Huh?...

[thesoprano]

I found a cord underneath the passenger seat. It looks like a cord that you would plug a computer into. (For all you nerds out there, it's a male 9-pin serial plug, kinda like what the end of an old mouse back in the DOS days looked like.)

What is it for? Is it in someway connectable to my laptop so that I may enhance and view performance? I must know all.

I'll post a pic should you so demand.

[Fox]

where does the wire run? Is it shoddily ran under the carpet or is it professionally done? Ive never heard of a serial cord type plug... unless its for a fuel manegment system, which almost no one does to bmws in general.

[witeshark]

If it's original with the car, I doubt it will be compatible with a pc, maybe a service connection for the engine computer which I think is near the glove box

[thesoprano]

i'll take that as asking for a picture...



fashionably modeled with my moms hand


So, yeah... There it is.



Will I have your attention, is there anyway to replace burnt-out LEDs in the oil/service gauge on the dash below the tach and speedo? Two of five green ones have gone out. I don't know if yellow and red work.

[witeshark]

Did the car have heated or power seat? It does look very computer like though

[Aether]

That wire screams DIY to me.
Have a look under there, see what it goes to.

LEDs ought to be easily replacable once you lift the cluster off.

[thesoprano]

No heated or power seats. I'm pretty sure it doesn't go to the flux capacitor, either.

I'll have a look tomorrow.









Flux capacitor? Damn, that was lame.
Oh shit, I just pwn3d myself.

[Nihilator]

I agree with Aether about it being someone else's project.

But I don't agree about the LEDs. The appear to stick a little out from the board that they're soldered to, but I expect they'd be hard to remove, and also hard to find an exact replacement for.

--Chris

[BimmerKris]

LED's dont burn out

[thesoprano]

well, something has happened... they don't glow

[flipsgonetopless]

Thats actually for the CEll phone that was installed on you car, I had the same thing on mine.

[thesoprano]

Ah - Now to pull it out.

[flipsgonetopless]

Sorry for the short description earlier (sopposed to be working)
Well yes the connector is for the amp and that goes to your portable phone. I still had the actual base on mine on my center counsel. Well I know its safe to pull out or just get some clippers and snip away.
Hope this helps... Good luck.

[witeshark]

Kinda shoulda thought of that cell phone thing. I'm not used to installed phones, mine rides the the center console next to the hand brake

[wcleafs]

The LEDs are easy to replace, you first have to determine the pysical size of the LED, they come in two standard sizes. determine the colour and head off to the local electronics store and pick them up. Stay away form Hi intensity LEDs as these will have an negative effect on your ability to see at night if they shine in your face from the dash.
You should have a ohm meter handy to determine which side of the board you are mounting these into is ground. An LED is polarity sensitive and will not work if inserted backwards. Once that is found out , most LEDs have one leg longer than the other and that one indicates the + side (a trick is to use a marker to put a dot on the edge of the LED on the positive side as you will probably have to clip the leads to fit) Unsolder the old LED resolder the new one in. Some form of heat sink should be clipped onto the leg that you are soldering to prevent damage to the LED due to heat. Good Luck.