Instrument Panel blanks out

[pmolfese]

So here's the deal - I was driving the other night and my instrument panel (mph, RPM, mpg) went completely dark. The needles were still showing data, but the lights behind the panel were out. After about 10 seconds, they came back on. I took the car ('02 BMW 325xi) to the dealer before to get the entire instrument cluster replaced because it was making a funny sound. The dealer told me that it's normal for the cluster to go off if I have heated seats turned on. But I've never experienced this in any other BMW I've owned or driven for long periods of time, even with seats turned on (2003 X5, 2002 325XiT). Any thoughts?

A couple other things - my environmental control readout doesn't dim with the rest of the interior lights (like when you use the dim wheel). Is that normal? I also asked the dealer to look at a thud that I hear when breaking quickly -- I read about it on the board and they said they'd never heard of it and couldn't reproduce it.

Hope you guys can give me some answers!

[Slvr e39]

The dealer told me that it's normal for the cluster to go off if I have heated seats turned on.

Hhahah thats kinda funny! I woundn't be suprised because of BMW's history with electrical, but maybe on just a few not all of them.

[EXtech]

wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.... man it just bugs the crap out of me that so many of these dealers are such lame asses. It is NOT normal for your instrument cluster illumintation to cut out for ten seconds because your heated seats are on. You mean to tell me that BMW designed it that way?? That's a stretch. I know BMW has done some really quirky sh*t in the past, and present, but that would be just plain rediculous. This will take some electrical diagnostic work by the dealer to determine the cause.