<e30> instrument cluster problem/question

[Jake Abramson <BMW@xxxxxxxx>]

I am having trouble with my dash instruments.  The temp guage wanders, gas
guage works when it wants to, and tach is completely dead.  Oh and i think
the speedo is off a few MPH, some how, my '84 318i doing 92 down the 605
freeway in so cal seems a little doubtful, especially when getting passed
(DOH!).  I had called a guy about getting them working.    He wanted pretty
much $250 to look at the damn thing, and he figured it would need a new
board too, so i'm talking major $$, just to get the damn gas guage working.
 A few months before i had my mechaic look at the sending unit, which
checked out working fine.  On the occasional time the guage would work.  I
was fixing a short in my left front speaker when i decided on taking a
chance on getting it to work.  I found it relitivly easy to get to the
guages (remove the under dash pannel [3 screws] remove the 2 big knobs and
the pannel under the guagues poped out.  about half-dozen screws later and
3 sets of wires, i had the whole unit out.  I removed the back pannel, just
to see if maybe there was something obvious.  I did notice that the labls
that are suck to the guages on the inside, had started to come off, some
completely, and were sitting on the back side of the guages, blocking the
movement of the needle.  I pulled the loose lables out with a tweezer, and
blasted the whole thing with some compressed air (never leave home w/out a
can).  I took a look at the circuitry (i'm not much of a circuitry guy)
jsut to see if anythign came loose.  For the hell of it, i shook the
cluster (maybe to knock something back into place), and installed the whole
thing.  To my surprise, the gas guage works (well kinda).  it tends to
twitch, sometimes about 1/8" or so.  So i'm not putting my life on it.  The
temp guage seems to be accurate again.  But the tach is still dead.
Anyway, my question is: since it seems to be in the circuitry, is it
possible for me to go over to pick your part, and possibly put another
cluster in?  If i could pick one up for $30 or so, instead of paying $300+,
would make my day.  It seems that most of the models have the same cluster.
 Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
- -jake

Anyway, i took it upon myself to fiddle around with the guages (had called
a guage guy about it, wanted pretty much $250 to look at the damn thing,
and he figured it would need a new board too, so i'm talking major $$, just
to get the damn gas guage working.)
      ______  __  ______  __
     /___  / / / / __  / /_/
      __/ / / / / /_/ / __   1984 318i
     /_  / / / / __  / / /  166,000 mi
   ___/ / / / / /_/ / / /  and still 
  /____/ /_/ /_____/ /_/  moving along

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