Electrical problems E39

[kaveman]

Hi, I have a couple of electrical problems in my '98 E39. It started off with me getting the boot open warning but my boot is shut.

Then about a week later my fuel guage stopped working and now the outside temperature reading is a lot dimmer than my mileage numbers.

Not sure where to start, would you say the problems are related?

[318is-joe]

Not sure if they're related or not - the boot shut could be the rubber loom that goes between the body and bootlid, wires break from it flexing between open and closed over the years.

I'd tend to address them one at a time and see how it goes - the temp reading dimmer is odd, never heard of that before - is it actually reading a temp or is it stuck at a value like -40

Fuel gauge most likely the sender in tank

[kaveman]

Hi 318is-joe, yes the sensor is reading fine just the LEDs are a lot dimmer. I will check that wiring in the boot, I had a problem in that area before. I'm guessing now that it could be a ground wire has broken.

[Foxhole Norman]

As has been mentioned that boot loom is notorious for breaking. Your outside temperature meter, is it just when that's on the computer it's dim or is it dim with MPG/Miles/MPH? Could be failing pixels.

[318is-joe]

How did you get on Kaveman?

[kaveman]

How did you get on Kaveman?

Hi, I only got it sorted during the week. A boot wiring issue and 2 new fuel senders installed. The slight dimming of one side of my instrument cluster is still there. I didn't mention this to the garage though.

[mcung13]

There are bulbs at the back of the instrument cluster. One of them is blown if cluster is darker on one side.

[kaveman]

I didn't know about those bulbs, thank you!