dont know how to use - United Bimmer Community

**gabe_beamer** · 08-08-2007, 04:47 PM

..ive had my 325i for about 2 months now...still dont know all the tricks and shit...well 1st question...i have a light that keeps turning on...in my guages..its a red circle with 2 half circles around it...2nd..everyonce in awhile i get a check light turn on..not the engine light but the check light...3rd my sunroof opens but gets stuck..
how do i set the computer

**xsperf** · 08-08-2007, 06:29 PM

that first light is your brake pads, the sensor is probably loose, or your pads just about need changing, the check light should pop up on your dash, and the code should be on your OBC, for example, low beam failure, brake light failure... low coolant, low washer fluid etc etc if your sunroof gets stuck, every time, its probably something mechanical, if only sometimes, you may need some grease

**mullethunter3** · 08-08-2007, 08:15 PM

On a 1994, he might not have an 11 button OBC, and it won't display the error message. x, your thoughts on that?

As for grease, use synthetic grease. I use it on everything from door hinges to lubricating fuel injector seals.

**Dudesky** · 08-08-2007, 08:24 PM

^^^The check light is triggered by the OBC, so he has to have it.

**mullethunter3** · 08-08-2007, 09:38 PM

I'm saying that cool people with older E36's have a smaller OBC (6 buttons, I think), with less buttons on it. My cousin's 1995 M3 tells you when the coolant is low, the windscreen wiper fluid is low, etc... mine (1993) tells you temperature. For the older cars, you need a code reader to see what's happening.

**xsperf** · 08-08-2007, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mullethunter3

I'm saying that cool people with older E36's have a smaller OBC (6 buttons, I think), with less buttons on it. My cousin's 1995 M3 tells you when the coolant is low, the windscreen wiper fluid is low, etc... mine (1993) tells you temperature. For the older cars, you need a code reader to see what's happening.

oh i wasnt aware of that, #1 i didnt know it had anything to do with year, the old '92 had the full blown 18 button, everything from temp to range / avg. speed, and on my '95 i only have the 11 button, just the basics, temperature, and c/f, i didnt even know there was a 6 button

**mullethunter3** · 08-08-2007, 09:51 PM

It's late for me... I was counting the buttons in my head, disregard my button counting as of late.

**Chris** · 08-09-2007, 12:30 AM

Brandon's car is a 97 328i and it has the 6 button OBC.... hmmm...

oh yeah, and we found out the vin on the engine doesn't match the vin on the rest of the car, and the whole front half of the car has been repainted...... Which means that whoever harry bought the car from before he sold it to us totalled it, had it fixed at a private shop and then sold it to harry?

**Dudesky** · 08-09-2007, 04:29 AM

It doesn't matter what year the car is. Rather, it depends on what options the car had. There were 3 versions: the 6 and 11 button were called Multi Information Display (MID), and the 18 button was called On Board Computer (OBC). The 11 and 18 button had Check Control, although exactly which features of Check Control worked depended again on the options the car came with, and if the unit was changed or replaced. For example, you can have an full 18 button OBC, but not have the security code feature, even tho there is a button for it. All three units are interchangeable, and people over the years have swapped them out in a lot of cases to replace dead or dying units. This is a very common ocuurence with E36's.

But in all cases, the Check light is controlled by whichever MID or OBC is in there, and it lights up anytime one of the available features is activated. This means that you can't have it light up and not know what the problem is; it only lights up when the MID/OBC sees a fault. In other words, if the MID or OBC doesn't have a feature, then the car is not monitoring it and the Check light can't possibly come on. There is no code reader for MID/OBC features, whether existing or non-existent . . code readers are used for OBD, which is a totally different system. Hope this clears thing up

In gabe_beamer's case, I think his unit may be defective or malfunctioning, unless he just hasn't noticed the message on the screen.

**Numark318i** · 08-09-2007, 09:10 AM

i have the same problem with my sunroof.

you have to change the sunroof shade clips, they well the set at the dealership. The sun eats the plastic. I gotta change mine also.

**94bmw325i** · 08-09-2007, 09:25 AM

having an obc with more buttons must have been an option or something? Seems like each car is different.

Try hitting check to see if it works. Do you have 2 flashing arrow things on the corners of the screen?

**mullethunter3** · 08-11-2007, 08:23 AM

Us cheap people with the MID don't have a "check" button.

**gabe_beamer** · 08-14-2007, 08:55 AM

ill get the check light....and i do get messages on the screen like tailight fail..but nothing with the check light...