VDO and Motometer are they interchangeable

[Coujer]

I have a motometer guage in my 325e but it has a 325i transplant. I've seen some vdo tachs around with coding chip wondering if that would work or not?

[Adrian_Visser]

Yes, just remember that early and late model cars have different size gas tanks so if you want accurate fuel level readings don't mix and match that way.

[Coujer]

I was just planning on changing the tach only.

[McGyver]

i dont remember where i was reading it, but it said no. (i think it was some writeup on changing the si board/battery)

[87-325ic]

Yes, just remember that early and late model cars have different size gas tanks so if you want accurate fuel level readings don't mix and match that way.

seriously?

it makes sense, but whats the difference in readout?

do you show empty but have gas, or run out of gas with a 1/4 full gauge?

[reelizmpro]

I tried it a long time ago and it was different so I always said no they weren't interchangeable. However, I had an 85 325e and those early clusters are different than later 86-on clusters. Different Si board with a black coded peg that goes into the tach instead of a chip. I think I was putting a 325i tach into my 85 cluster and it wouldn't fit so I used an 84-85 318i tach. So if you have an 86 on up cluster, everything should be interchangeable.

[McGyver]

i believe its the coding chip and something else that makes them not interchangeable.

[Jean]

same model/year interchangable...if you are talking early/late then no.