BMW E36 Blog

Reset BMW E36 oil service light

24th February 2007

Reset BMW E36 oil service light

posted in Do It Yourself, Electrical, Technical Info, Tips & Tricks |


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 Would you like to upgrade your car lighting to HID (Xenon)? Read here about how you can do this fast and cheap. This is one of the best upgrades that I recommend for any BMW E36 owner. It will give your car enhanced lighting and a cool look at the same time.

Hello my friends,

After changing the oil for your car, the oil service light stays on (on the red) and it becomes very annoying to you sometimes. It makes me upset just to see it like that, so I wanted to find out how this creature is reset. It turned out that the procedure is very simple and it doesn’t need time, money or even special equipment. Well, only a paperclip ;-). The following article will show you how this thing is done within couple minutes. BTW, I didn’t write this article. I found it here in case you want to read it. Ready? ok here we go . . .

 

Disclaimer: Use this procedure at your own risk!! I’m not responsible for your mistakes man! :D

First, pop your hood and find the diagnostic data port. It is located on the right side of the engine bay near the right strut tower.

 

 


 

Unscrew the cap. You will see a big Pac-Man shaped hole and twenty little round holes. What is a Pac-Man? Never mind. We are only concerned with pin 7 and pin 19 (note: the words "pin" and "hole" are used interchangeably in this text). Refer to the picture below to find pins 7 and 19.

 

 


 

What we will be doing in this exercise is connecting pins 7 and 19 with a paperclip for four seconds. This will reset the oil service light. Simple, no? But first, here is the list of pins and what they are supposed to do:

 

Pin Terminal Description
1 TD TD Signal
2 - Not occupied
3 - Not occupied
4 - Not occupied
5 - Not occupied
6 - Not occupied
7 SI Service Interval Reset
8 - Not occupied
9 - Not occupied
10 - Not occupied
11 - Not occupied
12 61 (D+) Generator Charge Indicator
13 - Not occupied
14 30 Voltage; Hot At All Times
15 RXD Diagnostic Data Link
16 15S Voltage; Ignition Switch in Run
17 - Not occupied
18 PGSP Programming Line
19 31 Ground
20 TXD Diagnostic Data Link

 

OK, using a paperclip, Bend your paperclip it so it looks like this:

 


 

Well it doesn’t have to look exactly like this, but you get the idea. Use pliers if you have to. We want those little loops at the end to maximize the contact with the conductors in the holes of the data port. If you can’t make those little loops at the ends, that’s okay. Just don’t go running around with sharp objects.

 

OK, now you’re ready to reset the oil service light, so turn the ignition key to position II, but don’t start the car. Get out of the car and go to the data port. Always connect pin 7 first. Once you’ve inserted one end into pin 7, insert the other end into pin 19 and hold it there for 4 seconds. Then remove the paperclip. Check the dash and the oil inspection lights should be reset. The reset occurs upon removal of the clip.

 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT HOLD IT THERE FOR LONGER THAN 10 SECONDS or you may inadvertently reset your inspection I/II interval.

 

 

OK, you’re done. It was pretty easy as I promised! wasn’t it?

 

 

Are you looking for more do it yourself procedures (DIY) ? I recommend the Bentley BMW 3 series service manual for you. I got it and I think it’s a gold mine for us -BMW E36 Owners-. If you didn’t grab your copy yet, get it right now! I’m sure you’ll find this book worth every penny you’ve paid for. Get the Bentley BMW 3 series service manual

 

Wait for more from . . . BMW E36 Blog

 

Best regards,

Tony Sticks.


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This entry was posted on Saturday, February 24th, 2007 at 12:05 pm and is filed under Do It Yourself, Electrical, Technical Info, Tips & Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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There are currently 136 responses to “Reset BMW E36 oil service light”

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  1. 1 On March 20th, 2007, Barry Woolcott said:

    Hello. I’ve tried doing what you advise, but in spite of several attempts, the lights refuse to reset. Have checked pin 19 and confirm it is “earth”. My car is a 1996 318i E36. Have you any thoughts on what I’m doing wrong?

    posted on March 20th, 2007 at 4:37 pm

  2. 2 On March 20th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Barry,

    For cars with the 20 pin data link connector, you have to place the ignition switch in position two. You provide a short and then remove it after a specified time. The reset occurs on >>REMOVAL<<. On the older cars the reset occurred after the specified time. That’s the only difference between the older diagnostic connector and the newer data link connector. Please try again and let me know if this works

    posted on March 20th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

  3. 3 On March 21st, 2007, Barry Woolcott said:

    Hi Tony
    If at first you don’t succeed . .
    I repeated all the operations I had previously, but made sure that I maintained the connection a bit longer this time - but not long enough to upset the other read-out. And - Bingo!
    That saves me going to a garage, who would charge $20-25 for the job, or buying the Peake gadget.
    Many thanks

    Barry

    posted on March 21st, 2007 at 6:35 pm

  4. 4 On March 21st, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    You’re welcome Barry. Glad to hear that you managed to do it :-)

