large magnifying glass, the points are sometimes difficult to detect.
Sometimes the LKM is o.k, the bulbs are o.k, but the CCM checks (by mistake) that something is wrong and gives alarm.

[shogun]

Just found the repair instruction of the CCM=check control modul. 16 pages in total, but in German language. No problem, the pics show it all how to open the box, where the clips are, where to look for bad soldering, what to solder
http://www.e34-welt.de/tips_tricks/R...0e34%20e32.pdf

Good Luck

[Tim Allgood]

Now I know why they cal you the Grand Master....many thanks for your help. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Just found the repair instruction of the CCM=check control modul. 16 pages in total, but in German language. No problem, the pics show it all how to open the box, where the clips are, where to look for bad soldering, what to solder
http://www.e34-welt.de/tips_tricks/R...0e34%20e32.pdf

Good Luck

[Tim Allgood]

My CCM module is enclosed in metal, not plastic like in the pic from the previous link. Can I still take it apart and check the solder, or do you think this is a replacement part? Thanks.

Just found the repair instruction of the CCM=check control modul. 16 pages in total, but in German language. No problem, the pics show it all how to open the box, where the clips are, where to look for bad soldering, what to solder
http://www.e34-welt.de/tips_tricks/R...0e34%20e32.pdf

Good Luck

[shogun]

Take it apart, no problem. Just the difference in manufacturing date.