Installed the chrome gauge rings on the 4.4
 

Such a simple mod, followed the instructions in this article:
http://www.xoutpost.com/articles.php?...icle&artid=198

Takes a T-10 bit for the removal of the gauge cluster screws. Some members have reported trouble getting the cluster open. It takes some patience and coordination, and a flat tip screwdriver or similar tool, but the cluster will open. I then slipped my large rings through the round openings. Turn it the right way, it doesn't even bend.

I did need to use an exacto knife to shave some plastic off the inside round plastic pieces that hold the rings, because the fit was too snug.

Total time about 15 mins. Got the rings off ebay, they appear to be OEM E39 parts.

Love the new look.

If anyone needs help with this install, please PM or email me!

JV

Very nice, JV! I admire those of you who can actually mod successfully! I cant! I have chrome rings on my 330 and they're great looking.

Looks great, man. :thumbup:

Noticeable, yet subtle, improvement. Nicely done.

Looks great! Which kit on ebay did you buy? I was thinking about doing it previously until I noticed that they had what appeared to have a locking bar holding them in place...I see yours dont have that. I'd like to do mine just like yours.

I hope this link works:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWN%3AIT

My X is an 01 Nov of 2000 build date. Seriously simple mod, just takes a little patience snapping those rings firmly in place.

JV

I'm thinking thats a mod for Ken!!!!! What do ya think?

You know me too well, Chris. Just picked up a set from the same seller. :D

Thanks for the idea for this, JV.

Hey Ken, when are you installing mine? :dunno: :thumbup:

Nice work JV!!

That mode is on my list also, great job :). I'll have to visit flea-bay then...cool
mod is an a addiction...... Mahalo and Aloha :thumbup:.

you guys are evil!

JV.did you disconnect the battery before unplugging the 3 connectors at the back of the cluster?I didnt!Somehow my obc started to display data in German and I had to reset it again!....weird??
Got my Alu rings for usd 29.00 from Bavarien Motorwerk on Ebay and I am really happy with the quality.Like yours ,these are also "snap- on" and the aluminium quality is really impressive.
I cut my cluster as shown in the x5world article,which I had printed out ,only to be told afterwards by Bavarian motorwerks that it wasnt necessary.......

The biggest PITA with putting them in is getting the instrument cluster to come apart. It's held by 5 of those wacky + screws and 4 plastic locking tabs. Getting the 4 tabs to release all at once was a little shaky, but once I got the cluster apart, the rings just snap right in.

Don't forget to clean the inside of the cluster after you put the rings on. Fingerprints on the inside and all.

Glad to see you got some from that seller, Ken. Mine arrived within 2 days.

JV

I didn't, and my OBC lost time and date data and the custom settings for the MID display above the steering wheel. I just had to reset it all, no big deal. It didn't default to German like yours did. If I had disconnected the battery to do this mod, it would have taken an hour. I hate having to disconnect the battery in the X.

JV

looks good. :thumbup:

Looks great!

Very easy mod that brings some bling to your cluster...



http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/1/3/7/08.jpg

Let me know how you make out. I'd love to do the same thing once I get my cluster replaced (pixels are going bad, but I'm still in warranty!)

Congrats looks really nice.

They look really good JV! I've been thinking about doing this myself, but I'm just not sure if I want to modify the look from stock 4.4. Takes me forever to make up my mind, even for the simplest mods...

I bought my kit from bavarian_motorwerks off ebay too. their chrome gauge rings are nice and they shipped damn fast from Taiwan. I asked them before doing the install. So, thanks to their advice. I didn't cut my cluster. :)

Those rings are snug fit and quality is very nice. I also bought the angel eyes from them but just haven't got time to put them on. Tested those angel eyes and they're really gorgeous. Hope I'll have some time to do that install next week.

Man, where do you guys get the balls to do these mods?! I still have a "half" grille in front of my X cause I couldnt get the damn thing off properly..You guys are the ones to whom I pay good money to do these jobs for me...hats off to ya'!!

looks good man.

If I get them, would you mind helping with the install since we live fairly close? Ok, would you mind DOING the install considering I only have one hand to work with :( My left arm is in a cast past the elbow from surgery to repair a torn ligament in my wrist.

Although taking the cluster out would be a good time to send it to vdorepair, or whatever that site is :tsk:

Sure, man, bring it over any weekday before 5:30pm or holler at me via PM and we can set up something on the weekend. It takes 15-20 mins to do.

