Hey all. I broke the pin holding on my speedo needle off when replacing speedo gears. tried super glue/jb weld and had no luck. My research has found there is no way to fix this and I just need to get a new speedo gauge, (please inform me if there is in fact a possible fix). My question is: will any e30 140mph speedo gauge fit or do I need to disassemble it and check for part numbers or something before I go out and order one. Its a 1987 325e. Thanks!
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You should be able to remove the broken speedo from your cluster and swap in a different one, I've done this tons of times.
Clusters were made by both MotoMeter and VDO. You can swap the components (speedo, tach, fuel, & temp) back and forth.
Early clusters (3 red SI lights) and late clusters (1 red SI light) DO NOT have interchangeable parts.
Hope that helps!sigpic
1987 - 325i Convertible Delphin Auto [SOLD], 325i Convertible Delphin Manual [SOLD]
1989 - 325i Convertible Bronzit m30b35 swapped [SCRAPPED], 325i Sedan Alpine Auto[DD]
1991 - 325i Coupe Laguna Manual [Project], 535i Sedan Alpine [SCRAPPED]
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Originally posted by McGyver View PostYou should be able to remove the broken speedo from your cluster and swap in a different one, I've done this tons of times.
Clusters were made by both MotoMeter and VDO. You can swap the components (speedo, tach, fuel, & temp) back and forth.
Early clusters (3 red SI lights) and late clusters (1 red SI light) DO NOT have interchangeable parts.
Hope that helps!
Are the VDO and Motometer cluster gauges compatible with each other? Can you swap a speedo from an early vdo into an early motometer? Thanks
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Originally posted by Originale30 View PostAre the VDO and Motometer cluster gauges compatible with each other? Can you swap a speedo from an early vdo into an early motometer? Thanks
You should not swap between early and late clusters.
VDO and MotoMeter used slightly different designs (odometer gear tooth count, odometer design, electronics), so it would be difficult to scavenge parts (capacitors, resistors, motors, etc) from a VDO to fix a MotoMeter and vice versa.sigpic
1987 - 325i Convertible Delphin Auto [SOLD], 325i Convertible Delphin Manual [SOLD]
1989 - 325i Convertible Bronzit m30b35 swapped [SCRAPPED], 325i Sedan Alpine Auto[DD]
1991 - 325i Coupe Laguna Manual [Project], 535i Sedan Alpine [SCRAPPED]
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Ok. Planning on going into the cluster sometime soon and taking a look at things. One other issue: my temp gauge works but when you first start the car you have to violently tap on it to get it to bounce up. Almost like when you see people in movies tapping a gas gauge to get it to display a full tank. Anyone know a fix for this or will I also need a new temp gauge?My rigs:
1984 Jeep Cj7 (my baby)
Lifted 2006 Subaru Baja (the daily)
1987 BMW 325e Off-road Build (the new hotness)
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Originally posted by nando View Postthe ground nut is probably just loose.My rigs:
1984 Jeep Cj7 (my baby)
Lifted 2006 Subaru Baja (the daily)
1987 BMW 325e Off-road Build (the new hotness)
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Originally posted by 1984CJ7 View PostOK so I went ahead and bought a new cluster. Tested it in person with the guy I bought it from and everything works. Swapped it into my car. Fuel gauge still dead. I replaced all of the fuses and made sure the connections to the gauges were tight. Still nothing. I found what i believe to be the ground nut (above the clutch pedal on a little tab below the column?) and cranked it 1/2 turn tighter than it was. Still nothing.. Kind of at a loss.
Start with the Electrical Trouble Shooting Manual (ETM) for your year:
Look up the wiring and start testing for continuity. Check to make sure your fuel level sender(s) are outputting the correct resistance. Try grounding the level sensor wire (zero resistance) and then removing the ground (infinite resistance). Work through the system until you find the problem.sigpic
1987 - 325i Convertible Delphin Auto [SOLD], 325i Convertible Delphin Manual [SOLD]
1989 - 325i Convertible Bronzit m30b35 swapped [SCRAPPED], 325i Sedan Alpine Auto[DD]
1991 - 325i Coupe Laguna Manual [Project], 535i Sedan Alpine [SCRAPPED]
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Originally posted by McGyver View PostYour best bet is to trouble shoot the issue instead of throwing parts at the problem.
Start with the Electrical Trouble Shooting Manual (ETM) for your year:
Look up the wiring and start testing for continuity. Check to make sure your fuel level sender(s) are outputting the correct resistance. Try grounding the level sensor wire (zero resistance) and then removing the ground (infinite resistance). Work through the system until you find the problem.
Guess I should add this too: the fuel level warning light is not on and the needle on the gas gauge remains all the way to the left as if the car wasn't on. I don't know if that makes any differenceMy rigs:
1984 Jeep Cj7 (my baby)
Lifted 2006 Subaru Baja (the daily)
1987 BMW 325e Off-road Build (the new hotness)
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Speedometer circuit board failure is extremely common on the E30, especially VDO units. If your speedo is a VDO, there is a good chance you are experiencing failure of the circuit board.Owner - Bavarian Restoration
BMW and European Electronics Repair and Restoration
www.BavRest.com
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