LED Display

[dano]

The odometer section of the instrument cluster on my '95 525 does not light up. The odometer works and you can see the numbers if you look at it at an angle but the LED is not lit. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to fix this?

thanks!

[sp0rky]

Just an itty bitty $5 light bulb. :P

[97alpineM3]

I think if you go here... there is a DIY on replacing that... I might be wrong... sorry.. but it might help if you dont already know of this web site...

Its.... http://www.geocities.com/e36rulz/DIY.html

Try there..

[nizar]

did u fix it, plz advice

[beautyland]

Hi Dano,

sp0rky is correct. just a bulb change. you can change the bulb with out removing the steering column. just play with it and at an angle you can pry out old and push a new bulb in. best of luck.

[Gaz525i]

there is another member with the same problem among the 5-series questions and the answer looks quite simple. U might want to take a look

[huge534]

ghead

Originally posted by sp0rky@Jul 28 2004, 06:04 PM
Just an itty bitty $5 light bulb. :P

[snapback]154315[/snapback]

ghead
will this work for the 97 540 i with the same problem

[LOS]

huge534, describe your problem...

i also have a 97 (540i) and had to replaced the unit (some pixels (LED bulbs) were not lighting up and had to replace the whole unit... is this your problem? Do a search in this forum under "pixels" or "LED lights" ... We have had many discussions about this topic



LOS

[happpyguy99]

sounds like there are being two issues discussed here.... one is the 5 or 6 orange bulbs that backlite the pixels and second is the infamous burnt out pixel issue.

I have a 99 540i6m and just had a repair done on my pixels (vdorepair.com--excellent deal--$200 to repair vs $800 for the dealer) and in doing so came across the 5 or 6 (cant remember now) light bulbs that actually light up the pixels. For giggles i removed the lights (thinking that maybe that had something to do with burnt pixels not being displayed--it doesn't BTW) and plugged the cluster back into the dash and voila... no pixels at all.... unless you looked at it from different angles and then could see the 'live' and dead pixels.

based on the problem description... sounds like one of the bulbs died... not the pixels. When the pixels go, it seems to affect the entire display, making it look like some kind of alien language. You might as well replace them all whilst the dash is cracked open.

If you go to vdorepair.com, they have a section on how to remove the vdo (instrument cluster) so that you can access the bulbs.

good luck!