JV

Do we want to know why you have a torn ligament in your wrist? :rofl:

how simple can this mod be? It looks like you removed the entire gauge pod from the dash. Very intimidating!

I'm married... I don't need to stay true to my roots ;) Besides, I'm right handed :p

JV, thanks... when they eventuallt get here, I'll let you know. Who knows, maybe by then I'll have both hands again but I doubt it.

Looks great, JV!! :thumbup:

Juan

Granted, I am a DIY type and have a lot of mechanical experience, but most of that is under the hood and under the vehicle. I used to be intimidated by anything concerning electrical systems, until I gave it a shot several years ago when the Becker radio on my MB 560 died and the dealer quoted me $500 labor :wow: . I was all champagne tastes on a beer budget at the time, so I had no choice but to dive into the dash. I was never going to be able to romance the fine young ladies of Toronto playing Luther Vandross tunes on a boombox in the backseat. It took me an entire weekend, but I fixed that damn radio for a total of $45cdn in parts.

For the removal of the gauge cluster, you remove two screws, which are very easy to get to, for anyone. You'll need an 'electrician's screwdriver set', with Torx or "T" bits to fit the screws. You can pick one up at Radio Shack for about $15.

You then unplug the harnesses from the rear of the cluster, again, anyone can do that. Then all you need to do is have some patience, a flat head screwdriver, and a level surface to work on, to take the gauge cluster apart. There is an article here complete with photos which made this a simple procedure. I would be glad to offer any tips I have on it, so would many of the members here at X5World. That's what's great about this community. Lord knows there'll be more things that I try to do and get stuck on and have to lean on the rest of you for help.

I think you'll be surprised what you can do with some patience and the right tools.

JV

I'll be pleased with myself if I can put my ACS pedals on without f-ing it up....

I am the master of the BimmerSpinners, though. Been thinking about putting up an article complete with pictures on my successful install of those puppies!

ok guys i just purchased these from bavarian_motorwerks i hope this is as easy as you all say, im not shy around taking parts apart but i really hope i wont have to do any glueing or cutting... i have a 2002 4.4 any ideas if this will be just as smooth as the rest?

Maybe some very minor 'shaving' but no cutting, please!

The circular plastic cut out for the gauges- you may find it easier to install your rings if you gently shave some of that black plastic, so as to widen the opening a little for the rings to fit. I had to do that on the larger holes for the tach and speedo. Try to snap them on first, if you have trouble, get a box cutter/exacto knife and just shave a tiny bit of plastic off the inside of the gauge opening. You need to press kinda hard to make sure they snap in and slide all the way down into the holes.

Good luck!

JV

good to know, thnx for the advice, i saw someone from germany selling rings as well anyone have experience with those? not that i can change anything at this point

to be honest, I was also afraid doing that. taking cluster out, disassemble back panel...etc. but I still went ahead to do it. it turned out very nice and it's actually not that hard as I imagined. taking cluster out is like 2 mins job. the most time I spent was twisting those tiny plastic clips on the back. The rings I got from bavarian_motorwerks can just pass thru without having to cut a hole to get the bigger rings thru(had to push it thru gently though. not directly slip in without friction). I spent about 30-40mins to finish it. ;)

the easiest mod ever YOU DO NOT NEED TO CUT ANYTHING, JUST SLIP THE LARGER RINGS IN THROUGH THE OPENING DONT WORRY THEY WONT BEND IF YOU DO IT JUST ENOUGH. it was bitch putting those in and then cleaning the inside, i also put a little screw driver mark on the inside but you cant really see it in the dash :( worst case i can always buy a new cluster cover :( thanks for the DIY awsome more to come hehe

Alright, alright - you guys are driving me crazy! I "installed" my BimmerSpinners a few weeks ago when everyone else did, and now, just a few minutes ago, I just finished the gauge rings install! Once again, thanks to everyone on the board, the install wasn't too bad. Those plastic + tabs were really tough though. Why do they have to design things like that anyhow? Oh well, the job is done and they look great. :thumbup: So what are we doin' next? :rolleyes:

I humbly submit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLACK...0269QQtcZphoto

To fit 19" or 20" wheels, you gotta buy the Porsche models, available in black and chrome :D I love the no-rust lug nuts look I get with mine!

JV

Also fitted the aluminium rings from Bavarien Motorwerks and they are very good quality .If you sand off a little on the rings themselves ,it is much easier to snap them in....Make sure you disconnect the battery otherwise you OBC will go back to German default!!!!!!!