    Keep visiting my blog. I’ll be posting more DIYs in the future ..

    posted on March 21st, 2007 at 11:20 pm

  5. 5 On April 2nd, 2007, Randy said:

    thanks man that work great!!!!!! on my 1999 328i

    posted on April 2nd, 2007 at 1:30 pm

  6. 6 On April 2nd, 2007, Randy said:

    hey what do i do about the inspection,because now when i start the car that comes on and then its goes to mpg 5.9???????????? pls let me know something rwaxzter@yahoo.com

    posted on April 2nd, 2007 at 5:31 pm

  7. 7 On April 2nd, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Randy,

    Thank you very much for the sweet comment. The inspection light can be reset too using the same method above, but you have to keep it for around 9~12 seconds and it should work. Please let me know how it goes.

    posted on April 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 pm

  8. 8 On April 13th, 2007, JohnnyLed said:

    thanks man i tried it a couple of times and i failed but i held it a lil bit longer and now my car is perfect once again good job

    posted on April 13th, 2007 at 10:38 am

  9. 9 On April 17th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    You’re welcome Johnny :-)

    posted on April 17th, 2007 at 6:07 am

  10. 10 On May 20th, 2007, Barry Woolcott said:

    Hi there
    This question is not about resetting the service lights (done that!) but about the seals round the rear screen. I have the 2 seals in question and would like to know if there is any special technique involved. I guess the screen is sealed to the body (epoxy?) and the seals are cosmetic to tidy up the look of the screen. Can I just peel the old seals off and is it necessary to apply some sealant to the new seals before putting them in place?
    Thanks in advance

    posted on May 20th, 2007 at 9:11 pm

  11. 11 On May 20th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    I frankly didn’t try this or even read about it. So, I can’t help with this question. Maybe someone else can.

    Sorry Barry.

    posted on May 20th, 2007 at 10:26 pm

  12. 12 On July 27th, 2007, George said:

    Very nice!!! I did it, the red and orange bar turned off,
    but the five green bars remains on, is this normal…
    or they also sould be turned off??
    Thanks

    posted on July 27th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

  13. 13 On July 27th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    George,

    That’s Normal. The green lights mean you ok. After some time, these green lights will start to turn off. Then after all of them are gone orange and red lights will turn on. Which means you should do it again!

    posted on July 27th, 2007 at 10:12 pm

  14. 14 On September 5th, 2007, Matoto W. Lubinda said:

    1998 BMW 318iS done 275754Km. The engine runs smoothly when it is cold. At warm/hot temperature the engine switches off when idling and backfires when in motion. I have replaced the fuel pump but still the problem persist. Need help.

    posted on September 5th, 2007 at 12:38 am

  15. 15 On September 14th, 2007, Dan Greig said:

    Thank you for the information. Do you know if this same procedure will work to reset the oil
    service light on a 2000 Z3 ?

    posted on September 14th, 2007 at 7:09 pm

  16. 16 On September 15th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Dan,

    I’m sure the procedure will be almost the same, but I’m not sure about the pin numbers. So, I recommend you search for a specific procedure for Z3’s. Otherwise, you may end-up burning something :D

    posted on September 15th, 2007 at 3:43 am

  17. 17 On September 23rd, 2007, steve said:

    1990 bmw 535i 30 mph maximum dash light?
    as soon as i hit 30mph a 30 mph maximum message comes on my dash stays for a while no sounds or changes in speed can easily go over 30 car still rides good
    i checked oil coolant tires reset the computer any ideas email me please mrchitownsteve@yahoo thatnks for the pin trick

    posted on September 23rd, 2007 at 5:36 pm

  18. 18 On October 22nd, 2007, Zak said:

    Hi,

    I wonder if you can help i have 1995 E36 BMW drop top and i removed the steering wheel to change a
    which i have done smoothly, but yet my Airbag light has been set to on.
    I was wondering will the papaer clip job rest this problem?.

    posted on October 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 am

  19. 19 On October 22nd, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Zak,

    Unfortunately, the paper clip won’t help fix your problem b/c resetting the Airbag light is something that’s totally different and seems a bit more complicated. I will try to search for some information regarding how to do this b/c my car’s airbag light is on as well. I will post a new article about this if I have successfully managed to find a solution.

    posted on October 22nd, 2007 at 10:12 pm

  20. 20 On October 24th, 2007, Steve #2 said:

    Thanks mate - paper clip reset worked a treat.

    posted on October 24th, 2007 at 3:11 pm

  21. 21 On October 24th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    You’re welcome Steve. Glad it worked for you.

    posted on October 24th, 2007 at 10:53 pm

  22. 22 On November 6th, 2007, Justin said:

    Hi Tony. I just went out and did this tonight after reading your post, in the dark, with my flashlight in my teeth. My poor 1992 325is hadn’t been reset in 60K miles. It took a few tries before it worked, primarily because for my car, it apparently takes closer to 6 seconds.

