electrical issue, please help

[Dr Tran]

greetings in BimmerLand

i am not new to BMW, or the electrical gremlins that can pop up from time to time. however, due to the quickness of the situation, i am calling on anyone's ideas, and even registered with a forum to get them.

i recently bought a 1991 318iS and have really enjoyed it. it's condition is quite good for its age. however, i went to go on a trip tonight and have a problem. i pushed the rear defrst button in and it got jammed in really tight. i have seen various other buttons like this one jam on my two 1984 cars and didn't worry too much... i would just pop it back out later.

when i turned off the headlights, i noticed the dash lights stayed on. i could pull the headlight knob out and push it in and all worked as it should, save for the dash lights were always on. while i was stopped i started fiddling with the jammed defrost button. if i pressed super hard, the dash lights would go out as they should be. i finally wedged my fingernail in and was able to pop the switch back out, and am happy to report, the rear defrost button works like a charm now. and guess what??? the dash lights turned off!!! yay for me!!

well, almost. now they wont turn back on... at all. the headlight switch pulls in and out and the lights work fine. the guages all work fine. the fans, heat, AC, clock/tripmeter works fine, CD player works fine, defrost and hazzards work fine. all lights associated with them work. all idiot lights work, all swervice lights work, CD player lights, power window lights. everything seems to operate normally escept for two things

1. the dash lights and console lights wont come on anymore
2. the passenger side lights (side markers, tail lights) don't come on

headlights and blinkers and brights are fine.


WTF?? what could cause a weird issue like that? fuses LOOKED fine, but it is dark and the person i bought this from lost the manual so I don;t have a layout of the fuses and relays anyway..

ideas, help, suggestions, parts... if you can help, great. right now i have a great running car that i can't drive after sundown. so, i basically have no car at all...

thanks a bunch,

Dr Tran

[kenika65]

I have the same car you should post some pics!!! As for your problem with your lights it is a fuse... bmw e30 network Maby number 23. Here is a layout of your fuses Diagram and another Fuse Chart as for your defrost button I had the same problem with it sticking until it finally split in two and the light was always on unless i pressed it in and cocked it to the side until i finally unhooked the switch for a while then i replaced it

[Dr Tran]

i figured as much, but the fuse on #23 looked fine. but i rely on contacts, my roomie took a look and it was bad. replaced and all is well... after running and buying fuses. stupid i know. i have to keep them on hand for my other bimmers.

thanks for the fuse layout. i needed that. fuse or no, without that i would not have known what to pull for what systems. thanks a bunch

jarrod

[kenika65]

Post some pics... Large pics if you could... any pics