Coding SMG cluster to manual and 4 door?

[nextelbuddy]

I have a manual E46 M3 cluster in my car now, works great. Its an older cluster though (22H from late 2001 build) and missing the M track mode indicator from the 2003+ cars.

i just picked up a 24H cluster from a 2004+ car but its an SMG.

i swear I saw another user on here that had an imola zhp with an SMG cluster in with the SMG panel/display deactivated??

I also bought another 21H manual M3 cluster for parts so I could harvest LEDs out of it to solder in for my 4 door portion, i can already see where the 2 rear doors are there are solder beds ready for LEDs

is it just as easy as soldering in LEDs and they work? or does the cluster need to be coded as Sedan/limousine as well?

the parts cluster i'm also going to harvest the right bottom indicator panel out of it and put it in the SMG cluster since it will cover the SMG display just like it should.

I assume PASoft wont be able to switch the cluster from SMG to manual and ill have to use NCS expert to set one or more things to "not active"

[rguti153]

Terra

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[CarbonZHP]

I'd say yes you can code it but I was still never able to get into my M3 Ike for some reason

[nextelbuddy]

I'd say yes you can code it but I was still never able to get into my M3 Ike for some reason

I remember your issue and it still makes no sense lol m sorry you had so many issues. I've coded 2 manual clusters with no issues on my side.

i got a spare parts Manual cluster to harvest a lower right plastic trim so that once my SMG cluster is coded to manual, i can cover the SMG LCD with the trim from the Manual cluster.


i started thinking though, I really wish there was some way to utilize that SMG LCD for something... like Park distance or some other information... or a static image or message etc... seems like such a waste.

[CarbonZHP]

Could be used for a radar remote screen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[terraphantm]

For C24 clusters, generally what I do is just change the coding index to C08, and then reflash that as if it's a non-M cluster with NCS Expert. Sets everything appropriately, and if the car is a manual, the LCD will turn off. Though since you have an S54, it'd probably be best to leave the coding index as C24 and code the cluster as if it's a manual M3. LCD should turn off.

For the LEDs, you need the LEDs and appropriate resistors (follow the traces and you'll see where the resistors are supposed to go). The early clusters use resistors that are considerably larger than what the new ones come with. I'm also not sure if the early clusters use LEDs of the exact same rating as the new ones, so you might have to experiment with different resistance values to get the right brightness. Also pay attention to polarity, otherwise the LED won't light up.

I've found these LEDs to be the same color as stock, but they're much brighter: https://www.digikey.com/product-deta...7-1-ND/3837595

I don't know the exact brightness value for the stock LEDs, but what I've found is using the above LEDs with a 1000Ω resistor gets them pretty close to stock brightness (though not identical). So what I'll usually do is just replace all 4 door LEDs and resistors with the new ones so that they match. And if I'm building the cluster for an M54 car, I'll use the two removed LEDs to replace the 7000 and 7500 RPM LEDs for the redline.

[nextelbuddy]

For C24 clusters, generally what I do is just change the coding index to C08, and then reflash that as if it's a non-M cluster with NCS Expert. Sets everything appropriately, and if the car is a manual, the LCD will turn off. Though since you have an S54, it'd probably be best to leave the coding index as C24 and code the cluster as if it's a manual M3. LCD should turn off.

For the LEDs, you need the LEDs and appropriate resistors (follow the traces and you'll see where the resistors are supposed to go). The early clusters use resistors that are considerably larger than what the new ones come with. I'm also not sure if the early clusters use LEDs of the exact same rating as the new ones, so you might have to experiment with different resistance values to get the right brightness. Also pay attention to polarity, otherwise the LED won't light up.

I've found these LEDs to be the same color as stock, but they're much brighter: https://www.digikey.com/product-deta...7-1-ND/3837595

I don't know the exact brightness value for the stock LEDs, but what I've found is using the above LEDs with a 1000Ω resistor gets them pretty close to stock brightness (though not identical). So what I'll usually do is just replace all 4 door LEDs and resistors with the new ones so that they match. And if I'm building the cluster for an M54 car, I'll use the two removed LEDs to replace the 7000 and 7500 RPM LEDs for the redline.

awesome, thats what i figured for the SMG cluster coding.

i will look at the leds and follow the traces as you said on both the SMG cluster and the spare parts cluster. hopefully I get lucky and I can just desolder the LEDs and resistors and reuse them by resoldering them back to the SMG cluster where the rear doors are.

thank you for the info

[nextelbuddy]

ok so I tackled this last night with adding the LEDs.


i took apart a 21H motormeter cluster I purchased as an extra parts cluster. didnt realize how different they looked under the plastics.. outside they look identical sans some indicators.


the 24H cluster has all the resistors and traces on the FRONT and really small and higher resistance resistors. the 21H cluster has different larger resistors on the back.

the LEDs for the doors needed a 1960 resistor which equates to a 196 OHM... i could not find an exact 196 or even 200 OHM resistor on the 21 H cluster. i did find a 210 ohm resistor but it was significantly larger than the one on the newer cluster and just wouldnt sit how i like on the solder beds.


i found a resistor on the old cluster that was the same size but it was onlt a 91 OHM resistor... i tried it anyways just for the hell of it and then soldered on the LEDs..

coded the cluster a *EV53 limo... tried plugging in the PCB board but the rear doors didnt light up.

i thought I had my LED polarity right, there is no + - markings on them to see so i was just looking at the design of it and making sure it was pointed in the same direction as the other DOOR ones but i guess it was still wrong. I removed them and reversed the polarity and resoldered them and now they work.

all back together now.

dont laugh at my horrible solder job, im using an old radioshack solder iron with a static heat control and old large loose tip hah


so many thanks to Terra, never would have come close to getting the cluster for this.

removing LEDs just as a mindless task lol feel dumb for not marking which ones were amber and which ones were red and which ones had 1 or 4 LEDs built in.

IMG_20170512_023938 by Shawn Robertson, on Flickr
IMG_20170512_023925 by Shawn Robertson, on Flickr

soldered on 2 red ones i remembered and 2 resistors that were kinda close? lol i need a better soldering iron

Also that brown LED was like that already, it as not burnt from me. who knows why its discolored but it lights up fine and the LEDs are all the same or similar brightness despite that the rear LEDs have resistors that are a lower impedance than the other ones.

IMG_20170512_023958 by Shawn Robertson, on Flickr


All done tada

IMG_20170512_033245 by Shawn Robertson, on Flickr

[danewilson77]

Amazing

Sent from my S8+

[anandoc]

This is awesome! You put in a lot of hard work into this project.