<E34> '89 535i electrical problem

[rich b mcneal <1scooter1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been given different advice about my problem and was hoping to get=

better
input on the digest.

My car's electrical system is so screwed up that I really wouldn't know
what a
normal morning's start up would sound or look like.  I will start the
car and the dings will start.  The' fasten the seatbelt' sign will come o=
n
in the
dash and my odometer and trip odometer will light up.  The trip odometer
reads "0.0", since it resets every time I turn the car off.

I let it sit for about 10 seconds,  The 'fasten seat belt' sing goes off,=

the service
indicator lights stay on for a moment more, and then they go off.  I will=

hear a =

little relay click sound in the instrument cluster, and then the odometer=

LEDs
go out, the gas gauge needle will either go to empty or go to the 6:00
position,
 and the temp gauge will do the same.  the dinging will go on indefinelty=
=2E
 I pull out of my street, and for some reason, when I rev it up over
3000rpm,
 the whole thing starts again....the 'fasten seat belts' lights come on
 (sometime in german), dings will abound, and the odometers will then
 re-light (trip odometer resets to 0.0)

This happens about half the time.  THIS SUCKS!!! =


I have been told it is the Service Indicator board, and I have also been
told it is the
motherboard.  Are these the same thing?  Could it be that all I need is t=
wo
new
batteries soldered in?  =


I know a new motherboard is $1K at the dealership, and I have had offers
(thanks,
Curt Ingraham) a year ago to send it out to get fixed for ALOT less.  A n=
ew
SI board
at my car's favorite hang-out (DK Motoren, Durham, NC) will cost $550.  I=

am very
close to driving it off a cliff.  It also seems to happen with increased
frequency
when I have someone else in the car (the dinging will stop in a minute, I=

promise!)
I now find out I need a new lamp module ($275), also.

I would appreciate on or offline comments/advice.

Scott McNeal
Cary, NC
 =


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