Instrument cluster replacement mp/h to km/h

[Mahatma]

Hi
My 02 Z3M roadster has a MPH instrument cluster as I bought it in the UK. I live in the Netherlands and want to change it over to the km/h cluster. Is there any problems with plugging in a km/h cluster and is it a straight swap over. I understand it has to be reset etc…Any advice is greatly appreciated

 

[motco]

I suspect you'll run into all sorts of problems if you get a used cluster. I had to buy a cluster (Ebay special) because mine had died and it had a much higher odometer reading than my car's mileage. It re-wrote all of the on board records upwards by 80k miles. If you buy a new cluster and coding plug a main dealer could probably program it correctly, but it will cost you a lot of Euros.

 

[Mahatma]

Thanks for that. I am looking at a new one from ‘hubauer-shop-de’ a German company. I will check with my mechanics over here re the coding plug etc..

 

[Zephyr]

Hi,
Coding the cluster is simple as long as you have basic computer skills, a laptop and the appropriate software.
Setting up a dedicated cheap laptop and using it for code reading and basic programming can save you a lot of money spent on dealers.
Personally I can not justify paying for a new cluster, I would buy a used one, swap the coding plug and then if needed reprogram.
but if your dealer can do this at a reasonable price, its up to you to decide.
General rule of thumb is that mileage Values in the Z are stored in the ecu and the instrument cluster as separate but equal numbers.
whenever these two dont match the ecu directs the instrument cluster to display the higher one.
so, if your car has for example 23.000 miles and the used cluster 120.000 what you will see will be 120.000.
some people have managed to swap the coding plug and a specific chip from the old cluster and had good results (correct mileage) but I have not tried it myself. What I can guarantee on (I have done it in the past at an E36, an E46 and recently to an E39) is that you can code the values yourself -but only to display one of the two values- and not to put a random lower number on the display.

 

[Mahatma]

Thanks so much for all that info. Really helps me to decide which way to go about it. Used M clusters in kmh are hard to source. I have searched the web but not succeeded yet. Any ideas where to look for?

 

[Zephyr]

Thanks so much for all that info. Really helps me to decide which way to go about it. Used M clusters in kmh are hard to source. I have searched the web but not succeeded yet. Any ideas where to look for?

I will ask locally and maybe give you some info, but from what I see the Hubauer shop says they have one uncoded so probably you have to go this route, it will probably be “plug and play”.
i have installed an uncoded cluster to my E46 and the car did all the job itself. It even transferred the serial number last seven digits to the new cluster. But that was a late model E46 so not sure what the Z ecu will do.
anyway hubauers price is ok for a new cluster and you can still get some money selling the one you have now.
cheers

 

[Mahatma]

Again thank you So much and I think you’re right. I am waiting for them to get back to me about the background colour. Mine is a light grey and I quite like it. Will let you know the results.
Cheers