Rings were waiting for me at the house yesterday along with ACS pedals :D I'm still in a cast, so who knows when they'll be installed. Up next, aluminum running boards and a good wash/wax... and coming soon, when topaz meets carbon '00 and '05 4.4 photoshoot.

Did you get a new X? I thought I saw a black one parked in front of Gary's shop the other day. If you need a hand with those mods, catch me before Friday, cause my ass will be on vaykay then.

JV

You're funny, JV - good find! :bustingup: I like it! :thumbup:

So which ones did you get - black or chrome? Do you have a pic with these installed on your ride? Thanks again for the ideas, JV!

I got the black ones. I'll try and snap a pic tomorrow.

Ha! Cool - that's what I suspected. I just ordered the black ones too! But I'd still love to see a pic if ya don't mind!

Sorry this took me so long, here's how the lug caps look on with the Bimmer
Spinner.

JV

Thanks JV! The look much more set-in on your Y-spoke 19s than they do on my 132's. I'm thinking about painting mine the same as the wheel color - whaddaya think?

Hey, do I detect drilled rotors through those spokes? Did you get a full bore Brembo kit or just the drilled rotors? How do you like them?

Thanks again!

They stand out more on the front lugs, if my front wheels were cleaner I'd have taken that pic of the fronts as well. I dunno how they'd look with a coat of Wurth on them, but definitely a unique idea! I like the contrast with the black lugs personally.

Those are just Brembo rotors unfortunately. I would love to get calipers as well, just not in the budget for now, cause mods are "cash only" according to the future Mrs. They improve pedal feel a lot and they stop on a dime and make change. Nice SHHHHHH! sound when braking hard too.

JV

We obviously have similar taste in mods! I'll probably get the drilled rotors when I need to replace my originals - I too can't afford the whole schtick. I'm just a bit concerned with how well they'll hold up over time, although I'll never track my X and I don't really drive all that hard - that's why I asked. Do you have Axxis pads to reduce your brake dust? If not, I can't recommend them enough...

As for the painted caps, yes, I just ordered a can of Wurth. I figure for 20 bucks I can just get a new set if I don't like 'em. I'll post pics when I'm done.

I ordered the chrome rings from Bavarian Motorwerks, like suggested here, 3 weeks ago. I have gotten a couple of polite emails, telling me they were backordered...no problem. Finally, I got an email yesterday, saying they were on the way, and I could take a $10 credit on my next order, to make up for the delay.

I emailed back, "I appreciate your offer, and wonder what else you have that would fit my 2005 X5 4.4i. I have done a search on eBay for your various items, and none of them seem to be appropriate for my vehicle. If you are to honestly be offering me something to make up for the delay, you have to have something else I might buy. If not, a $10 refund on this order would be more appropriate."

The reply was "We can only offer the $10 on the next purchase not this order. We really don't have too many stuff for 05' X5. Only some cosmetic thing such as hamann style handbrake, emblems..."

Any suggestions?

dude, I think that's reasonable and fair. If you were okay to wait, then I think their offer is pretty generous. They actually don't have to offer you anything if you agreed to wait. If I remember correctly, those gauge rings were only $30 something, right? I bought from them too but I was lucky that my order was delivered in only 3 days which amazed me because they're overseas and my other ebay experience educated me to expect like at least 10 days delivery time. But it's bad that they don't carry many items for X5.

Oh, I was pleased to get their offer of $10 off. However, if they don't really have anything for me to buy next, that offer is not real. :(

I must have gotten their last set in stock... I ordered mine about 3 weeks ago and they arrived about 3 days later :o

Did you install yours yet?

Still waiting for delivery. :dunno:

JV - are you busy this Sunday???

From 1pm till about 4:30 I will be- Skins vs. Bears, man. Before and after that, I'm free like sunshine.

JV

Was wondering if you'd like to help with the gauge rings. Maybe after the game?

Sho nuff, PM me and we can make arrangements :thumbup:

Doc, sorry to hear about your situation. If you were thinking of the backup camera in the future, maybe they have a trunk roundel that you can get for that mod?

JV

The only thing listed on eBay that I could buy would be a Hamman handle for my parking brake. I have titanium inside trim, and that handle is polished chrome. They offer angel eyes, but those are standard on my rig. I really don't see what they have for me. I guess I would have been happier without the empty offer!

Reflect your experience in your ebay feedback, of course. Sucks that a few other board members had no problem with the seller and you got a raw deal.

JV

Yeah, the rings are available from several sources.

well, if you care so much about that, why didn't you ask them to refund your money and cancel the bid with them? IMHO, they didn't have to offer you anything if you're okay with waiting. So, $10 gift card for $30 item you ordered sounds pretty generous to me. would you be happier if they didn't offer you that $10 gift card? ;)

Whoa, big fella!! Maybe a little decaf would be good!

I have said repeatedly, and to the seller, that I appreciated the offer. What I still don't understand is what good it can do me when they have nothing else for me to buy. Can you answer that for me? Or, tell you what, you order something from them, and use my $10 gift card, with my blessing!

Wow.

thank you for your generosity transferring that discount to me. however, I believe that I got everything I wanted already. I bought the cluster rings and angel eyes from them. :) I love my 4.4 grilles than their whole chrome grilles. I don't think they have anything else for my X now. ;)

FYI on the rings install- I helped GUINNESS out with his gauge rings today and had a hard time with cleaning the inside of the gauge cluster clear plastic. Use a lint-free cloth when you clean the inside, and maybe a high powered vacuum wouldn't hurt either before you put the cluster back together.

JV

Hi all!
 

I just got mine today and just finished installing those cluster rings. I also bought them from Bavarianwerk off Ebay as well and got them in just 5 days --> best Ebay shipping experience. I also got the chrome kidney grilles. They look great. One thing: do your rings look a little "dirty" around the inner but visible part of the rings? I tried to clean them off with Windex window cleaner but they don't come off.

I also see that you guys have clear front corner signal light and angle eyes head lights. Does anybody care to share where they got them and how to install them? Thanks much, guys.

J.

I am the friggin' lord of the rings. Helped a friend of mine install his on his '05 CARBON BLACK X5 today (damn it looks good on the X), didn't have to shave any of the plastic at all, the rings just snapped right in.

Clinic available to all who attend the 10/22 meet in Charlotte :D

I might have to take you up on that :thumbup:

JV, how did the rings look on? I'm gonna have to swing by there soon to check it out. And I'm telling you, get the 3 Xs together for a shoot.

So what is the least expensive anyone has found these for???

I see them on ebay for $29 plus $9 shipping!

I agree with JVZ104. This is an easy mod to do. Did mine in about 20mns all together. The only part a little bit tricky is to take the gauge cluster apart.

Do they make silver gauge rings? I want to do this mod but I don't think the chrome rings would fit with might tan leather/light wood interior

Actually, I think they are called aluminum and not silver. Not sure about fitment, because I've never installed those, but using the article here at X5 World, it oughta be real easy to do.

JV

I am on vacation, with my X5 still at home, or I would post a photo showing my tan leather/light wood/black dash with the chrome rings (or call them silver or aluminum, if you prefer). I think they look really nice, and I am glad I was finally convinced by this crew to do the mod!

Statdoc-

Could you post some pics when you get back from vacation? I'm anxious to do this mod, but I'm afraid it won't look right with the interior. I'd really like to see some pics first. Also, is there anyone in the Winston-Salem,NC area that has done this install and would be willing to give me a hand with it? I'm usually pretty good at doing these things myself but I have never worked on a gauge cluster before. [Monetary payment for services will of course be provided]

Here you go---(forgive the black rubber floor mat in one photo..I have been doing yard work today, and hadn't taken that mat back out yet).

http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/1/5...5X5dash001.jpg

http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/1/5...5X5dash005.jpg

http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/1/5/8/9/gaugerings.jpg

i have a big problem for turn this 5. it's so HARD!!!! :confused:
help

http://www.xoutpost.com/images/articles/198/image01.jpg

help

me likey!

They look great JV...hey Tahoe you have some sweet rides but it looks like you definitely need a bigger garage especially with the Z06 on the way, I heard that ride is a killer!

Gauge rings look great. The seller mentioned in this post does not have any items for sale. Which e-bay vendor do you recommend now, or can you purchase from dealer?

thanks,drs

your chrome rings look great but unfortunately i cant even get my cluster open i read your instructions still no luck actually broke 2 x clips. thanks any way if anyone knows another way to get cluster off please post

Is this the article you used?
http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/i...t-cluster.html

completed this mod, took about 45 minutes to be patient with the tabs...looks a ton better than without, finally looks more like a 2000+ model:thumbup:

the tabs are a pain in the butt to remove and line up tho...take your time...great write up thanks again,,