    I really appreciate the great how-to. e38.org says the same trick (well, there is one minor procedural difference) will work on my 2001 740i. I’ll give that a try soon.

    posted on November 6th, 2007 at 8:49 pm

  23. 23 On November 7th, 2007, Bradley said:

    Hi There, i tried doing this procedure, and it worked, well…mostly i guess. The inspectio9n writing went off, but there is still a bunch of little bars underneath where the inspection writing was. The bars start off yellow at one end, and then as more bars light up they go green. The red bars have not lighten up yet, but i would like to get rid of this problem as it makes an annoying dinging sound when i turn the key to position 2. Thanks in advance!

    posted on November 7th, 2007 at 10:23 pm

  24. 24 On November 10th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Bradley,

    Sorry for not replying to your question soon. About the yellow bar, it should not appear. What you should see is only green bars after you do this procedure. Please try this again, but keep the two pins connected for longer time like 6 seconds or a little bit more. It should work for you.

    About the dinging sound, I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the service lights.

    Please let me know if this works for you.

    posted on November 10th, 2007 at 4:54 am

  25. 25 On November 15th, 2007, Nick Gurg said:

    Will this procedure work on a 2001 bmw 330. (reset mileage for oil change)

    posted on November 15th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

  26. 26 On November 16th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Nick, I’m not sure. This procedure will work on BMW E36 cars. I’m not sure about newer cars.

    posted on November 16th, 2007 at 4:39 am

  27. 27 On November 16th, 2007, Justin said:

    Hi Nick,

    Follow the link in my post above; it shows the procedural difference between this method on the E36 and the method for an 01 740i. They are very similar. In both cases you jump the same pins. But the difference is in when you turn on the key.

    Also, I just used a method that only uses the instrument cluster to reset on my 740i. It worked, though not exactly as described. I should have gotten some messages, according to the directions, but I didn’t. But the service lights did reset. I’d rather it have worked exactly as described, but oh well. You can read about this method (again on an 01 740i) here: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/399078

    I suspect the methods are very similar if not identical across most models from the same years. But as Tony said, we can’t be sure.

    posted on November 16th, 2007 at 5:56 am

  28. 28 On November 23rd, 2007, Dave Brown said:

    Great work Tony. Ive managed to reset the indicator. I accidently turned the engine over without replacing the diagnostic cap, can this cause any kind of problems do you know? I only had the engine running for about 10 secounds then switched off and replaced the cap. Your help is appreciated !

    posted on November 23rd, 2007 at 1:03 am

  29. 29 On November 23rd, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Dave,

    You mean that your car doesn’t start right now even while the diagnostic cap is put in place?

    posted on November 23rd, 2007 at 7:31 am

  30. 30 On November 24th, 2007, Dave Brown said:

    No it starts with no problems. I just thought i should of put the cap on before i turned the car over. Wondered if i could of done damage without realising. ie blow or short anything.

    posted on November 24th, 2007 at 1:35 am

  31. 31 On November 24th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Glad to hear that! I thought that your car cannot be started now Dave.

    About the cap, I don’t think the cap will do any harm, but as a precaution rule, I would recommend you to place the cap while the car is turned off.

    posted on November 24th, 2007 at 4:32 am

  32. 32 On December 8th, 2007, sotos said:

    Hi,
    Always having bad relastionship with time, I’ve hold the paperclip more than 10 seconds for oil reset.Is it really an inadvertently problem or there might be a solution?Thanks in advance

    posted on December 8th, 2007 at 10:21 am

  33. 33 On December 8th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Are you sure you connected the correct pins? AFAIK, this should work perfectly and it has been tested by many guys here.

    posted on December 8th, 2007 at 11:04 pm

  34. 34 On December 9th, 2007, David Pehrson said:

    Tony, I just read through your page about resetting the service indicators. Great information! I have a 2003 325iT E46 and a 2004 Z4. What are your recommended procedures and precautions for resetting the service indicator for these two particular models. Thanks a million…Dave

    posted on December 9th, 2007 at 7:44 am

  35. 35 On December 9th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi David,

    I’m sorry, but I don’t have information about E46 and Z4 cars. However, I did a quick search on Google and found these instructions to reset the oil service lights for E46 cars:

    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_reset_the_oil_service_light_manually_on_a_2003_BMW_325i_E46

    Quote…

    RESETTING OIL SERVICE INDICATOR:

    If your OBC needs to be reset after completing your oil change, there are two ways. NOTE: If you miss a step, just turn the key back off and try again:

    A. Model Year 1999 to Mid-2000: You should have the older round 20-pin DLC connector under your hood behind the battery terminal, you need to use a small length of wire to connect (short) pins 7 and 19 for 3-5 seconds with the ignition key in position 1 (Accessory).

    B. After Mid-2000: You should not have the 20-pin DLC connector. You only need to hold the left odometer reset button while turning the key to position 1 (Accessory). Keep holding the button for 5 or so seconds until any of the following shows in the display: OIL SERVICE or INSPECTION with RESET or RE. Release the button and press it again for another 5 or so seconds until RESET or RE flash. While the display flashes, press the button one more time briefly. If done correctly, END SIA should show up for a few seconds. All done.

