DIY - Odometer Rebuild

[Burning2nd]

lol welcome to the odometer exempt club.....

[KeithV]

Thanks for the write up. I was able to easily identify the #1 and #2 gears as the problem. Will be ordering replacements tomorrow.

[E30SPDFRK]

Can the speedometer be changed from an e cluster to an i cluster. The one in my i cluster seems to stick, and the one in my car now (e) works fine and has the right miles on it.

[KeithV]

Well, my speedo is messed up now. The needle dropped way down below 0 so the speed is reported incorrectly.

Sucks too, I got the odo working.

[E30SPDFRK]

Can the speedometer be changed from an e cluster to an i cluster. The one in my i cluster seems to stick, and the one in my car now (e) works fine and has the right miles on it.

?

Also, the I cluster plugs right into an E, right?

[cholyoke]

?

Also, the I cluster plugs right into an E, right?

Not sure about the cluster, but the speedo is the same part number in the i and e, at least for etas made after sept 1985 according to real OEM (62121377647 = post 9/85, 62121372229 = 12/84-9/85). Didn't check 318s.

[cory58]

Replaced my odometer gears a few weeks ago with the help of this thread and another DIY that helped me get the cluster out of the dash. What a great resource! Not that difficult. Took about 5 hours total. Here is all I have to add:

1. Purchased the replacement gears from odometergears.com. Great service and I had the gears in 3 days. I bought the complete set, but it only comes with 4 gears and our cluster has a total of 5. The last gear was still ok, so I left it on.

2. If you have an airbag car, DO NOT HOOK THE BATTERY BACK UP WITH THE AIRBAG REMOVED. This will trigger the SRS light, and I still haven't figured out how to turn it off. Unfortunately, my next stop will be the stealership, but I've read posts on other threads about dealerships that couldn't even figure out how to reset it.

Cory

[e34john]

Do I grease the new gears? If so what should I use.

[Atreus]

any problems using vdo gears as opposed to motometers? however, after you take off the face/bezel or whatever, the main cluster thing has motometer stamped right on it....

[Atreus]

nevermind* bimmerforums had the answer. for the record, they are interchangeable.....now time for a 18" breaker bar......

[e34john]

nevermind* bimmerforums had the answer. for the record, they are interchangeable.....now time for a 18" breaker bar......

You have a link to that post, or any more info. So if I change out every gear I can replace them with a VDO set and it will work?

[Atreus]

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=14177586&postcount=17

i have a vdo cluster in my lap right now. my morning project. run to harbor freight. find a way to NOT have the airbag own my ass when i take off the steering wheel, and see whatsup....

[e34john]

Is he saying the gears are interchangable or does he mean the entire speedo with odometer attached into the other cluster? Cause thats what it sounds sounds like. Well let us know if it works. Cause the VDO gears from the guy in Spain is way cheaper.

Heres airbag wheel removal instructions if you haven't figured it out already. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=100989

[Atreus]

well i went to the yard today, pulled a motometer cluster and gutted it. so right now i have vdo gears and moto's. i gotta get back home and post comparison pics between the two. prolly around 1900 mtn time.

[Atreus]

Haven't installed it yet. rough weekend+this week so far. too tired to get airbagpunched by my car. maybe this weekend. anyhoo. Lastly, it appears the smallest gear, on the VDO it has a backing to it, while the moto's dont'.

this one, the top is a motometer the bottom are VDO's.

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Motometers:


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VDO: