Gauge Cluster compatibility

[rommaster2]

I have an 85 318i that has gauge cluster issues, specifically the tach reads slow, and the speedometer rarely if ever reads. Generally both these issues are corrected by tapping the dash roughly which leads me to believe it is not an issue with the speed sensor in the diff.

My main question is whether or not the speedo assembly from another cluster as long as it was a VDO like mine would work regardless of model? There are lots of clusters around me with in wrecking yards but they are all six cylinder models. I would like to try swapping the speedo to see if that solves the problem or if it is in the main board.

[Gregs///M]

All speedometers, temp and fuel gauges are interchangeable. Tachometers, MPG, and SI boards are only interchangeable between same generation (early and late) clusters.

[rommaster2]

Thanks for the response, that is kind of what i thought, so basically tach would have to be from an m10 car but otherwise i should be able to switch the speedo out.

I know from other posts that you offer cluster rebuilds, maybe someday i'll be able to find a spare cluster from an m10 car that i can send out but for now i'll have to tinker with what i got. The joys of daily driving an old car :).

[DesktopDave]

Sorry for the threadjack, but I had a related question. I always wondered if you could install any tach if you have the correct faceplate and coding chip. They're all the same internally, right?

I swapped a late model six-cyl Motometer cluster into my '91 318i a while back. It worked perfectly after I swapped the coding chip except for the fuel gauge. IIRC the parts are all interchangeable but the fuel gauge was for a dual sender 66L fuel tank. It will read incorrectly in any car with a 55L tank. Once I swapped the old VDO fuel gauge into the new MM cluster, all was right with the world.

[TobyB]

fuel gauges

yeah, there is a 1- sender gauge and a 2- sender version, and the 2 don't cross.
You need the right gauge for your number of senders...


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