    About the Z4, I’m sorry, I couldn’t find a quick thing to help you with. I suggest you do a search again and I’m sure you’ll be able to find it.

    posted on December 9th, 2007 at 12:09 pm

  36. 36 On December 10th, 2007, SOTOS said:

    Hi tony, it’s Sotos again.The oil light have been reset but after 2000 kilometres none of the green lights have been reset as usuall.Is this an effect of letting the paperclip more than 10 secondes?Thanks.

    posted on December 10th, 2007 at 5:40 am

  37. 37 On December 10th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    I don’t think so Sotos. I guess you have to try the procedure again, but don’t wait more than 6 seconds. Let me know if this works for you.

    posted on December 10th, 2007 at 7:48 am

  38. 38 On December 13th, 2007, ben said:

    hey tony, did you ever find out the quick fix for the air bag light?

    posted on December 13th, 2007 at 10:12 am

  39. 39 On December 13th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Ben,

    My airbag light kept on and on until I ran a diagnosis for the car. It turned out that my right airbag sensor was not working. So, I ended up changing it and that solved my problem.

    I suggest you do the same thing and see if you’re going to face the same problem. Also, I suggest you to do that fast, b/c you’ll never know when you’re going to need it. right?

    posted on December 13th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

  40. 40 On December 20th, 2007, Frozen in England said:

    BOOM BABY!!

    Tony it worked like a charm! Found this post about an hour ago so I went outside in the frost with my Mag light and a ‘FRESH’ ‘CLEAN’ paperclip (Yes one without any coating) and it worked the second time. As everyone says it’s better to leave it in just past the five second mark. I recall hearing a ‘click’ from the other side of the engine compartment when it reset. Either that or it was my eyelashes crystallizing.

    Thanks for the tip sir.

    This is on a 95′ 525 TDS

    posted on December 20th, 2007 at 2:15 am

  41. 41 On December 20th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    I’m really glad to know it worked for your 525. Thank you for reporting that.

    posted on December 20th, 2007 at 11:34 am

  42. 42 On December 20th, 2007, Frozen in England said:

    No problem sir. Didn’t take me long to fiuere out where the diagnostic data port was. It is located on the ‘LEFT’ side of the engine bay.
    Everything is backwards over here even my Chrysler. :)

    posted on December 20th, 2007 at 2:05 pm

  43. 43 On December 21st, 2007, ck said:

    Tony–You are the MAN!!! I have a 2003 BMW 325i and I tried your info out to reset the oil change odometer on my car and presto 1st try it worked! Many thanks to you!
    CK in snow bound Iowa

    posted on December 21st, 2007 at 7:41 am

  44. 44 On December 21st, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    I’m glad to see it worked for you ck.

    posted on December 21st, 2007 at 10:16 am

  45. 45 On December 21st, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    @Frozen in England: Loool!.

    posted on December 21st, 2007 at 10:29 am

  46. 46 On December 21st, 2007, GibsoN said:

    Nice tip! Changed my oil and using a paperclip reset the service light, good times, held mine for about 5 secs. But i appear to have blown the bulbs on the heater control panel, bad times. Tryed changing the Heater Control fuse (I belive this is the correct one) but still doesnt work, must be the bulbs. Anyway where would the fun be if there wasnt something to tinker with!

    posted on December 21st, 2007 at 9:08 pm

  47. 47 On December 30th, 2007, JF said:

    This worked like a charm. Thank you.

    posted on December 30th, 2007 at 12:28 am

  48. 48 On December 31st, 2007, Oscar said:

    Hi Tony, I have my car E36 316i serviced and lights were reset just two months ago but now it has already down to 2 green lights on the bar already. Before I reset the light does the only two remaining green lights mean there’re some problems with the car that needs to be checked soon? Thanks!

    posted on December 31st, 2007 at 11:51 am

  49. 49 On December 31st, 2007, Sdavis said:

    Thanks for the great paperclip tip. I have a 2002 Z3 2.5 and had to try it a few times and it finally worked. I pushed the jpaperclip in further by straightening the loops out to go in deeper. I saw the reset tool on the net in prices ranging from $34.95 up to $200.00. I saved a bundle. Thanks again.

    posted on December 31st, 2007 at 9:38 pm

  50. 50 On January 1st, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Oscar,

    How many miles did you travel since the service lights reset?

    posted on January 1st, 2008 at 12:41 pm

  51. 51 On January 2nd, 2008, Oscar said:

    Sorry Tony forgot to mention it. I’ve only done a little over 1000 miles since the last service, that’s why I found it a little strange.

    posted on January 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm

  52. 52 On January 3rd, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    I see Oscar,

    As you may know, the service indicator lights are not smart. They just measure the distance that your car traveled and report the lights according to it. Maybe you should reset it again and see if this problem disappears. That’s weird!

    posted on January 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm

  53. 53 On January 7th, 2008, Dave B said:

    Awsome tip The lights not being there actually bugged me like a lot of people, I too thought about buying the reset tool. Held mine for about 6-7 sec. I tried 4 but it wouldn’t take.
    I just took some 14 ga. wire about 3 inches long and stripped the ends. Thanks for the money saver…

    posted on January 7th, 2008 at 5:17 am

  54. 54 On January 27th, 2008, reg said:

    hi, the problem i have is that my battery went flat, i used jump leasds now the temp guage only goes up to quarter, and the rev counter and MPG no longer works ? ? any ideas please

    posted on January 27th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

  55. 55 On January 30th, 2008, Jose said:

    I cant find the diagnostic data port on my 318i 2001!

    posted on January 30th, 2008 at 11:42 am

  56. 56 On January 30th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Jose,

    Please check the comments above (My comment on December 9th, 2007 to David). It describes how you can do that.

    posted on January 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

  57. 57 On January 30th, 2008, Jose said:

    This didnt work in my car. I had to press the ODO reset and turn key to first position, the when the service kms came up I released the button then pressed again until “resst” appeared on the read out. Then I pressed once again and it went back to 25000 km remaining.

    posted on January 30th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

  58. 58 On January 30th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    So, you didn’t had to use a paper clip ? :-) cool. I guess this works only on E46

    posted on January 30th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

  59. 59 On February 2nd, 2008, Geordie said:

    The green lights should all be on after a service, orange and red off. The computer takes into account number of engine starts, length of journeys and mileage to determine how quick it will put out the green lights from left to right until the last goes out and the orange and red come on. On my 325 1994, from reset to orange on was precisely 7838 miles the 1st time, and 8105 miles the second time …. If you continue to drive it keeps going until the orange goes out, i think the red stays on, not sure, never left it that late … !
    Incidentally, here is a q for you … I had just carried out a annual service a few weeks ago, and used the paper clip as usual to reset the ‘inspection and clock lights’, but the oil service light was still on at orange and red. tried a couple more times at subtly different timings and they are still lit…. anybody had this .. ?
    George

    posted on February 2nd, 2008 at 2:41 am

  60. 60 On February 2nd, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Geordie,

    Your service lights has not been reset. Are you sure you connected the correct pins?

    posted on February 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm

  61. 61 On February 16th, 2008, Darko said:

    I have bmw e36 318 is from 1992 and this dosent work there is more then 20 pins?help

    posted on February 16th, 2008 at 12:37 am

  62. 62 On February 17th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Darko,

    Can you please take a photo for it and send it to my email address?

    posted on February 17th, 2008 at 2:00 am

  63. 63 On February 20th, 2008, prakash said:

    hey this is great it worked first time im well chuffed i went to bmw n they wanted £50 to do that, this is great mate nice one fella.

    posted on February 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

  64. 64 On February 20th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Great to hear that it worked for you Prakash.

    posted on February 20th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

  65. 65 On February 22nd, 2008, Kumi said:

    YOU THE MAN!!!! Worked the first time one question are the green lights supposed to stay on all the time or do they shut off after the car starts? (Mineonly come on when I first start the car and then they shut off. The same happens with the oil service light) 1992 325is

    posted on February 22nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm

  66. 66 On February 23rd, 2008, Julio said:

    my insturments cluster lights keep going on and off as im driving how do i fix this problem?

    posted on February 23rd, 2008 at 3:27 pm

  67. 67 On February 24th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Mine does the same thing. This is how it’s supposed to work Kumi.

    posted on February 24th, 2008 at 9:33 am

  68. 68 On February 26th, 2008, Julio said:

    Hey Tony!!!

    My insturments cluster lights keep going on and off as im driving how do i fix this problem?

    posted on February 26th, 2008 at 7:16 am

  69. 69 On February 27th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Julio:

    Is it like flickering? I think there’s something that is loosening in there. I suggest you remove your cluster and try to look for anything suspecious. Here’s a DIY about how you can remove your cluster:
    Remove BMW E36 Gauge Cluster

    posted on February 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am

  70. 70 On March 6th, 2008, Darko said:

    Tony do you know how to reset my milage on my bmw e36 it is 349298 i want to be 120500.

    posted on March 6th, 2008 at 11:38 pm

  71. 71 On March 7th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    I’m sorry Darko. I have no idea how this can be done. Besides, don’t you think this is illegal?

    posted on March 7th, 2008 at 9:57 pm

  72. 72 On March 9th, 2008, zarak said:

    thank you for helping me saving money for long time i have been searching for a solution to resolve the lights myself finally i got it thank you very much

    posted on March 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

  73. 73 On March 9th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Zarak: I’m glad to help :-)

    posted on March 9th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

  74. 74 On March 9th, 2008, Julio said:

    Do you know where the drl modul is located on the a 318i 1994 im trying to shut off the daytime running lights off and i cant find it and also i need to located the ambient sensor b/c my obc is reading -35 at all time please help

    posted on March 9th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

  75. 75 On March 10th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Julio: About the DRL module, please check these:
    http://www.dtmpower.net/forum/e36-3-series/125054-daytime-running-lights-module-drl-e36-z3-ebay.html
    and

    About the temp sensor, please check my post:
    Faulty temperature sensor in BMW E36

    posted on March 10th, 2008 at 9:12 am

  76. 76 On March 16th, 2008, andre said:

    Great oil interval reset idea with a paperclip. I used a small one, but failed. Then bent a bigger one with my fingers only, bending more metal with leverage, and poof, oil indicator reset!!! Thank you!!! Now, why is my radiator tank cap suddenly leaking coolant while I’m driving and warmed up to operating temperatures?! Back to deduction…

    posted on March 16th, 2008 at 3:16 am

  77. 77 On March 17th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Andre,

    I’m glad it helped you.

    About your radiator, I suggest that you let the car cool off, then open the cap and the screw beside it then turn your engine on. After that, try to increase the coolant inside the radiator and keep watching the coolant that is going out of the small radiator opening. It should start going out of that opening without any air bubbles. When this happens close both and try your car again. If the coolant kept leaking from there, I think you will need to check your radiator for any cracks.

    posted on March 17th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

  78. 78 On March 17th, 2008, Darko said:

    do anyone know what are the numbers on the dash board are for i think of a numbers that are showing when you put the key in secon position and press the reset buton of km there are six numbers and then all the lights and arows flash and move?

    posted on March 17th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

  79. 79 On March 17th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Darko: I think you’re looking for this BMW On Board Computer (OBC) secrets!

    posted on March 17th, 2008 at 9:20 pm

  80. 80 On March 21st, 2008, swtk1sses4u said:

    Hello, is that diagnostic data port the same for a 2001 X5?

    posted on March 21st, 2008 at 3:24 pm

  81. 81 On March 23rd, 2008, Mr. Fixit said:

    Amazing… thanks for the tip its so easy and cheap in and out in five minutes thanks for your posting you’ve help lots of people.

    posted on March 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm

  82. 82 On March 24th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Mr.Fixit: No problem. Glad to help.

    posted on March 24th, 2008 at 9:44 am

  83. 83 On April 3rd, 2008, Danny T said:

    it really works on my Bimmer

    you’re champion…big thanks Tony

    posted on April 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 am

  84. 84 On April 3rd, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Glad to help Danny :-)

    posted on April 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am

  85. 85 On April 10th, 2008, cheryl said:

    Hi just wanted to say thanks i was reading your info how to reset oil service have a bmw 325i 2001,worked first time , oh and i’m a girl shows how easy it is.
    thanks again

    posted on April 10th, 2008 at 9:09 pm

  86. 86 On April 11th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    No problem Cheryl. I’m glad it worked for you!

    posted on April 11th, 2008 at 10:02 am

  87. 87 On April 14th, 2008, Brett said:

    Hey is there anyway i can reset my Airbag light, without buying the reset tool?

    posted on April 14th, 2008 at 11:27 am

  88. 88 On April 14th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Brett,

    Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyway to reset the airbag light without a reset tool until now.

    posted on April 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am

  89. 89 On April 16th, 2008, Farhad said:

    Hi
    Great article!

    I have UK 1997 e36 318is which seems to have the 20pin port type. There are 3 green lights remaining after an oil service and the orange clock symbol for I guess coolant and brake fluid. Is there any way of switching the orange clock off without resetting the service light?

    Thanks

    posted on April 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

  90. 90 On April 16th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Farhad,

    AFAIK, the orange clock will be turned on with the oil service lights. It’s not for the coolant/brake fluid. Why do you want to reset that only anyway?

    posted on April 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm

  91. 91 On April 16th, 2008, Farhad said:

    Hi Tony
    Thanks for the reply. I have had this orange clock before and I was told that it was for brake fluid/coolant change every two years. I don’t want to pay the garage to do it this time and may do it myself but wanted to know how to switch it off without affecting the normal servicing lights. As it happens there are three green lights and orange clock on simultaneously at the moment!

    Thanks

    posted on April 16th, 2008 at 4:41 pm

  92. 92 On April 17th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Frahad,

    As I said before, I’m not aware of any method to turn that off alone. I’m not even sure if there’s away to do it.

    Sorry for not being able to help.

    posted on April 17th, 2008 at 10:14 am

  93. 93 On April 18th, 2008, Darko said:

    on my dash board had showned ispection light what to do and what does mean

    posted on April 18th, 2008 at 4:25 pm

  94. 94 On April 18th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Farhad, Darko:

    From the Bentely Manual:

    An OIL SERVICE interval will always be followed by an INSPECTION interval, which will then be followed by an OIL SERVICE inteval, and so on.

