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Posted: Feb 13, 2005 12:33 AM
by M3 Ryan
Just as the topic states, can I put an '84 533i cluster in my '87 535iS? I have one I bought on e-bay last week and I want to know before I install it if it sill work.
I searched, but there is no info on this. I will be atempting the fit tomorrow, but maybe someone will post before I try it.
Either way, this will go into the archive and be useful for others I guess.

TIA.
Ryan G.
PS: I am stoked on this new layout, makes me want to post more on here...

Posted: Feb 13, 2005 2:44 AM
by fastpat
I don't think so, the electronics changed at some point, particularly the SI board.

Posted: Feb 13, 2005 2:54 AM
by Bob in San Jose
I have about 4 of these and I swear everyone is different internally. They do work though. There is a coding plug on the back of the Tach that may need to be swapped. Try it , if it doesn't work put it back on eBay.
Bob

Posted: Feb 13, 2005 2:10 PM
by M3 Ryan
Well, the cluster works... sorta.
I got it in there and fired the car up. On my old cluster the tach was dead (I tested it with the bmw cluster tool at my work), so natually the mpg gauge was dead ass swell. This 533i cluster works with the tach and the mpg, as well as the fuel level.
The coolant gauge does not work, although it is getting power as I can see the needle move when I turn the key on and off. This might be a wiring issue.
This 533i cluster came from a car that didn't have ABS, so thats different, and the case has a totally different shape/casting to it. I like the look of the tach with more tick marks and a higher redline (6,250 instead of 6,100).
I didn't get to test the speedo/odo as I cannot drive my car right now (it is in 1000 peices for my respray, so with no lights, no bumpers and no trim I don't want to take it out of my driveway).
I will test the speedo/odo next week when I finish the paintjob and can finally drive the car again.

Posted: Feb 13, 2005 7:18 PM
by RonW
The brake light on the cluster might not work for the hydraulic pressure system, depending on which connectors are used with the pressure sensors under the hood.

Each pressure sensor can have one of two bicolored wires going to it. One of these wires only works with the newer clusters (the kind with one red SI light). A pressure failure indicated from these wires will cause the brake light to BLINK.

The other wire is the same as the wire that goes to the brake fluid level indicator, and works with all clusters. A pressure failure indicated from these wires will cause the brake light to turn on steadily.

HTH

[Edited 8/24/2008 to enable BBCode]