E46 M3 Cluster Not Working

[E46_TS]

As the title says, my cluster on my E46 M is not currently working. Initially when turning the car on the airbag light and e-brake light will turn on. After the engine turns on those lights turn off, no other lights, gauges, or mileage on the car works. Radio and Climate control works perfectly fine. I have done some preliminary searches for this issue and have not found a definitive result yet. The car will turn on and operate completely fine, issue seems to be only effecting the cluster. Hoping that someone has had similar issues and knows a resolution! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Altaran]

The easiest thing to check is if you have a friend that has a working cluster you can use to test if your car's wiring is ok.

If you don't have access to another cluster, there are 3 power lines feeding it (pin 4 to 6 on the black connector), one is always on, one for accessory position, and one for ignition position. Check with a Multimeter if there's current at the respective ignition positions. Also check if the ground wire on pin one works.
If they all work, your cluster likely needs to be replaced.

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[E46_TS]

Thanks for the quick response, Altaran. If the Cluster needs to be replaced, I would assume it would need to be re-programmed to not have the tamper light on? Is this something a local shop can do? Or would need a specialty person/ shop to complete the re-programming?

[Altaran]

If you are good with soldering, an empty eeprom chip is 10 bucks or so.

If you don't feel confident soldering, there's shops that can do it. Prices may vary a lot with these things. For reference, there's a place here in Germany that virginizes clusters for 100 quit.

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[9kracing]

He can do it.

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

[0-60motorsports]

If you are good with soldering, an empty eeprom chip is 10 bucks or so.

If you don't feel confident soldering, there's shops that can do it. Prices may vary a lot with these things. For reference, there's a place here in Germany that virginizes clusters for 100 quit.

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Thats great! Can you provide the contact info? I want to get an updated clusted with the N instead of the 0. Thank you.

[S54B32]

Thats great! Can you provide the contact info? I want to get an updated clusted with the N instead of the 0. Thank you.

Not possible to change from 0 to N or visa Versa to my knowledge. The display should be different.
If you just want to virginze a cluster that is easy With PA scanner or correct eeprom reader, depending on build date of cluster.

[0-60motorsports]

Not possible. The display is different.

Its very possible FYI! I have swapped in a brand new cluster into a car with bad cluster with the 0 Display and the new new one had N display. worked perfectly after doing the swap and aligning mileage.

I was thinking of getting a USED newer one for myself and then having my original mileage synched and thats why someone virginizing the used cluster will be way forward.

[S54B32]

Its very possible FYI! I have swapped in a brand new cluster into a car with bad cluster with the 0 Display and the new new one had N display. worked perfectly after doing the swap and aligning mileage.

I was thinking of getting a USED newer one for myself and then having my original mileage synched and thats why someone virginizing the used cluster will be way forward.

For sure. But to convert a 0 display to N display is not possible, this what I understand. Just swapping different cluster's is easy.

Synch mileage is also easy, just buy a eeprom reader that can blank the mileage/Vin and do it your self.

[0-60motorsports]

For sure. But to convert a 0 display to N display is not possible, this what I understand. Just swapping different cluster's is easy.

Synch mileage is also easy, just buy a eeprom reader that can blank the mileage/Vin and do it your self.

Don't want to risk doing it myself as I wouldn't know what I am doing and plus I want it done right too.

[Altaran]

Thats great! Can you provide the contact info? I want to get an updated clusted with the N instead of the 0. Thank you.

http://oemotors.de/

There's contact info on the site.

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[liam821]

If you are good with soldering, an empty eeprom chip is 10 bucks or so.

If you don't feel confident soldering, there's shops that can do it. Prices may vary a lot with these things. For reference, there's a place here in Germany that virginizes clusters for 100 quit.

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Even easier, just unsolder the ROM chip from the bad gauge cluster and solder it into the new gauge cluster, bam done. No need to reprogram or anything. I think there are a few different models of cluster though, so you need to make sure you get the same as whatever you have now.

My daughter's gauge cluster died in her e46 and this is exactly what I did, got another cluster for $20 and used my hot-air station to swap the ROM chip over. No tamper light, mileage the same. I do recommend using a hot-air station if you have access to it, the rom chip is very small, perhaps 5mm square in size.

[0-60motorsports]

Even easier, just unsolder the ROM chip from the bad gauge cluster and solder it into the new gauge cluster, bam done. No need to reprogram or anything. I think there are a few different models of cluster though, so you need to make sure you get the same as whatever you have now.

My daughter's gauge cluster died in her e46 and this is exactly what I did, got another cluster for $20 and used my hot-air station to swap the ROM chip over. No tamper light, mileage the same. I do recommend using a hot-air station if you have access to it, the rom chip is very small, perhaps 5mm square in size.

That is awesome and a great idea and solution! Would you happen to have a pic of the ROM Chip location on our clusters? I definitely need to try this ASAP LOL

[0-60motorsports]

http://oemotors.de/

There's contact info on the site.

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Thank you.

[S54B32]

http://oemotors.de/

There's contact info on the site.

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Haha, no way... the guy with one of the badest reputations in Germany