    I guess this means that everytime you reset the oil service indicators, and drive the car until the next inspection is about to come, you will see either the INSPECTION light or the OIL SERVICE light. In the next time, you will see the other light. These are referred to as INSPECTION I and INSPECTION II according to the Bentely Manual.

    posted on April 18th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

  95. 95 On April 19th, 2008, Miguel said:

    On my 320i 1994 it works fine. From Spain thank you for helping me. Miguel

    posted on April 19th, 2008 at 11:26 pm

  96. 96 On April 20th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    No problem Miguel! I’m glad to help.

    posted on April 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am

  97. 97 On April 20th, 2008, dwayne said:

    tony, thanks for the reset info, worked first time w/ a 5 second count on my sons ‘94 740i, dwayne in n.y.

    posted on April 20th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

  98. 98 On April 20th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Great to hear that Dwayne. You’re most welcome :-)

    posted on April 20th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

  99. 99 On May 6th, 2008, caleb said:

    Is there a way to rest the check engin light? without paying?

    posted on May 6th, 2008 at 9:35 am

  100. 100 On May 6th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Caleb,

    The check engine light normally indicates that there’s a problem with your car that needs to be fixed. The correct way to reset that light is by fixing that problem first.

    posted on May 6th, 2008 at 11:14 am

  101. 101 On May 9th, 2008, Derek D said:

    Tony,

    Thanks for the DIY. I just reset the lights on my e36 323ic. Eight seconds was too short, but 12 worked perfect. Green lights! Go!

    Appreciate all the good info on here buddy.

    posted on May 9th, 2008 at 3:59 am

  102. 102 On May 9th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    You’re welcome Derek, I’m glad to help.

    posted on May 9th, 2008 at 8:35 am

  103. 103 On May 15th, 2008, ALEX T. said:

    Hi, thanx for this article, perfect stuff,but will it also fix the problem of lighting on the INSPECTION or OIL SERVICE or whatever…

    posted on May 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

  104. 104 On May 15th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @ALEX T.: I think it’s for either, but I’m not 100% sure of that.

    posted on May 15th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

  105. 105 On May 20th, 2008, DBALES said:

    How do I reset the brake light…I changed my brake pads (front and rear) after the light came appeared on the instrument panel….JUST IN TIME….but the light still appears. How do I reset it or do I need to take it to a shop?

    posted on May 20th, 2008 at 7:36 am

  106. 106 On May 20th, 2008, DBALES said:

    FYI…it is a 2003 325i e46

    posted on May 20th, 2008 at 7:37 am

  107. 107 On May 20th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @DBALES: There is a brake pad sensor that should be replaced whenever you replace the brake pads. It’s located inside a whole in the brake caliper of the left front wheel. When this sensor fails, the warning light will come up in your dashboard.

    posted on May 20th, 2008 at 10:00 am

  108. 108 On June 5th, 2008, Paul said:

    Hi I have reset the Inspection service lights and the 4 green lights but still have the clock symbol illuminated have done it twice but the clock still on can you help ?

    posted on June 5th, 2008 at 10:46 pm

  109. 109 On June 7th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Paul: I don’t know why is that Paul. I’m sorry!

    posted on June 7th, 2008 at 8:33 pm

  110. 110 On June 24th, 2008, Trev said:

    Hi,

    I have e bmw e46 and i have a gear symbol that appears quite often,Im nt sure if ts a gear malfunction but the car moves like normal but sometimes im not able to use my radio and the brake light stays on all the time,any ideas on this?

    posted on June 24th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

  111. 111 On June 28th, 2008, mike said:

    Hi Tony have fixed my oil lights but have lost the inspection interval lights eg orange and red can you help. Mike

    posted on June 28th, 2008 at 1:57 pm

  112. 112 On June 28th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @mike: Lost them? is it like they are turned off now and you have green lights instead? if that’s the case, then don’t worry. this is how it’s supposed to work. After a while, you will notice that the green lights will begin to turn off one by one until they’re all gone. Then the orange light will appear again as a warning for your next inspection.

    posted on June 28th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

  113. 113 On June 29th, 2008, mike said:

    Thanks for getting back to me so fast i forgot to mention that the clock has also disappeared as well as the oil service and inspection wording
    Regards Mike

    posted on June 29th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

  114. 114 On June 30th, 2008, Derek D said:

    Mike,

    Like Tony says, when you reset the lights these things go away. They light up at appropriate intervals to say “hey, time for Oil Service/Inspection”. Once you reset them the car assumes it doesn’t need to tell you this anymore. When I recently did this, it had been a while since my last reset and I too was used to seeing the Oil/Inspection indicators on startup. As such this same thing caught me off guard for a second. But it’s all good. 5 green bars 1 yellow and 1 red is all you should see, and from the sounds of it is all you are seeing. You’re good to go brother. Now get out there and enjoy your newly maintenanced e36!!!

    posted on June 30th, 2008 at 5:45 pm

  115. 115 On July 13th, 2008, mai-nguyen said:

    Thanks for the tips

    Mai-nguyen

    posted on July 13th, 2008 at 1:53 am

  116. 116 On July 13th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @mai-nguyen: Glad to help :-)

    posted on July 13th, 2008 at 9:17 am

  117. 117 On July 13th, 2008, George said:

