[Teresa Green]

Hi all,

I couldn't find any posts identical to this so I wanted to ask the community for some help. (this is my first post!)

I have an E91 N54 335i that is not showing rpm, mph, fuel, temp, indictor and warning lights on the cluster. The LCD in the cluster that shows the time, outside temp, gear, miles, etc is showing something, but not everything. I haven't checked to see if i-drive is also showing any errors or preventing access to certain areas. Miles, trip count and time are being showed only on the LCD, and it is also displaying this all the time - even when the key is out. So power is getting to part of it but not powering it down. The stalk controls do nothing for the LCD.

The car starts and drives fine.

ODB port works. I have the following errors (without the engine running):

2DED - DME: Power management, closed-circuit current violation
CD94 - Message error (ambient temperature / relative time, 0x310), DME receiver, instrument panel transmitter
DF9F - Message (km-reading/range, 0x330) incorrect, receiver DME, transmitter KOMBI
CDA8 - Message (status, instrument panel, 0x1B4) faulty, receiver DME, transmitter KOMBI
CDAE - Message error (time display / date, 0x2F8) DME receiver, instrument panel transmitter
S0085 - No communication possible with: Dynamic Stability Control
S0119 - No communication possible with: Instrument panel
S0114 - No communication with control unit possible
S0098 - No communication possible with : Electronic fuel pump control module
S0105 - No communication possible with: Roof function center

Any suggestions on the approach to troubleshooting the above?

I am not sure how old the battery is. I suspect that one issue here could be the cause of the other messages. It seems to me that the cluster not responding is the result of these errors. It is strange that the cluster is still showing some information in the LCD. The dials and gauges do not move and are not back lit. I will check the fuse out at the weekend, F58, but from what I understand, if the cluster fuse is blown, the ODB port should also not work. I also have the battery disconnected for now and will reconnect it tomorrow to see if that makes any change. It is definitely draining the battery as starting it earlier took longer than usual and I could hear the engine struggling to crank as if the battery power level was getting low, but it started.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this!
TG

[relative4]

Had that battery tested? How old is it?

[Teresa Green]

Thanks for replying relative4!

I haven't tested the battery. How would you go about doing that? I can charge it up and will probably need to do that when I reconnect it.
I do not know when it was changed last. Is there a date on the battery itself? It is at least 2 years old.

[relative4]

Take it to an auto parts store.

[nsjames]

it appears you have some sort of big can bus communication issues.

either caused by a module that's failing and taking down the bus, or a wiring issue.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Teresa Green

... E91 N54 335i that is not showing rpm, mph, fuel, temp, indictor and warning lights on the cluster. The LCD in the cluster that shows the time, outside temp, gear, miles, etc is showing something, but not everything... The stalk controls do nothing for the LCD.
The car starts and drives fine.
ODB port works. I have the following errors (without the engine running):
2DED - DME: Power management, closed-circuit current violation
CD94 - Message error (ambient temperature / relative time, 0x310), DME receiver, instrument panel transmitter
DF9F - Message (km-reading/range, 0x330) incorrect, receiver DME, transmitter KOMBI
CDA8 - Message (status, instrument panel, 0x1B4) faulty, receiver DME, transmitter KOMBI
CDAE - Message error (time display / date, 0x2F8) DME receiver, instrument panel transmitter
S0085 - No communication possible with: Dynamic Stability Control
S0119 - No communication possible with: Instrument panel
S0114 - No communication with control unit possible
S0098 - No communication possible with : Electronic fuel pump control module
S0105 - No communication possible with: Roof function center
...

Welcome to the Forum!

As NSJames states, you have a wiring fault in the K-CAN BUS wiring, likely between the KOMBI Instrument Cluster Module, and the JBE/JBBF Module. The DME is showing 3 different fault codes indicating NO Signal (via the K-CAN BUS to the JBE most likely) from the KOMBI Module.

If you have a Scan Tool that can read Live Data from All Modules, including the KOMBI Module and JBE/JBBF Module, we can suggest some tests you can do. Otherwise a properly-equipped shop should spend 30 minutes or less diagnosing with INPA or ISTA.

If you have a Windows 10 OS Laptop, you can do that yourself, with guidance from Forum. It WILL take several hours of your time to download and install the Free Software, and then a K+DCAN Cable, $45US or less.

It sounds like the KOMBI is working properly if the Ambient Temp readout is functioning. That is wired directly to the KOMBI. The fuel gauge, Tach, Speedo, and warning lights ALL require signals via the K-CAN Bus to function. The KOMBI and OBD II Socket are powered by the same fuse, so that is OK if OBD works (12V+ at pin #16 of OBD II Socket).

