Running minus the SI board?

[Ryan Stewart]

Ive got a a euro cluster but the SI board died. I have MY Si board but to be honest its about as annoying as the econometer. I know it can wreak havoc on the cluster but has anyone managed to run the full cluster without it?

It would be a perfect place for a remote display for my passport. :)

[Henna Red]

...never heard that it was bad to run without si board... is this euro specific?

[DSchultz325e]

man my si board hasn't worked ever since i've had the car. if it comes on, it just tells me my car is screwed up and it needs both inspections and an oil service. then after i go over a bump it's gone. i haven't seen any adverse effects without it.

[Ryan Stewart]

Im just wondering if the finctions of the cluster have been affected. I know that when the SI board is on the fritz often it can affect the other functions of the cluster.


Adam pulled this out and tested it on his Eta so hopefully I can make it run in mine. ITs a VDO board to VDO board.

[Ryan Stewart]

Worky Worky.

Now, anyone need some free US spec cluster parts?

[BMW BMXER]

Free si board? ;)

[Ryan Stewart]

Nah I installed mine. You could have the one that is bad and see if there is something off it you can use.

I have the mainboard (same part # US or euro), Eta tach and econometer, fuel, temp, and the speedo works but one of the ODO gears broke. Then I have the VDO backing and a Motometer front housing.

A bonus of the european cluster is that the damn foglight logo panel is much thicker so its not so damn bright.

[LikeCDoos]

will all the functions on the cluster still work w/o a SI board?

[grlaneriejr]

do you want to give up the backing for the vdo cluster. is that the tan piece with 2 tabs for screws?

[Ryan Stewart]

Dunno, I went ahead and ran my old SI board.

I have the tan motherboard that everything connects to and I have the plastic part that sandwiches the motherboard to the front housing.

[BavarianBimmer]

[quote="Ryan Stewart"]
A bonus of the european cluster is that the damn foglight logo panel is much thicker so its not so damn bright.[/quote

You're a lucky one, the early ECE clusters have thinner masks hate those too :D

[Ryan Stewart]

you can change that, it just pulls out ofthe side of the cluster face. Then just slide a latter model one in.

[Brew]

will all the functions on the cluster still work w/o a SI board?

I don't think so. My SI batteries went on my car and the tach wouldn't work.

I would love to figure out a way to completely bypass it, or maybe at least hardwire it instead of using those stupid little batteries.

[Giorgio]

Re: Running minus the SI board?

It would be a perfect place for a remote display for my passport. :)

you'll be needing that, god i love s50 e30s. :twisted:

[E30-323ti]

I'm not running any SI board at all on my Motometer cluster.
All I had to put in was a jumper wire in for the temp gauge.
From the 2nd pin to the 5th pin I think it was.