    Dear friends, I just bought BMW CARSOFT 6.5 and during tests with BMW M3 95 USA.
    I could not access some of modules as (DME, ABS, LCM): MODULE DOES NOT RESPOND.
    But it acess modules as (SERVICE OIL, AIR BAG).
    Does anyone has some previous experience with CARSOFT ?
    Thank you

    posted on July 13th, 2008 at 7:59 pm

  118. 118 On July 15th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @George: I think you should read this BMW E36 Carsoft Diagnosis Tool and follow the full review as well. You have OBD I and that’s why you can’t use the Carsoft to the maximum limit.

    posted on July 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am

  119. 119 On July 27th, 2008, Sam said:

    Hi this worked realy well. FINALLY i can put the bulb back in the service light i couldnt stand it anymore and was very close to paying someone. thanks a lot. :)

    posted on July 27th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

  120. 120 On July 28th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Sam: No problem! I’m glad to help Sam.

    posted on July 28th, 2008 at 9:49 am

  121. 121 On July 31st, 2008, carol said:

    I tried to reset the service light and the car won’t start. Had to tow it to the mechanic.

    posted on July 31st, 2008 at 12:29 am

  122. 122 On July 31st, 2008, Gerry V said:

    Hi can you tell me how I can get my service engine light and tpm light to stop comming on? I filled up my 2008 535i with gas and did’nt put the gas cap on tight enough!

    posted on July 31st, 2008 at 4:41 am

  123. 123 On August 1st, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @carol: Oh! I’m really sorry to hear that. Are you sure you followed the steps provided here exactly? What did the mechanic say?

    posted on August 1st, 2008 at 12:27 am

  124. 124 On August 1st, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Gerry V: I’m afraid I can’t help with that :-) Sorry!

    posted on August 1st, 2008 at 12:33 am

  125. 125 On August 3rd, 2008, Rudi said:

    Hi guys, just a comment on the oil light reset function. I have noticed that one reason for the oil light NOT resetting, is when there is any other underlying diagnostic problem not attended to. Ie if your OBC says “Check Coolant Level”, it will NOT reset. Thus all issues must be addressed before reset will occur. Hope this helps.
    Rudi

    posted on August 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 pm

  126. 126 On August 13th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Rudi: Hmmm… I don’t think this is correct because my car had issues with Knock Sensor #2 and it reset just fine.

    posted on August 13th, 2008 at 9:25 am

  127. 127 On August 14th, 2008, Leon Olivier said:

    Hi Tony

    I have a 325i E36. I need to reset my inspection lights. My OBC socket centre piece do not look like a pacman but instead have a triangler shape . I tried the connection 7 to 19 but this does not work for me. I also tried it on a 316i 93 E36 with the same triangler as mine but also does not work. Any suggestions?

    posted on August 14th, 2008 at 8:38 pm

  128. 128 On August 16th, 2008, Leon Olivier said:

    Tony

    No need to reply. I have been looking at the wrong socket! I found the correct socket with the pacman center and I rosetted my inspection lights. Thanks for the great information!

    posted on August 16th, 2008 at 10:47 am

  129. 129 On August 18th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Leon Olivier: Great to hear that Leon. I’m sorry, I’m very slow these days with replying to comments because I’m really busy. I hope this will end soon :-)

    posted on August 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am

  130. 130 On August 18th, 2008, Paul H said:

    Hi Tony, just been reading this with interest, you have been a great help to many people, Im hoping I will be another…1998 318TI airbag warning light is on. Is this able to be re-set yet.

    posted on August 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am

  131. 131 On August 18th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Paul H: I’m sorry Paul, but I couldn’t find any way to reset the airbag light yet. When I found a way, I will defintely publish a specific post about it.

    posted on August 18th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

  132. 132 On August 22nd, 2008, glen said:

    thanks tony after a service at home this done just the job to reset them horid warning lights

    thank you

    posted on August 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm

  133. 133 On August 22nd, 2008, Mick Walker said:

    Hi, just wanted to let you know, I tried this on my 1999 Z3 roadster, and it worked perfectly, I now have all green bars.
    BMW here in belfast, actually told me, that if I hadnt had the oil service done by them, they wouldnt reset the light even if I was willing to pay them.

    I was so impressed with this article, I have actually used the data on my own blog, I have provided a link back to yourself for courtisy.
    http://www.mick-walker.co.uk/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogID=7

    posted on August 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm

  134. 134 On August 23rd, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Mick Walker: No problem! I’m glad to help :-)

    posted on August 23rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm

  135. 135 On August 24th, 2008, mai nguyen said:

    Hi Tony,
    My E36 (318IS 1994 ) radio now not working after i replaced battery (have code but don’t know
    how to enter , please help
    Thanks
    mai nguyen

    posted on August 24th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

  136. 136 On August 26th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @mai nguyen: Check this post BMW radio with security code problem … solved!. It may help you.

    posted on August 26th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

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