I have a '97 and I had the pixel problem on the instrument cluster.
I bought a '95 "perfect-pixel" cluster from ebay

My indy said I would not be able to use it an I needed to buy a new one that could be coded with the correct milage.

Someone on here said that the dealer could recode a used cluster, so I pulled mine and was going to plug in the '95 cluster to check the pixels before I went to the dealer.

On both the '95 and the '97 clusters there was a seperate black box attached to the cluster by a ribbon cable.

The "black box" has the black ribbon cable attaching it to the cluster, a blue connector and a white connector. In addition the cluster itself has a black connector.

I figured that meby the milage/vin was stored in the black box rather than the cluster, si I put my black box on the replacement cluster and plugged it in.

Lo and behold the milage appeared correct and the tamper light was not on!

so apparently you can change the older clusters without recoding anything!

Happy Happy :)

• HOWTO: replace instrument cluster '97 no re-code - d26818 2008-01-02 18:41:42 (3016 views)
  • Very Cool! - kfister 2008-01-03 02:50:36 (165 views)
    • Re: Very Cool! - d26818 2008-01-03 09:37:34 (116 views)
  • you DO know that the cluster you describe was only used up to 9/97 build date (pic) - Q 2008-01-02 23:17:23 (427 views)
    • Re: you DO know that the cluster you describe was only used up to 9/97 build date - d26818 2008-01-03 02:02:00 (163 views)
  • Any chance I can buy your old cluster? - rimasl2 2008-01-02 22:34:10 (132 views)
    • Wouldn't it have to be coded in order for it to work? not to mention tamper dot? (nt) - IBHenry 2008-01-02 22:35:55 (129 views)
      • According to this post, as long as you keep the same 'black box' it won't. (nt) - visionbmw7 2008-01-02 22:53:21 (116 views)
        • I see. (nt) - IBHenry 2008-01-02 22:57:03 (70 views)
  • SHIT! Then I need to get my old cluster back from my wrecked 96!!! (nt) - visionbmw7 2008-01-02 22:11:39 (113 views)
  • I always knew the no re-code thing was a rip off - tomf301 2008-01-02 21:22:07 (130 views)
  • Now why couldn't they have left this design throughout the MY's? (nt) - absessler 2008-01-02 19:32:49 (82 views)
  • Good job man. Looks like you put an end to the myth..........................;o) (nt) - beechy 2008-01-02 19:09:33 (87 views)
  • Pics of the 2 cluster so we know what to look for? TIA. (nt) - bmw635 2008-01-02 18:47:37 (196 views)
    • Here's the pics. (pic) - d26818 2008-01-02 19:07:14 (610 views)
      • Wowhooo, looks like 95 clusters is going through the roof soon. :-))) - bmw635 2008-01-02 19:11:41 (96 views)
        • Re: Wowhooo, looks like 95 clusters is going through the roof soon. :-))) - d26818 2008-01-02 19:16:35 (82 views)
    • Re: Pics of the 2 cluster so we know what to look for? TIA. (pic) - d26818 2008-01-02 19:00:03 (370 views)