08 135i throwing U112B code, gauge cluster resetting repeatedly

[k1ngf1sher]

Hey gang, having a little bit of an issue.

Car was running perfectly fine until we had a monster rainstorm the other day. Lots of standing water on the ground but I don't recall going through any serious puddles. Now the gauge cluster keeps resetting at random intervals. The engine is having no issues, car runs and drives perfectly.

Every few minutes the cluster goes dead and resets, all of the caution and warning lights flash on, and it gives me several messages relating to TPMS, lighting, and several others I cant remember at the moment.

The car had 2 existing faults with it's TPMS system and lighting so I think these are incidental. Driving the car to work today brought a new warning about the airbag.

Does anyone know what U112B can be indicative of? Is it possible there is a short somewhere, some sensor that is know to get filled with water on a particularly wet day? The battery voltage was perfect before the rainstorm and it continues to be perfect per my code reader.

You guys are the best, thank you for reading/responding.

[k1ngf1sher]

Update, pulled the battery terminal for a 15 mins or so. No change...

No new codes.

[SamelCamel]

My first guess is water in the trunk. Pull your trunk liner and check for moisture. All of the electronics are under the trunk liner...

Good luck!


-Sam

[k1ngf1sher]

I was really hoping that was it yesterday but the trunk is dry as a bone, as is the convertible top bay

The dome lights also turn off with the cluster, I don't know if that is a useful diagnostic criteria for some esoteric module failure.

[SamelCamel]

Originally Posted by k1ngf1sher

I was really hoping that was it yesterday but the trunk is dry as a bone, as is the convertible top bay

The dome lights also turn off with the cluster, I don't know if that is a useful diagnostic criteria for some esoteric module failure.

I feel like I've read about this before. Maybe a clogged line for drainage from the top? Maybe search for the dome light issue and see what you find.

-Sam

[SamelCamel]

Did some research on Google and found a few convertibles that had an issue with a bad or shorted capacitor on the gauge cluster that needed replaced. This fixed their issue. Other than that, I would try to test and/or replace all the fuses related to the cluster.

Here's what they posted for a cluster test for an E46:


Have you tried the cluster test?
1. Hold Trip Reset while turning ignition key to on position
2. OBC should show "Test"
3. Repeatedly press Trip Reset to select function 19.0 to unlock all of the features
3. Wait for display to show "Off"
4. Depress Trip Reset for 1/4 second and release it
5. With no delay press Trip Reset repeatedly until 2, or 2.0 maybe, is shown and stop. All the gauges should go through their full range of motion.


-Sam

[k1ngf1sher]

Update: cluster fails and resets even with engine off...

[k1ngf1sher]

Originally Posted by SamelCamel

Did some research on Google and found a few convertibles that had an issue with a bad or shorted capacitor on the gauge cluster that needed replaced. This fixed their issue. Other than that, I would try to test and/or replace all the fuses related to the cluster.

Here's what they posted for a cluster test for an E46:


Have you tried the cluster test?
1. Hold Trip Reset while turning ignition key to on position
2. OBC should show "Test"
3. Repeatedly press Trip Reset to select function 19.0 to unlock all of the features
3. Wait for display to show "Off"
4. Depress Trip Reset for 1/4 second and release it
5. With no delay press Trip Reset repeatedly until 2, or 2.0 maybe, is shown and stop. All the gauges should go through their full range of motion.


-Sam

I'm thinking that the dome light controller and the failing cluster are likely related, though I don't know the virtual hierarchy of these modules... The dome light only turns off when the cluster resets.

You think the E46 procedures are the same for my E88? The cluster works perfectly fine when it's not resetting, all of the needles work, displays, ect ect. It's so strange.

I've read that otherwise undetectable battery issues can dead leg these cars, maybe it's time for a new one.

[rowsdower]

When my battery died, the car started and ran fine but the gauges would reset exactly as you described. 80mph on the freeway and everything just shuts off on the dash - lots of fun! At least the headlights stayed on... how old is your battery?

[k1ngf1sher]

Originally Posted by rowsdower

When my battery died, the car started and ran fine but the gauges would reset exactly as you described. 80mph on the freeway and everything just shuts off on the dash - lots of fun! At least the headlights stayed on... how old is your battery?

That is a good question... I think it's about a year or two old. I am concerned that the previous owner didn't code the car when he changed the battery

[SamelCamel]

Originally Posted by rowsdower

When my battery died, the car started and ran fine but the gauges would reset exactly as you described. 80mph on the freeway and everything just shuts off on the dash - lots of fun! At least the headlights stayed on... how old is your battery?

I've also seen similar behavior when there's a fuse issue (missing or blown fuse.) The fuses are shared between systems so a bad fuse can cause weird errors.

-Sam

[Gangplank]

It might be a bad FRM module. There was a warranty extension on the FRM for 10 years & 156,000.

Here is a thread about it:
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1556106

[k1ngf1sher]

Originally Posted by Gangplank

It might be a bad FRM module. There was a warranty extension on the FRM for 10 years & 156,000.

Here is a thread about it:
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1556106

A failing FRM would cause the cluster to freak out? Sadly the car is an 08 and it out of date for the free repair

[k1ngf1sher]

Update: Pulled battery cable and let car sit for a few hours yesterday, no change except I am now getting parking sensor failure indicators when reversing. Still no OBD codes besides the same U112B.

I get in the car this morning and it's not showing ANY problems... No cluster failures no nothing. I'm pulling my flowing locks out one by one

Putting new battery in and programming it today just for fun. Next stop might be that little battery controller that sits above the battery, I've heard that can cause these problems as well.

