The OBC is in the IKE (instrument cluster electronics)...but it is controlled through the MID or Nav display in BMWs with the high instrument cluster...and the MID or Nav screen is also the OBC's primary display (not the instrument cluster's 20 digit alpha/numeric display).

That means (as you've experienced) once you remove the Nav display (or the MID)...you've removed the ability to set/start/reset/stop any of the OBC features. The 20 digit alpha/numeric display in the instrument cluster has first priority to the CHECK CONTROL system. The ability to display the OBC features there is a "fringe benefit". That is why the OBC must be "programmed" to appear in the cluster...and if any Priority 1 or 2 warning occurs...any OBC feature is immediately wiped from the cluster display. Also, if electrical power is disconnected...all OBC features programmed into the cluster will be wiped out and must be reprogrammed to appear there.

I'm not sure if the MID & Nav display connections are exactly the same...but if they are...you could find a used HIGH MID and reconnect it to the cluster and store the MID in the glove box or other location. This would allow you to reprogram the OBC features you wanted to appear in the cluster's display. Again, the only way to set/start/reset/stop any of the OBC features is thru the MID or Nav screen.

The turn indicator stalk only calls up the OBC features to appear in the HIGH CLUSTER...it has no way of setting/starting/stopping/resetting the OBC features.

Since you have the high cluster & DSP...you'd need to find a MID from an e39 or e53 that is configured correctly (has DSP & BC icons on the buttons along the right side):




Prior to 9/97 build date...the e38 & e39 high clusters had a separate IKE (which contains all the electronic data like OBC/VIN/Serv Interval/Mileage/etc) which makes it easy to swap clusters that had bad pixels etc...because you could just remove the original IKE and connect it to a replacement cluster...and VOILA!...no more problems. But after the 9/97 build date...the IKE was integrated into a one-piece cluster...thus making a "swap" more difficult due to the redundant data storage that is shared (and coded) with the LCM...which is specific to each BMW.

Hope this makes sense.

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