Bulb Failure System On A 1990 320I Touring (Automatic)

[JOHNNYC]

Hi all

my fantastic 1990 320i touring has developed an electrical problem which my local garage and I are struggling to resolve. Can anyone help?

A few weeks ago I turned on the night lights and the dashboard no longer lit up whilst the check panel on the ceiling indicated I needed to check the lights and it turned out the drivers side main rear light was no longer working (brake and fog were fine). I changed the bulb but it made no difference, then the fuse and things worked fine for a few hours but then went again. A few days later amidst heavy rain I got soaked by a truck - it was like a wave coming across the front of the car. I had my lights on and within a few minutes smoke was coming out the glove box. I pulled over and turned the lights off and the smoking stopped and we got home safe thankfully.

My garage have resisted taking the dash board out and have gone through all the wiring front and rear and replaced one which was burnt. Their electric's guy is trying to locate the module which continually checks the lights and prompts the 'check' lights inside to come up. BMW couldn't help him at first, then said it was located behind a speaker in the door but that wasn't right. Has anyone any idea where it is?

Hope you can help.

Johnny

[G4VHD]

Welcome to the club.

What wire was burnt?

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Bet it was an earth wire ! This actually happened to me and I blamed the LCM, but on closer inspections... The earth wire to the cluster was very lose and almost burnt out as it struggled to get a solid connection... Best to check the common earths AND the small earths to the units ;)

[G4VHD]

Really doubt it was an earth TBH.

This more than likely would have just made the 'load' fail.

In my experience, its usually a live thats earthing to a metallic point connected to the chassis somehow.

[Guest Mister Dabsy]

Maybe so Gav, But notice which wire gets hot - ALWAYS the negative !!

[JOHNNYC]

Thanks all and yes I'm a new member. Am not sure which wire but Tim at the local garage will know. He was looking for the module/unit which feeds the info to the check light indicator panel as he thought that would help. Has anyone any ideas where it might be?

cheers

[IanIOM]

Head Light switch is on its way out!

[JOHNNYC]

Thanks Ian

will check out.