Cluster Replacement

[9kracing]

I sent my cluster off to have some work done, and UPS completely destroyed it.

I'd like to replace my cluster with a used one. My old cluster had 54K miles on it.

My local dealer refuses to help me, they always give me a hard time. They said they can program a "brand new" cluster, but not a used one.

Is there a way to make the mileage of the used cluster match my car?

[tlow98]

I’d just drop ship an eBay cluster to someone like Kassel. They can configure the cluster with your VIN and mileage. Warning tho - you won’t get it back fast.

[Amos]

PASoft can do it quite easily, the only caveat is the replacement cluster has to have lower mileage than your car

https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/cluster-swap-tamper-dot-removal-success.1130431/

There are ways around that too but more advanced and potentially less legal, yiu can google for details

[Cubieman]

I swapped a junkyard cluster into a non-M and besides the little "tamper dot" it worked just fine, but the dot wouldn't fly for me on the M for me.

[9kracing]

I've heard you can just move the EEPROM over to the new cluster but I've also read conflicting reports of that working.

Supposedly this guy can do it, but I haven't reached out yet.

https://www.facebook.com/Fixels/

[bmwfnatic]

I swapped a junkyard cluster into a non-M and besides the little "tamper dot" it worked just fine, but the dot wouldn't fly for me on the M for me.

The tamper dot is nothing more than a VIN mismatch between the LCM and the cluster, change the clusters VIN to the one of the car it is in and it’s gone.

[AWE46M3]

Is it just the cover on the back that got damaged? IMO buy the cheapest E46 cluster you can find on ebay or at your local junkyard and harvest that part. Keep the OG cluster if it's operational

This one is 89.99 and the cover on the back looks identical.

As others have stated, if you decided to swap with another cluster, you'll need to program the LCM with a new VIN and mileage.

[9kracing]

The little pegs on the bottom that hold the LED lenses broke off, so it does seem the actual cluster itself was hit. I'm not sure if the circuit board has damage to it or not.

It's at Palo Alto Speedo, and they can't tell how bad the damage is, as they don't really work on BMW clusters, they're doing me a favor.

[heinzboehmer]

I would personally plug that into the car to verify that it works and if it does, swap out all the broken plastic bits with parts from a junkyard cluster.

[c watson]

The tamper dot is nothing more than a VIN mismatch between the LCM and the cluster, change the clusters VIN to the one of the car it is in and it’s gone.

Tamper dot could also be triggered if the mileage on the lcm is higher than the mileage on the cluster.

From what I was told in the past, either the mileage has to match 100%, or the mileage on the lcm has to be set to zero. It will eventually adapt.

[George Hill]

Those plastic nubs break off all the time, once the cluster is assembled the covers won't move.

If you wanta rear cover I have tons. Pay for shipping and its yours.