Overcoming the odds to fix my BMW E30’s instrument cluster

I need to bypass the service indicator on my early BMW E30 to make the instrument cluster work again - but first I need to improve my soldering skills.
Useful links:
E30 Clusters (for parts and workshop manuals): e30clusters.com/
Tim’s Classic Parts (a range of 1970s/80s/90s BMW bits, including replacement SI board batteries): www.timsclassicparts.nl/
Chapters:
00:00 The problem
00:16 Fear and loathing of soldering
01:03 The cluster problem
02:48 Getting the clocks out
03:32 Soldering right
04:18 The SI board bypass
06:45 What about a proper fix?
07:27 Refitting is the reverse of removal

[@Lot76CARS]

Loved the time lapse Martin. The temperature gauge is definitely the single most important instrument out there, so fully understand the need to restore it for reassurance purposes! I have still have occasional nightmares about overheating, even though they are totally unjustified.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

It’s been many years since I’ve had a car overheat, but you never forget that smell of hot oily metal, do you? It’s truly the smell of Satan.

[@benday1218]

Who knew the E30 had a battery powered dash? Beautifully filmed and very interesting. I still have a cable speedo on my 90's 'world car', they were ahead of the game.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Oooh! You’ve been watching Soup Classic Motoring - excellent Tony Hart style stop motion! BTW - belated Happy New Year!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

I do love Soup! I’ve been doing occasional bits of stop motion for ages, but George is undoubtedly the king of it.

[@GentilsGarage]

Great video and I loved the stop motion sequence. The 323i I had in the past had the same cluster, but the SI was a bit corroded but worked. However, when I removed the long plastic key from the back of the cluster, some gauges would stop working. I hope your got the correct one. I wish that removing the cluster was that easy on the E12. It’s a right pain as I have to remove the under dash trim, unscrew the steering column, lower it, remove the steering wheel and pull the cluster out. Looking forward to see Joe you repair yours.

[@fhwolthuis]

Great work and top video, Martin. I love that car 😍

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks Frank! It’s a great car, definitely a keeper.

[@e28forever30]

@@GrandThriftAuto 80ties BMW’s are delightful cars. Absolutely love my 1987 E28 525i.

[@davestraight8219]

when you were describing the services lights - red - yeah that :D

[@robtt997]

Nearly at 10k subscribers! Well done champers ready …

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Close, isn’t it? Haven’t chilled the fizz just yet though - each new video loses me more subscribers than it gains. We’re down ten this time.

[@Zeem4]

The service indicator board is probably repairable, but it's intensive and time-consuming work. In the retro computing community, I've seen much worse than that repaired, for example on old Acorn computers.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Agreed, I’m sure someone could repair it. My skills aren’t there yet though! If I can’t fix the tacho etc myself I’ll maybe look into finding a specialist.

[@volvo480]

​@@GrandThriftAutotrust me, I have seen soldering skills far, far worse than you initially thought it was and you improved!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@volvo480 Thanks Robert, much appreciated!

[@volvo480]

​@@GrandThriftAutoI have repaired over 100 instrument clusters for the Volvo 480 community and some were sent to me after someone tried to fix it with plumbing tools 😨 100 watt soldering iron, acid solder flux, even with my skills it wasn't repairable. Luckily I have a large stash of spare clusters. And the Volvo cluster is a lot less complicated than the BMW E30's.

[@badbooks476]

Very interesting video & great fix, I remember 3 series instruments ding this by the mid 90’s. Great tip on the soldering, I used my 33 year old soldering iron for the 1st time recently, to fix a broken boot wire, made a mess & resorted to bullet connectors, will revisit it with your tip

[@agenturawubekistanie]

Gotta admire heroism in that guy :)

[@robertsedgwick1629]

you might find soldering easier with a slightly bigger tip in your iron iirc big clive did a soldering tutorial

[@bluefish2303]

HNY Martin, loved this!! Roll on the follow-up 😊

[@davidwitham5588]

Another great video thanks. Quite a few '80s and '90s cars have the battery on the circuit board ticking time bomb. You can be sure the circuit board is made of unobtainium!

[@colinblick8946]

Love the “some people don’t deserve nice things”…… warning 😂😂…… had the 5 series….. thankfully I serviced mine 🙏🏼😎….. love the gallows humour👍🏼

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Glad you enjoyed it. I did give mine an oil change recently, but did it thank me? Of course it didn’t.

[@danielrussell446]

Well done Martin a great video as ever and well explained I remember those indicators well when I worked at Mercedes but we had a m635csi in the workshop which had the same sort of indicator I didn’t realise all of the other electronics behind it so cutting edge when new Well done on a great repair and hopefully in time it will all come back to life love that E30 reminds me of my neighbours who had a black 320i

[@brettmcgee8927]

These videos are mesmerising.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

I promise to use this power only for good 😉

[@TK42138]

Nicely done sir.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks 😊

[@hamshackleton]

Half the secret/trick of soldering is using a big enough BIT on the iron, to rapidly transfer the heat to the item being worked on. A skimpy little bit like that you used cools off too rapidly. That one is perfect for soldering small components to a board in a warm, draught-free room, but you need a bigger one for heavy work, somewhere around a 25 Watt one with a 4 or 5 mm tip.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Good point. This iron does have interchangeable tips; the fine one was ok for the ‘good’ soldering and actually I just left it on to film the ‘bad’ soldering demo for illustration purposes. The biggest difference is tinning the different parts first though.

[@geekandguide]

Fortunately, aside from a refreshingly primitive Peugeot 309, I've not had to delve into any modern dashboards. Service indicator lights? One wonders why those primitive devices, to wit odometers and calendars, were no longer considered viable.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

It was definitely a slippery slope.

[@davesclassicgaragetours]

Surely something in the SD1 that needs soldering 😉

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Ha, you’re not wrong. In fact I was chipping away at the SD1 just a couple of days ago; the fuel pump needs rewiring for one thing.

[@davesclassicgaragetours]

It's all content buddy. Consistency is the key. Keep banging them out (says he who's dropped off since the end of 23)@@GrandThriftAuto

[@edgarbeat2851]

The 1929 Deusenberg had a service indicator computer Mechanical. The first car to technically have a computer.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Wow! Never knew that.

[@edgarbeat2851]

@GrandThriftAuto I'll fire a jay leno video he talks about it. But I knew that as a kid as I'd digest car books and usless facts. Also the Duesberg was the 1st car to have lamps that followed steering on the Model J s pre Citroën DS

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@edgarbeat2851 Found it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqXWhYath7mtZ5o. The ‘computer’ is at 6:18. What an absolutely glorious car - thanks for that 👍

[@Andy-eo3mq]

Will you be taking that to Festival Of The Unexceptional this year? 🙂

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Possibly, if I go this year (FOTU has become very expensive). I did take it a couple of years ago though, so I might take the Rancho or Rover SD1 instead, if they’re up to it.

[@Andy-eo3mq]

@@GrandThriftAuto keeping fingers crossed, it would be awesome to see you there! 🤞🏻😃

[@davestraight8219]

when is the jumper getting its own video *runs

[@GrandThriftAuto]

It’s launching its own channel.

[@chrischarlton422]

​@@GrandThriftAuto its own channel?! For a moment there I thought I was looking at the BBC test card, good job you weren't holding a stuffed clown.....

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@chrischarlton422 😂