If you want to do some tests yourself, provide the Last-7 Characters of your VIN and we can suggest tests and provide ISTA wiring diagrams and Component Location diagrams. Also let us know what Scan Tool Make & Model you have access to, and any Diagnostic Software such as INPA or ISTA.

If the KOMBI remaining lit is draining the battery, you could try pulling its fuse (also disables OBD II Socket power). Fuse varies by build month/year. Let us know your Last-7 VIN and we can advise on fuse, and what ELSE is powered by that fuse.

Has anything in the Dash area been disassemble recently? If so please describe what/when.

George

[Teresa Green]

thanks for the reply nsjames and gbalthrop!

I have a scantool and INPA and ISTA and would appreciate some guidance!

last 7 characters of the VIN are FG43097. I can scan with INPA and ISTA and I also have MHD on my mobile.

Nothing has been disassembled recently in the dash area. I washed the outside of the car at the weekend by hand - I don't have a pressure washer.

battery is disconnected for now to stop draining it completely.

tg

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Teresa Green

... I have a scantool and INPA and ISTA and would appreciate some guidance! [Since you didn't identify the Scan Tool, and I use BOTH INPA & ISTA, I'll suggest some starting Screens to SaveAs jpg files and attach here, using INPA & ISTA.] Last 7 characters of the VIN are FG43097... battery is disconnected for now to stop draining it completely.tg

ISTA identifies "FG43097" as: 3 Series, E91 Sports Wagon, 335i with N54 Engine, Auto Gearbox, Build November 2006, RWD, RHD (RL), ECE version. If anything above is incorrect, please advise.

Primary Symptoms Reported: (Do NOT affect car Starting and driving normally, EXCEPT battery drain, ostensibly from Instrument Cluster remaining lighted):
1) Large Top portion of Instrument Cluster (KOMBI) Display, consisting of all warning lights & turn indicator flashers, NEVER lights;
2) Speedo, Tach, Fuel & Oil Temp gauges do NOT work;
3) Most of Small KOMBI displays, Center & Lower do light BUT, remain lighted after removing key, believed to result in battery discharge

Codes Reported (in 1st post):
See ISTA ScreenPrint attached to NEXT post; where multiple definitions were provided by ISTA, ALL definitions for that code included; duplicates deleted; Unknown for your vehicle: DF9F, S0085 - S0119 (5 S-Codes) NOT recognized by ISTA).

INPA Initial Steps:
1) Use INPA > Functional Jobs > F2 Identification Screen, to view (AND SAVE) a list of ALL Modules in your vehicle. Save ScreenPrint of that Screen in folder of your choice on your HD, and attach copy of jpg or png image file here. See attached pdf, INPA Quickstart Tutorial for example screens, and HOW to save and attach INPA (or ISTA) Screenprints.

2) Use INPA > Functional Jobs > F4 Fault Memory, ALL Modules, to view and Save a list of ALL Fault codes present in any module (to which INPA can connect -- one or more may be "Missing").

ISTA Initial Steps (Optional):
ISTA can also identify similar (1) Status of "Control Units" (Control Modules), and provide a (2) list of Fault Codes in All Modules (to which it can connect). You can elect to omit this for NOW, but if you would like to see how ISTA does those two things, here are the buttons to push (close INPA first, then open ISTA). Save ScreenPrints of each screen and post here so we ALL learn something and hopefully help each other:

1) With Ignition ON and engine On, at idle, at opening ISTA Screen, click "Operations" in top Menu group; click "Read Out Vehicle Data" tab on 3rd row, Tabs.

2) Click "Complete Identification" button at bottom-right of screen;

3) A "Control Unit Tree", similar to one attached to NEXT Post, should appear. That "Tree" identifies all Modules in the vehicle and their Status, by color (Green, Yellow, Red). SAVE ScreenPrint of the Tree, and post here.

4) Click "Display Fault Memory" button at lower-right of Tree Screen; Fault Code list with Definitions should appear; SAVE ScreenPrint of that Fault Code List and attach here.

For NOW, I would suggest do NOT Clear or Erase any Fault Codes. You will probably find it easier to simply pull the fuse F58. That's the 3rd small fuse from the Left on the Bottom Row on your 11/2006 build model. Fuses on that model are numbered: "Top to Bottom", "Left to Right", begin next number on next-lowest row.

