Odometer display?

[ShotZeeSanDiego]

Finally buying my dream car: 99 2.8 coupe (will upgrade to an M when I can)
The car I'm buying (68K miles) has a faulty odometer readout -seller says that the display comes & goes.
I had the car computer scanned the miles are accurate.
What's a good fix for this problem--BTW its not showing up on the car's computer as faulty...
One more week and this car is in my hot little hands :)

[z3bigdaddy]

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[z3bigdaddy]

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Signature to be included in the footer of all your posts. (HTML is ok)
Note: to include a picture in your signature, use HTML that looks like

You may place a link to your own site in your signature if you have a
reciprocal link to us on that page and follow the guidelines in our Link FAQ.
Links in violation of the Link FAQ may be removed without warning. Please also
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[ShotZeeSanDiego]

I thought the engine computer scan would detect bad bulbs / fuses?

[ShotZeeSanDiego]

Thanks BD I found the bmv's link by searching the archives...

[Robert Platt Bell]

As someone already noted, the bulb behind the LCD (the backlight) can burn out. This is a simple fix and the bulbs are not expensive.

However, usually these burn out and that's that. It does not "come and go".

Another failure mode, which has occured on one of my E36's is where the ribbon cable to the display becomes flaky at the contact point, resulting in the LCD digits appearing partial sometimes (upper half only, parts of digits, etc.) and for some folks, disappearing on occasion.

Bostongruen did this at about 50K miles and it is still doing it (now at 80K miles).

I found a link online to a repair procedure, but I have not tried it yet. Basically, the fellow removed the cluster, and using a dremel moto-tool, cut away the back of the odometer casing and then re-soldered the connections. He then duct-taped the cut-away part of the cluster back and re-installed the cluster.

The other alternative is to install a new cluster, but it would have to be synchronized by the dealer to display the correct mileage, otherwise it would give an odometer tampering message.

I always assumed the odometer synchronized with the engine computer. But on the X5 at least, it synchronizes with the lighting module (??).

I found the link just now. See below. It may not show up on this site, as Roadfly censors competing sites. There is a link to a PDF file complete with photos.

Good Luck. I need to try this sometime, but there are so many other car projects to do....

[Robert Platt Bell]

Try this link,


http://www.bummerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251379

but substitute bimmer for bummer

Or just google

e36 instrument cluster repair odometer

it will be the first hit.

Good Luck.

P.S. - I know on the E36 you can sneak the cluster out past the steering wheel with removing the steering wheel, airbag, etc. if you bend the wheel slightly. I am not sure if you can do this on the Z3. Anyone?

[lpcapital]

...just make sure the door is fully open and the cluster will fit between steering and dash. You'll have to reach behind to unlock the 2 plugs...
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2003 Z4 2.5i
2002 Ducati Monster S4

[Robert Platt Bell]

I know this works on E36's, but I haven't had the pleasure on the Roadster yet.

I was curious as to whether the different shape of the binnacle and the M wheel would make it harder.

Someday, I'll get to this on Bostongruen. But after spending nearly a month and a half under BMWs, I'm about done for the year.