Re: 89 535i instrument panel (archive)

My '89 535iM did something similiar last week. The gauges(besides the speedo and tach) stopped working suddenly and wouldn't restart. Normally stuff that stopped working on my dash would return after restarting the car but this time it didn't. So I removed the Instrument cluster and steering wheel(I have a airbag-less Momo steering wheel) and found that the plug was loose(normally they lock-in). This is strange because I have never removed the instrument cluster. After that everything worked again(until 2 days later the odometer light went out). I wouldn't recommend pulling the steering wheel unless you know what you are doing. Otherwise it could be one of those weird wiring problems the '89s have.
Good Luck.

Justin--RedFive
'89 535iM
One Lap Car

I have an 89 535ia that just turned over 100k miles. When I returned from a recent extended trip of about six weeks, the instrument panel was acting rather strangely. I was getting random chiming after unlocking the car and after locking up, but fortunately this did not continue while I was driving. The gas and temp gauges didn't work the first time I drove it, but the next time I started it up they were gone. After a day or two the chiming stopped, but now in addition to the gas and temp gauges, the shift mode and gear indicator, odometer and tripmeter, service interval indicator, and computer/error code displays do not work. The emergency brake, SRS displays and the computer display (by the radio) are still functioning fine. Anyone have any idea what's wrong? Right now it's just a minor annoyance, but I would like to get it fixed. Thanks in advance for your help.

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