X6 Cluster installed in 4.8i (oil temp!)
 

I hate not having a temperature display so I set out to find a good cluster candidate to retrofit. It turns out the E71 50i has the same 7k RPM redline as the 4.8i, includes an oil temp display, and is cheap; my cluster was $87 shipped. As an additional bonus, the X6 has different/bolder beauty rings as well.

I believe there are two ways to do the swap. 1) Swap the X6 cluster itself in. This requires overwriting the VIN to match yours, installing the cluster, and coding it with NCS expert. Realistically, the cluster needs to come apart - including pulling the needles - to accomplish this. Furthermore, if the donor cluster from the X6 has higher mileage than your vehicle, you either need a new mileage chip or a way to overwrite the mileage. 2) Swap the X6 gauge panel onto your existing gauges and code the cluster with something like perfekt toolbox.

I chose option #1 and learned a few things along the way. First of all, aligning the needles after the fact is a royal pain. The only way around this is to use an in-circuit programmer to modify the VIN using test points on the back of the circuit board. Second, the circuit board is retained in the back housing by clips on the plug that attaches to the vehicles wiring harness. They're a pain to release. Third, the TL866 MiniPro Universal Programmer works fine to read and write the mileage chip provided the chip is desoldered from the board. A different programmer is needed for in-circuit programming (R270+). I only have the TL866 so I used a hot air rework station to desolder the chip & solder it back on. It's SMD so you will want to have some experience before attempting this. If you try to use the TL866 in-circuit, you will get an error to the effect the chip is shorted. Fourth, while the cluster was functional after being installed in my X5, it set a code for an active steering fault. This is clearly an option the donor X6 had that my X5 did not. I coded the cluster with NCS expert (read VO from CAS/FRM, write Kombi) and it went away. Then the error came back after I restarted the X5. I coded it with NCS expert once again, then cleared the error memory on the Kombi using INPA. As far as I can tell, all is well now.

Checking cluster for function:
https://i.imgur.com/wgCbOqA.jpg
The original mileage on the cluster (donor). Odd that it didn't set a tamper light.
https://i.imgur.com/cKvnzms.jpg
The chip:
https://i.imgur.com/t3Ybxx5.jpg
Final product (the warning is for the time not being set & a bulb out):
https://i.imgur.com/BTavR78.jpg

Nice thank you for taking the time for the write up !! PM me $$$$

Very, very cool. I'd love to get a temperature display in my 35d. The consumption gauge is insulting and worthless. At least I have a dipstick.

I prefer the addon gauge I went with. Its a P3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFpu...ature=emb_logo


The gauge does whatever you want it to such as temp, boost, volts, etc.

Also I found out recently it actually shows you codes evertime you start the car if there are any which is handy.

Basically if there are stored codes it will cycle thru listing all of the codes then it will show you what gauge you have it set to.

I had it since I bought the car and it works flawless. No way Im owning a car with an electric water pump and not having a temp gauge to watch it with. Simple to install and remove if need be.

Its not cheap but it is well worth the money plus the car is kept stock if you need to take it into the dealership or sell it later.

Is the description correct that it only gives coolant temp and not oil, trans temps also? What location is the exhaust temp taken from?

I like the look of it, but it appears to be way overpriced with limited actual useful info.

It reads what the computer can read. If its on a vehicle that has the oil temp then it will display the oil temp.

Boost/Vac
Coolant Temp
Oil Temp
Intake Air Temp
Exhaust Gas Temp
Throttle Plate
Speed
RPM with Shift-light
Battery voltage and more.....

Oh and it can use analog sensor inputs so you can add your own sensors for more stuff.

Dangit Crowz... Another thing I now have to buy and install. :D

Ha, I saw your video before. It already had a thumbs up when I clicked the link :thumbup: I agree a temp gauge is a must (at least the 4.8 has a mechanical water pump).
The exhaust temp is calculated from a model in the DME. There's no actual EGT sensors unless the diesels are different.

I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, but I was looking at building a similar unit and offering it for sale in the future. I already have the protocol worked out and have a working prototype android application that can monitor & log over a generic ELM327 bluetooth adapter; a standalone unit shouldn't be that challenging to make. And to go into far too much detail, there are other parameters that can be logged if you know where to look - things like steering angle, brake pressure, etc which is nice for onboard video overlays.

I'll have to see how difficult it is to get a unit ready on the bench. I believe it needs to be coded to the specific options in your vehicle so this might not be something I'm offering as a remote service. If you have someone local, there should be enough detail in the OP for them to do the same thing.