Need Help With An Electrical Problem!!!

[demq]

Yesterday while I was driving my 87 325, and I felt a smell of some burning plastic, and about a 1 minute later my gages went dead. I got my fuse #10 blown off , which takes off all my gages besides the speedometer . It happened yesterday, when I changed the fuse and started the engine the fuse blew off right away, it means there is a short circuit in ther. I had the same problem a year ago and the mechanic told me that it was a broken relày that was giving a short circuit when it was getting shaken while driving and it was giving a short circuit. So this morning I opened the console cover and found a relày and pulled it off, and the fuse didin't blew off right away, so I thought that's the problem. But later after driving for 10-15 minutes and taking a couple of sharp turnes the fuse blew off again.. So now I have the unsolved problem and a relày infront of me (it's writen Gurt-Zeitgerat on it, which means "belt-time-turn out", I guess about this one was my mechanic talking). If anyone knows how I can trace the short circuit, or have the wiring diagram or can tell me where I can find one, or can help me PLEASE DO IT .

P.S. I tried to get info from AllData.com, but it turned out they don't support 87 BMWs for individuals, even though my mechanic is always using them for my car....

 

[demq]

Spent a day working on the car...
I found the wiring diagram on http://www.autolib.diakom.ru:8001/CAR/BMW/1987/325e/,
so I ripped off everything that would be connected to the fuse(the seatbelt warinig relay, chimes module, Active control unit), anyway it seemed that the circuit is shorted any way, until I pulled off the instrumental cluster, then it showed no connection with the body on the multimiteter, when I put the reverse, it showed some resistance and the current was no more than 3 Amps if I would have everything on(back-up lights, ac, the Service Indicator lights on)... So I took apart the cluster and checked for any sighn of short circuit in it, chenced the connection of it with other input pins, everything was like it should be on the diagram.
So I plugged it back to the circuit, and miraculosly everything worked just fine, like it should,
the curret on the fuse was like 0.7 Amps without back-up lights. So I didn't have anything to do than to put everything back together, meanwhile leaving the key on with 7.5 Amp fuse in place, but everythng was just OK. I strted the car a couple of times and let it run, again everything was just fine. So I drove it 3 minutes and the gauges again went off
When I changed the fuse it went off right away, the same with an 10 Amp fuse...
I don't know what to do next, it seems thaer is some loose connection that's giving a short with vibration, and it seems to be in the cluster but I coupldn't find anything wrong...
Any suggestions..?????

 

[vlad]

Check all if the wiring that you just fiddled with. Look it over very carefully for any bare spots or connectors that may be grounding out. At least that's what it sounds like to me.

 

[demq]

I think I finally got ti!!!
I went home and just pulled out the rubber dust cover from the shifter to "in case" check the back-up light wiring where it goes from the salon to nderneath the car. It turned out that
the <doushbag> (srry admin, I am mad at him) mechanick who recenlty changed my clutch put the connector of the switch undearneath the rubber dust cover, which caused it to rub against the body when I was shifting, and rubbed through the insulator... I pulled it out of there, insulated it and put it under the ash tray assembly( I think much better place than before).
I drove the car back to work to check it and to tell you guys and pals from e30sport.net who suggested to check that linkage that I got it.... Man I am so happy now, after 3 days of frustration, 1 day of work on the car, spoiled relations with people because of my excessive nervousness I got it ( I got to 70MPH on the driveway of my workplace,
it's good gards didn't notice that.. )
Anyway thanks to everybody

 

[rjp325i]

Try to look at the bright side of it. The fuse did its job and nothing got burned out although it sounds like you were burning a bit. Congrats on getting it fixed.