The BMW OBC (on-board computer), unlike most of the displays in other vehicles, is a sophisticated and sometimes troubling piece of equipment to work with. Without the manual, even setting the time and date is difficult to figure out on your own. Fortunately there are many BMW enthusiasts willing to help out other owners at various sites online, including owners of the 1995 BMW 318IS.
Turn the car on then hold the "Clock" button until the ":" begins blinking -- usually four to six seconds though some take up to a minute.
Use the "1" and "10" buttons to set the minutes, "100" and "1000" buttons to set the hour.
Press the "Set/Reset" button to set the new time.
Try holding the "Clock" and "Set" buttons to reset the clock if holding only the "Clock" button doesn't work then follow the steps in the previous section.
Check the fuses if the clock doesn't show up -- they may need replacing. Otherwise, pulling and re-seating them can clean the connection.
Check the bulbs by pulling out the OBC. Replace any, if necessary.
Remove the connection from the OBC to the battery for a few minutes. When reattached, it should allow you to set the time.
