Winfred - SI board in E30 - familiar?

[Jon K]

The E30 my mom got needs this replaced I think. I am going to just buy a new one from Autohaus. The Coolant Temp gauge, service indicator, and tach do not function. Should a new SI board fix this? The SI lights stay on even with the key out.

[shogun]

change the batteries
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/228704/
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/203331/

[Jr ///M5]

It's the batteries. One solution is to relocate them for easier access next time.

[winfred]

if it's got the little short white 3v batterys then the board may of survived their death, if it's got the aa sized red nicads it was most likely destroyed by the acid because they just about blow up, it all depends on what board it has, i've changed the batterys before but it's a little bit of a pain in the ass and sometimes the board is trash, i wouldn't even bother if it has the red nicads and the last time i priced the 3v li batterys they were expensive, and if the board got zapped you are stuck with them

[Turbo Ready]

You should pull the cluster apart to determine which batteries the SI board uses and the state of the board.
There are two battery types used on the SI boards, one with the AA and the other with the 2/3 AA

I have changed both the AA and the 2/3 AA (3V Lithium) batteries and the SI boards worked well after. They boards were saved, thankfully the batteries had not leaked.

I found the supplier for the exact replacement for the 2/3 AA batteries in the US, I think they were US $ 8.00 each. You will want the COMP7-3 seen here

https://www.tselectronic.com/dantona...3e4438f6ecc5c6

Here is the SI board with the batteries.

[Turbo Ready]

2/3 AA Lithium batteries shown.

[Bill R.]

back, the batteries were readily available from battery's plus

The E30 my mom got needs this replaced I think. I am going to just buy a new one from Autohaus. The Coolant Temp gauge, service indicator, and tach do not function. Should a new SI board fix this? The SI lights stay on even with the key out.

[rreimund]

The E30 my mom got needs this replaced I think. I am going to just buy a new one from Autohaus. The Coolant Temp gauge, service indicator, and tach do not function. Should a new SI board fix this? The SI lights stay on even with the key out.

The most recent issue of Roundel (bmwcca magazine) has an article on replacing /relocating the batteries for the SI indicator in the e30. If you're not a member, find someone who is and borrow their Roundel - it's the one with the silver M3 on the cover (a close up of the front fender anyway).. I think the headlight on the cover is "GR8 V8 in Geneva" or something like that.

[Jon K]

Thanks a bunch guys

So does anyone know what the SI board controls?

My moms E30 passed emissions and inspection - amazing for $1700!

However the shop (a friend of family) said they hooked the car up to a machine and got coolant sensor faults, TPS fault, etc.

I think he's pulling one with me - if the car passed emissions and drives great, no CEL's, I can't imagine how coolant sensors are bad.

BUT - the coolant gauge does not work nor does the tach and what I need to know is if I do this battery stuff, or replace the SI board, should that fix the coolant temp gauge and tach?


BTW awesome walk thru bill saves me the time of figurin' it out! Thanks!

[winfred]

it's a E isn't it? if so theres no machine really anymore that will plug into it, and no check engine light at all, the 87 I with the big round diagnostic plug had the first cel but it only had 4 codes, 88 was really the start of the useful cel were it had many different codes