735i '88 Instrument Cluster went out and electronic chime came on when braking.....?

I was driving back from a longish trip and my digital instrument cluster, gas and temp gauges went blank and when I braked the chime came on continuously and rather loud. Two days ago the cluster went out but came back on, then yesterday it did the same thing when I hit a bump on the road. I made it home with the irritating chime on whenever I braked or sometimes when I took my foot of the gas.... and when I started the car up again in the driveway, everything seemed normal,...the instrument cluster came on like normal. So.....I will check the fuse tomorrow morning when it stops raining and hopefully that might do it...but that would not explain why the cluster lit when I restarted the car....what do you out there think...could it be the early signs of the alternator going...or what? Looking forward to you responses.....

Reply to
scott
Loading thread data ...

I have the same car and it did the same thing. It's an electronic nightmare. You may laugh, but when the dashboard display goes out or the dots light up in funny patterns, I smack the right top edge of the dashboard that covers them (not near the windshield, but on the edge). They always snap right back on and are okay the rest of the time. A few times, turning the car off and on again fixed it. They want one thousand dollars to fix it. Since most of the same info is on the computer display near the radio, I'm not going to worry. The gas gauge and temp is about the only thing you need. The speedometer needle always works okay. Good luck.

Reply to
Anthony Wilson

Apparently an EASY fix if you have a soldering iron and some minor knowledge of how to use it and recognize the markings on a capacitor.

Simply pull the cluster and take note of the numbers on the side of the capacitors. Drum shaped things with marking like 220uF 25v. the side that has the - or negative side has a longer leg than the other side + DON'T put them in the wrong way round.

One you have visited radio Shack or similar and bought new capacitors - remove the old ones and replace with new ones and job done.

Should take about 1 hour to do the job and best part of a day to remove - get new capacitors - fit them and replace cluster..........

Hugh

Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen snipped-for-privacy@h-gee.co.uk Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK

Reply to
hsg

Thanks for your advice. My Dad is an electronics engineer. I'll let him do it. I just moved to FL from NJ. It was a quick fix on the road. TY again.

Reply to
Anthony Wilson

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.