With that information, we can suggest "next steps".
George

[gbalthrop]

Attached are ISTA ScreenPrints for 11/2006 build E91 335i
1) Fault Code Definitions ScreenPrint
2) F58 Fuse Circuit & Location
3) KOMBI Power Supply, K-CAN Bus wires & Connector View, X11175
4) Control Unit Tree Example from my 3/2007 E91 328xi

George

[Teresa Green]

this is great info George. I'll get to this at the weekend and post back. I should be able to do all of this and get the screenshots.

tg

[Teresa Green]

Hi George,
I connected the battery last night and charged it. Strange, today the cluster is now operating as normal.
I have attached the screen grabs from ISTA and INPA.

tg

[gbalthrop]

Hi Teresa,

I guess it knew you were equipped to Diagnose and Fix whatever was intermittently wrong, so "SNAFU" reverted to simply "SN".

You might record the approximate overnight temperature during the time the KOMBI was "Out", and estimate what it was overnight before it started working. There is likely some Temperature or Moisture/ Humidity variable involved, assuming NOTHING was disassembled & cleaned PRIOR to operation being restored.

Problem with issues that "Fix Themselves" is that they usually are NOT Fixed, merely dormant to return again. I would suggest saving any "Freeze Frame Data" related to 2 Faults in DME Module and 1 Fault in DSC Module. Using INPA, you would connect to MSD80 DME (Engine / N54 MSD80/81) and at the DME Main Menu, Select F4, then F1, then F3 Read Fault Memory with Freeze Frame Data. Don't let the German scare you, and if you're NOT bi-lingual, don't bother translating it. Just attach it here and we can use Google Translate to decipher.

If you save that ScreenPrint as a jpg file in folder of your choice (paste ScreenPrint to Paint, Windows Accessory, and SaveAs jpg file), you can refer to it in the future, and/or attach it here so we all learn something. The Freeze Frame Data is a "Snapshot" of conditions at the moment the Fault Code was saved, and may provide some clue as to WHAT caused the fault to occur. System Voltage is one such clue, particularly (1) "Over-voltage" (with engine running) or (2) Low Voltage, due to battery voltage supply, or issue with the battery itself.

AFTER recording the Freeze Frame Data, I would simply CLEAR the 6 fault codes (using Functional Jobs > F4 Error Memory > F2 Clear Error Memory. NONE of the 6 faults is "Currently Present" according to ISTA (Existent/No), so MAYBE they will "stay gone".

If the issue recurs, the Ambient Temp Sensor would be the first thing I would check.

George

[Teresa Green]

Many thanks George. I would be worried but not surprised to see the error again appear.

Is there an easy way of knowing when the battery was replaced?


tg

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Teresa Green

... Is there an easy way of knowing when the battery was replaced? tg

In the US, most batteries have a sticker applied to the battery, or a decal with a punchout, which indicates purchase month & year. An owner who purchases a new battery should keep the receipt and a photo of that sticker for warranty replacement if it fails within the warranty period.

Assuming a prior owner had the battery installed, and you have NO paperwork and have NO personal knowledge of WHETHER or NOT the Replacement Battery NOW in the vehicle was "Registered", visually examining the battery is advisable.

Your inspection should include several things:
1) Battery TYPE (AGM vs. Conventional FLA, Flooded Lead Acid);
2) Battery Capacity in Ah (Ampere Hours) if that appears on Label;
3) Battery Case Size (H8 or Group Size 49 is the Largest);
4) Manufacturer and Month/Year of Purchase per sticker on battery.

The "Power Management" (PM) in E9x Models is handled by the DME, and INPA has a number of Screens related to PM in "DME > F5 Status > F5 PM Main Menu". I attach three of those screens to the NEXT Post. My 328xi has MSV80 DME (N52 Engine), and your N54 uses MSD80 DME. However the Screen Content for the PM SHOULD be similar.

The first ScreenPrint (Next post) shows the Battery TYPE & Capacity setting. IF the vehicle was professionally maintained prior to your ownership, that capacity (90 Ah in my case) will have been checked by the Tech replacing a battery, and CHANGED if necessary. Since "Battery Registration" is so poorly understood by shop (AND Forum ;-) personnel, the first or 2nd replacement battery in your vehicle may NOT be of the type or capacity that the setting indicates. Merely "Registering" does NOT change that setting.

