M3 guage cluster

[nickmpower]

does any one know if the instrament cluster from the m3 will read revs on our cars right? i relize they are both 4 cyls but the 6 cyl guys say that even when they swap coding plugs they still dont read quite right since the scale is different on the tach

[johna]

Can I add another related question...?
Can the M3 oil temperature gauge be somehow used on the 318is? How?

[Febi Guibo]

I had trouble getting the tach to read right. I wound up putting the 7000rpm face on the tach, it's pretty accurate now.

The oil cooler is no problemo, you need a 3 prong plug and a 300c degree sender, both are VDO parts (in the us, North Hollywood Speedometer stocks them), pull three wires to the cluster.

There's a guy -- http://gaugeman.com/ who makes a block that allows both the oil pressure switch and sender to attach to the oil filter housing area.



the VDO sender can also fit in the place of the oil pan drain plug, I think...

[nickmpower]

I wonder if there is anyway to get it to read right, and why it doesnt?

[tim_s]

i think dan has got it working correctly in his car. I'll get him to chime in, I know he had several sets of clocks in btis a few wks ago trying to figure this all out! As for the oil temp switch, the better place to put it is on the back of the head, where there's already a bung. saves T-ing off by the oil filter housing.

[318-is]

As said above, the sensor for the oil temperature can be done in a T piece in the filter housing of in the sump gasket drain plug (the 17mm nut) but the best place is in the back of the head; there are two hex bolts; the smaller one can be removed and a thread revealed; a guy over here has done this also and its a proven method; also means you dont have to run loom all through the engine bay past moving parts etc.

re: the revs, mine are about 50revs out. Im using the 8k tach but to be honest you can hardly notice it at all. the 8k tach looks cool but you dont get to use the final 1k, its purely cosmetic. i used the Is coding plug on my cluster but im told also that you can use an m3 one if thats all you have.

they look great though dont they

[tim_s]

pah dan, show off!
I want these, I can use the higher rpm tach!

[318-is]

pah dan, show off!
I want these, I can use the higher rpm tach!

bastard

[Febi Guibo]

i tried the m3 coding plug... I don't think the temp or gas gauges read right...

[318-is]

i tried the m3 coding plug... I don't think the temp or gas gauges read right...

shit forgot! sorry forgot to mention that the petrol and temperature gauges need to be swapped for your Is ones. they are mechanically calibrated differently i found out. the m3 temperature wil lonly rise to quarter when in fact the Is will be at half way. i just installed the Is petrol and coolant gauges and swapped round the needles

sorry febi totally forgot about that!

[e9nine]

I have an m3 cluster which came with my car

Oil temp is read from the oil filter housing opposite of the oil pressure switch. Oil temp signal runs via a single wire you route to the cluster.

Coding plug - I have a part # somewhere.

Gas and temp gauges work just fine. I am unaware of any calibrations though. My fuel gauge is the "euro" one marked in litres.

[318-is]

well i tried to run a m3 fuel gauge on my IS and the fuel light came on even thought the needle showed that i had a quarter tank. Same with the coolant, showed quarter temperature after about an hours driving. I havent wired myoil temperature up yet, what sensor are you using mate?

[e9nine]

It's a VDO sensor and it threads into the front part of the oil filter housing where you now have a hex  bolt threaded in.

The numbers on it are as follows-
Max 150 deg C
1 309 193 287
6-24v
801/37/1

HTH

[318-is]

thanks mate!