E36 Instrument Cluster

[sfj642]

Hi - I have a 2000 Compact - does anyone know if the instrument cluster from a 1996 E36 saloon will work in this car ?

The Compact doesn't have the mpg gauge but the E36 one does - has anyone done this swap ?

I think there is a plug or something that can be changed over to keep your original car mileage - does everything else match up ? and will the mpg gauge work ?

Thanks for your expertise

[Rich]

I swapped my cluster during my engine swap. It fits fine, however you will probably need to add the wire for the mpg read out. see here for details > http://328compact.co.uk/index.php?section=12

As for the mileage, i'm not sure about swapping plugs? however it should be possible to have the mileage corrected, perhaps BMW dealer can help out with that?

Rich

[sfj642]

Hi Rich - great link; looks like it is possible then. Surprised that BMW didn't just leave the wire in but not use it ! How much would that have cost ?

Is this the only issue - and what about the identity plug (if there is one) ?

[Rich]

Well its not just a case of the 1 one wire, they've only put in what is absolutely necessary. When I added an OBC I had to wire in a whole loom for the OBC, the instrument cluster doesn't have the TD or TX connections for the diagnostics. If you add up all the parts/wires that could have gone in over the many cars they build, it probably comes out to a heck of a lot!
Although I would have been happy if they'd have left all the wires in

[sfj642]

No doubt BMW have done their sums, but it makes it very difficult to add the upmarket goodies later on !

Your Angel Eyes look good ! Hella ?

[Rich]

Thanks
The angel lights are CCFL's from http://www.ssdd-motorsport.com/show_...hp?prod_id=237

They look a little different in their pictures since they mount the rings behind the lens. I mounted them in front of the lens.

[J!m]

I'm not 100% positive (due to production overlaps) but I believe you have a E46-based compact.

If so, the earlier E36 cluster will not work, as the E36 and E46 instrument clusters are not compatible.

The US and Euro clusters are not compatible within the same series.

If you want to try an E46 cluster in your 2000 compact (assuming it's an E46 model), that MAY work, as long as the number of cylinders of the donor cluster and original cluster match.

If you have the small six (which I think you do) you should be able to use the M3 cluster of the same BMW internal model designation.

The coding plug will hold the mileage, but using the non-M coding plug in an M cluster will possibly also mess up other things, such as the tachometer reading, as the scale sweep is different, just like on the standard E36 cluster versus the E36 M3 cluster. Plus those cool RPM limit chaning lights might not work...

Ask the dealer, but they likely have no idea...

[sfj642]

Thanks J!m

Over here in the UK the 2000 Compact was still mainly E36 based. Some bits seem to be have been updated to mate in with E46 parts (like the 1.9 engine and the pollen filter location) so my Compact really is a hybrid which fits neither the UK Haynes Manual nor the US Bentley manual.

We never had a 6 cylinder RHD E36 Compact; we only had 4 cylinder engines until 2001 when the E46 Compact became available. So the early instruments do fit physically BUT I wasn't certain about the identity plug (if there is one ?) and wiring.

Which no doubt is the reason this forum is so active !

[J!m]

OK well, thanks for clarifying this for me, as the year 2000 was an odd one for the odd little compact.

It seems there are parts of the world who got the E46 variant, and some who still had the E36 variant.

Now that that's out of the way, the only way another cluster will work, is if it is from a 4-cylinder E36 car, so if you get a late E36 318i cluster, it should be plug-n-play. Putting your coding plug into this cluster MAY work to preserve mileage, but I think the mpg/oil temp gage (which is on the regular cars? The M3 has an oil temp gage and no MPG gage...) will not work because the plug was not coded for it.

Best is to just stick in the cluster unmolested, and then run the wire for the MPG gage as detailed above. The other advantage is the red "True mileage unknown" light will not come on this way. If you swap the coding plug, the red light comes on and anyone who knows, knows the mileage shown on the odometer is not correct.

BUT, since the ti never had an MPG gage, it is possible that the pin does not do anything when you hook to it with the four cylinder. With the six cylinder, it works fine (it is working in my swapped ti now). It SHOULD work, because the Active with OBC use the fuel consumption data, but that may be on another pin of the connector (but not likely)...

So, you have to do some testing. Let us know how it goes!

[larryn]

Hmmm. I already have a e36 instrument cluster with the MPG gauge. I'll give this a shot tomorrow, I think. Thanks for the info.

[J!m]

Before you ever do any electrical work on any BMW, and especially before removing the steering wheel/air bag, disconnect the battery negative lead, and be sure it cannot bend back and contact the battery terminal!!!

You'll be sorry (and broke) if you forget this...

[sfj642]

J!m - thanks for that; looks like a definite maybe then ? Further up this thread, Rich has also done the swap and added an mpg wire in from the main harness to make it work.

A little worried by the red "True mileage unknown" light. I am still not sure if Euro cars have the identity plug (where is it - it's not obvious on the undismantled cluster in my hand) and now I have to worry about the "mileage unknown" lamp - if I have one where would it shine ? or is this a US only I wonder ?

More questions than answers at the moment, but at least I have reconnected the missing wire from the automatic volume level into my Blaupunkt this afternoon and discovered that the petrol flap only locks when you use the key, not the alarm fob !

Thanks for getting back - happy motoring !

[J!m]

The TMU light is just above, and too the left of the mileage reading, in the same window. It is a LCD light, and if you shine a bright light intro the display, you can see where it will be. I am 99.9% sure it is exactly the same for the Euro clusters, as the clusters are all made by VDO.

The coding plug is on the back of the cluster, under a small rectangular bump on the left of the cluster (as viewed from the rear).

There is an arrow under one side, stick a screwdriver in there and break off the little cover. Then the plug can be pulled out. Or, disassemble the cluster so you don't have to brake the rear cover. The plug will not fall out even if you brake the cover...

[larryn]

Originally Posted by J!m

Before you ever do any electrical work on any BMW, and especially before removing the steering wheel/air bag, disconnect the battery negative lead, and be sure it cannot bend back and contact the battery terminal!!!

You'll be sorry (and broke) if you forget this...

Thanks! I've already had the cluster out a few times to replace bulbs, and have removed steering wheels on a few BMWs before (replacing with M3 steering wheels). I ALWAYS disconnect the battery negative lead. The airbag is nothing more than an explosive charge that happens to inflate a bag, instead of just blowing up...

[sfj642]

Thanks J!m - just been reading a few other threads which say the mileage is stored in other locations and they check each other on start-up and insert the highest !

As there was a change around 2000 and probably other updates bafore that I think I shall be wiser not to mess with it, though that blank space where the mpg meter should be annoys me !

Not like the old days of my Austin Ten
http://www.watchet.dolphins.btintern...austin-ten.htm
everything was much simpler then !