When I purchased my E91 at 10-years-old, someone had installed a smaller H7 Battery, in the 70 to 80 Ah Capacity range, and NOT changed the Factory/ Plant 90 Ah Setting. They DID "Register" the battery at 146,260 km odometer reading, but did NOT do the IMPORTANT part: Selecting CORRECT Battery Capacity setting. "Registering" only inserts the "then-current" odometer reading into a text field, for Tech reference, and has NO impact on charging profile, which Capacity Setting selects.

You can "Register" a replacement battery with INPA. You need to use NCS (another of BMW Standard Tools) to change the Battery Capacity Setting, IF the Battery TYPE is changed, OR if the Capacity is changed by more than 5 to 10 Ah. There is a 10 to 15 Ah jump between available settings: 80 Ah, 90 Ah, 105 Ah, etc.

That's MORE than you asked for, but since there is so much misinformation about "Battery Registration" out there, I wanted to take the opportunity to "debunk" the "Web Legend".

So there are THREE things you can do related to New Battery Installation, with BMW Standard Tools:
1) Register a Replacement Battery: INPA > DME > F5 > F5 > F5 Batterietausch Registrieren, Register Replacement Battery;
2) Clear Histogram Data: INPA > DME > F5 > F5 > F6 Histogram Reset; If you do NOT have INPA, the Histogram will be overwritten in 5 days anyway, so NO BIG Deal;
3) MOST IMPORTANT: check Existing Setting for Battery Type & Capacity: INPA > DME > F5 Status > F5 PM Menu > F3 PM InfoField 2, Battery Capacity
4) IF Battery Type & Capacity is NOT correct for battery installed, CHANGE setting (code) using NCS. Installing a battery of different TYPE or Capacity from that selected in Settings will result in "Sub-Optimal" charging.

Replacing battery with SAME Type & Capacity as old battery WITHOUT any Scan Tool or Diagnostic Software, and NOT entering or changing ANYTHING will work fine: IF the old battery was correct Type and Capacity per the Setting selected. My vehicle, 10-years-old when I purchased, did NOT meet that "IF".

George

[gbalthrop]

As discussed in (TOO MUCH? ;-) Detail in prior post, attached are INPA ScreenPrints:

1) INPA > DME > F5 Status > F5 PM Main Menu (MSV80)
2) INPA > DME > F5 Status > F5 PM > F2 PM InfoField 1, Last Battery Replacement
3) INPA > DME > F5 Status > F5 PM > F3 PM InfoField 2, Battery Capacity

George

[Teresa Green]

Hi George,

I really do appreciate all of the plentiful amount of detail and information here, just from asking one question about the battery too!

Many thanks for helping me out.

tg

[n54brandino]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Welcome to the Forum!

As NSJames states, you have a wiring fault in the K-CAN BUS wiring, likely between the KOMBI Instrument Cluster Module, and the JBE/JBBF Module. The DME is showing 3 different fault codes indicating NO Signal (via the K-CAN BUS to the JBE most likely) from the KOMBI Module.

If you have a Scan Tool that can read Live Data from All Modules, including the KOMBI Module and JBE/JBBF Module, we can suggest some tests you can do. Otherwise a properly-equipped shop should spend 30 minutes or less diagnosing with INPA or ISTA.

If you have a Windows 10 OS Laptop, you can do that yourself, with guidance from Forum. It WILL take several hours of your time to download and install the Free Software, and then a K+DCAN Cable, $45US or less.

It sounds like the KOMBI is working properly if the Ambient Temp readout is functioning. That is wired directly to the KOMBI. The fuel gauge, Tach, Speedo, and warning lights ALL require signals via the K-CAN Bus to function. The KOMBI and OBD II Socket are powered by the same fuse, so that is OK if OBD works (12V+ at pin #16 of OBD II Socket).

If you want to do some tests yourself, provide the Last-7 Characters of your VIN and we can suggest tests and provide ISTA wiring diagrams and Component Location diagrams. Also let us know what Scan Tool Make & Model you have access to, and any Diagnostic Software such as INPA or ISTA.

If the KOMBI remaining lit is draining the battery, you could try pulling its fuse (also disables OBD II Socket power). Fuse varies by build month/year. Let us know your Last-7 VIN and we can advise on fuse, and what ELSE is powered by that fuse.

Has anything in the Dash area been disassemble recently? If so please describe what/when.

George

im having issues as well with my cluster i have code cda8. i got a video on how my cluster is tweaking out. you seem like you have knowledge and ive been stumped for so long now. i dont want to take it in to the dealer but i think i might have to. but how exactly do i get that program on my laptop?

[n54brandino]

ended up being a bad cluster..