Hey there fellow BMW goers! I was just wondering if anyone here with a knowledge of E28 5 series BMW's could help me out. Lately my speedometer has completely kicked out. Everything in the instrument cluster works except for the speedometer and anything related (trip meter and odometer). What confuses me is that the rest of the instrument cluster is completely functional. I have checked the gears on the speedometer, and there is no broken teeth. I attached a picture of that, as well as some general pictures of the machinery. The picture of the back of the cluster is where all the connections to the vehicle are made, and the arrows are the corresponding color of the wires connecting them. Note that the large yellow connection next to the large blue one has mo connection. I have seen the yellow one connected in pictures of other similar cars, so that rouses some suspicion for me. Other than the things I have already checked (broken gears, corroded connections) I have only heard of one other possible problem, which is something about the speed sensor being cracked or broken? I do not know what that is, or where I could find it, so if anyone could shed some light on any solutions to me problems, that would be amazing.
Thank you to anyone who has any idea of something, and link is below.
http://imgur.com/a/NZWmH
HELP!!! 1985 BMW E28 528e speedometer problems
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Mark 88/M5 Houston
- Posts: 8548
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006
- Location: Far North Houston
The speed sensor is mounted in the differential housing. Check it and the continuity of the wiring from it to the speedometer.
Here is a link for a site that has the ETM for your car available for downloading: http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm
Here is a link for a site that has the ETM for your car available for downloading: http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm
I think it would be a good idea to replace those gears while it's apart. They look original which means they will break, probably soon. Anything over 200k is more than most.
I'll bet the problem is simply a connection somewhere, either the diff sensor or back of the cluster. With the ETM you can figure out which wires do what.
Was your OBC working at all? Sometimes the signal gets drowned out so to speak by another device.
I'll bet the problem is simply a connection somewhere, either the diff sensor or back of the cluster. With the ETM you can figure out which wires do what.
Was your OBC working at all? Sometimes the signal gets drowned out so to speak by another device.
What confuses me is that the only part of the instrument cluster that doesn't work is the speedo and the odo and trip meter within it. I have pushed the gears through their paces myself and they are turning pretty well. So that is not what I suspect. I don't know where the differential housing would be found if I was to check the speed sensor however. I'm a young kid and I'm new to this (Dad told me if I fix it up it'll be my graduation present) and this is close to one of the last technical problems in the car, so I'm trying really hard to make it work, I just don't know the half of where to start.
Wedophones will get you the ETM for your car. Everything electrical is there.
Then go to the BMWFans website and look up your car. They have great illustrations of most all of it and exploded parts views.
Start browsing and you will learn. Just as a head start, the differential is the thing that allows the rear wheels to turn at different speeds when you turn corners and such. It is under the car and you have a rear wheel drive car in case you didn't know that.
Then go to the BMWFans website and look up your car. They have great illustrations of most all of it and exploded parts views.
Start browsing and you will learn. Just as a head start, the differential is the thing that allows the rear wheels to turn at different speeds when you turn corners and such. It is under the car and you have a rear wheel drive car in case you didn't know that.