[SamelCamel]

Originally Posted by k1ngf1sher

Update: Pulled battery cable and let car sit for a few hours yesterday, no change except I am now getting parking sensor failure indicators when reversing. Still no OBD codes besides the same U112B.

I get in the car this morning and it's not showing ANY problems... No cluster failures no nothing. I'm pulling my flowing locks out one by one

Putting new battery in and programming it today just for fun. Next stop might be that little battery controller that sits above the battery, I've heard that can cause these problems as well.

I'd offer to help out, but I'm in Tennessee. Don't forget to double-check the fuses. I know there are a lot of them, but when I had a similar issue I'm pretty sure I either had a fuse loose or missing. This caused all sorts of random lights and errors on the dash. After fixing the fuse everything went back to normal. I've also had random issues from an old battery.

I own several BMWs so I get to deal with this across the product line. Yay....


-Sam

[k1ngf1sher]

Originally Posted by SamelCamel

I'd offer to help out, but I'm in Tennessee. Don't forget to double-check the fuses. I know there are a lot of them, but when I had a similar issue I'm pretty sure I either had a fuse loose or missing. This caused all sorts of random lights and errors on the dash. After fixing the fuse everything went back to normal. I've also had random issues from an old battery.

I own several BMWs so I get to deal with this across the product line. Yay....


-Sam

My Autel Maxisys 906 wont recode the battery for some reason, it posts:

-No communication with IBS or engine electronics
-Program version of DME cannot store battery charge
-Terminal 15 war not on
-Engine not running

Any ideas?

[NorthernDancer]

http://bmwccaeverglades.org/resources/

The guys in this chapter can really help b/c they are local to you. Look at their "Advertisers", maybe one local to you.
85% of the time, electrical issues are caused by loose and/or dirty connections. Also, there is a ground cable on left (driver) side of engine that often goes bad and causes many strange electrical issues.

[k1ngf1sher]

Changed the battery, coded it per AGM standards, still having issues. The Autel unit I am using brought up a litany of codes that would not pull from my other OBD reader. Here are a few

CDA8 Message (Status, Instrument panel, 0x1B4) faulty, receiver DME, Transmitter KOMBI

2DED DME: Power management, closed-circuit current violation

D358 Message (KOMBI, 0x784) missing, receiver DSC, transmitter KOMBI

D35A No message (CAS 0x304), receiver DSC, transmitter CAS

93FB No message (vehicle speed) from DSC, ACSM receiver / MRS5, DSC transmitter

A3B9 Sporadic fault (failure, DSC message, 0x19E) No repair measure available, recieve KOMBI, transmitter DSC

PRESENT A3BC Instrument cluster: message (communication fault)


NOT PRESENT A3BD Message error (junction bbox , 0x0c0), reciever instrument panel, transmitter JBE

NOT PRESENT A54C Message error (raw data fluid level fuel tank, 0x349), receiver instrument panel, transmitter JBE

NOT PRESENT A550 Message (speed, 0x1A0) faulty, receiver KOMBI, transmitter DSC

PRESENT 604E RDC: RDC system

PRESENT 6055 RDC: Wheel electronics

PRESENT D107 RDC: K-CAN communication fault

NOT PRESENT C907 JBE: K-CAN Communication fault

A ton of NOT PRESENT convertible top codes that cleared and haven't come back

NOT PRESENT A670 FZD: Fogging sensor

NOT PRESENT 9CB8 FRM: Exhaustive-discharge protection of battery: deactivation, side-marker light

PRESENT 9CBB FRM: Short-circuit fault

PRESENT A8B0 FRM: direction indicator, front left, faulty

PRESENT A8B1 FRM: direction indicator, front right, faulty
(Car has LED turn signals and LED side markers, could be it? Could all of this come from an aftermarket side marker that leaks water?)

NOT PRESENT E587 FRM: K-CAN communication fault

It's looking there is a short somewhere. I can't really tell what codes of these are the root cause and what are symptoms of a higher order module failure...

[k1ngf1sher]

I'm trying to list as many things as possible during my troubleshooting, so that any other poor soul with these issues has somewhere to start.

[SamelCamel]

Found this during another search. Someone with a 335 had a chafed K-can bus wire behind the HVAC controls in the dash causing these issues...

I gave up and took it to a dealer. It took them 4 days to find the problem.....but I figured it would not be easy.

It turned out to be a chafed K-can bus wire behind the HVAC controls in the dash. It was shorting to ground on a bracket. The service advisor said it's not the first one he has seen and it's quite common. I thought I bought a car that was supposed to be better quality than most. Less than a month of ownership and this wire, gas door latch broke, underseat woofers quit, and a couple other things has me thinking it's time to sell it.


-Sam

[k1ngf1sher]

Originally Posted by SamelCamel

Found this during another search. Someone with a 335 had a chafed K-can bus wire behind the HVAC controls in the dash causing these issues...

I gave up and took it to a dealer. It took them 4 days to find the problem.....but I figured it would not be easy.

It turned out to be a chafed K-can bus wire behind the HVAC controls in the dash. It was shorting to ground on a bracket. The service advisor said it's not the first one he has seen and it's quite common. I thought I bought a car that was supposed to be better quality than most. Less than a month of ownership and this wire, gas door latch broke, underseat woofers quit, and a couple other things has me thinking it's time to sell it.


-Sam

Aw man you're an angel. I'm going to pull that SOB out tonight and take a peek!

[Gangplank]

Yes a bad FRM will cause the dash lights to freak out. Read the thread I linked.

Also I would clear the codes and see what ones come back.