How to power on e39 cluster out of car?

[aw32]

ok but I'm not the only one without computer powered up. "Dark Abyss" has same problem. checked connection twice and everything is correct.
I dont think that the lights are burned because it worked fine installed in car about a week ago.

what about Kline? Is it needed for computer?

[djb2]

The K line is for data communications. It isn't needed for checking that the cluster functions, and running the display test. You can hook it up to a diagnostic system (e.g. K+DCAN cable and INPA) if you want to verify specific lights work or set the gauge motors to a specific position for calibration.

I recently helped a local board member with the same problem. His cluster wouldn't power up. The first fault was a broken circuit board power trace where the screwdriver had slipped when releasing it from the black plastic back. Only after everything was finished did we find there was a second broken trace for the CAN bus communications.

[aw32]

thanks for you help until this point!
I doubt that something is broken like in your example because the computer worked fine when the cluster was installed to car. Ok the pixels were faulty but basicly the computer worked. So what i have done was just remove the cluster from the car to test it on bench before i will replace the LCD.
Plus i cant install the cluster back to the car the next months. So thats why i want to do it all on bench.

What I'm gonna do now?

[aw32]

Sorry Double Post.

[aw32]

Here is a pic. Checked connection twice...

[djb2]

OK, that's useful info. The LEDs are lighting up, but only the incandescent backlight behind the odometer is lighting.

Try test mode by pressing the right button for 10 seconds. If you don't see anything, use a bright light to see if the LCD changes.

Test the lamps to see if they all work. They should read 10-50 ohms resistance. Swap them to different locations.

[aw32]

There we go
Thanks a lot mate!

This is what ive got when i press 10sec the right button. But what about the upper info?

[johnate]

Your bulbs has gone. Usually when you take out the cluster from the car and shake it around while removing it, the small fragile 20 year old filamen inside it breaks.

New bulbs should fix it. Backlighting problem.
problem.

[aw32]

What kind of bulbs are this?

[djb2]

62111391260 12V 1.5W beige/tan base lamp

Don't use a 1.2W black base lamp. Those are dimmer, and are used for indicators on pre-LED instrument clusters.

It's useful to keep a spare around since the filament becomes brittle with age, making it vulnerable to shock during removal.

[aw32]

Thanks a lot! Found some on eBay.

[geargrinder]

There's also 2W versions. I haven't used them in the E39 but I have in Audis before. You have to check if the brighter ones are going to work for you... You'd think "oh brighter is better and I can just dial it down w the dimmer" but since the dimmer dims other stuuff in the car, there's a 'balance' issue... and if you dim the bright bulbs you may find some of the other illumination - say the climate control - inside the car is too dim. Depends on the car and your preferences. On the old Audis 2W worked because the factory bulbs were already really too dim in proportion, but not sure if that'd be the case w/ the E39... they might be too bright.

[aw32]

Already bought oems. Works fine

But I have an other question. I want to change some LEDs. What is the pinout for checking the background lights?

[djb2]

Already bought oems. Works fine

But I have an other question. I want to change some LEDs. What is the pinout for checking the background lights?

All instrument cluster lighting is software controlled. Note the timeout on the Service Interval backlight, and that the check control backlights are only on when information is displayed.

Which LEDs are you going to change? How are you planning on changing the LEDs? With a forked soldering iron tip? A knife tip? Hot air rework with kapton tape protecting the surrounding area?

[aw32]

So i have no chance to check on bench?

I want to change the ambed lights from all scales to white.

I ve thought about a forked iron but in my opinion the risk of damaging the smds is to high. I will try to desolder with hot air and solder back with a normal iron.

[blackknight530i]

So i have no chance to check on bench?

I want to change the ambed lights from all scales to white.

I ve thought about a forked iron but in my opinion the risk of damaging the smds is to high. I will try to desolder with hot air and solder back with a normal iron.

You just need to provide power to the illumination wire on the cluster and the backlight LEDs will light up. I think all you need is the illumination wire and at least one of the grounds if you don't want to bother powering up the whole cluster. Can be done with just the black connector.

Also, I use hot air to replace the backlight LEDs to white and it works fine. I even use it to solder them back on, but I heat the solder pads first, then drop the LED down onto them, then use an iron with a needle tip to add new solder after they are stuck down.

[aw32]

Thanks mate!
Could you tell me the pins for that or did i get it wrong?

[blackknight530i]

I believe the illumination wire is pin 8 on the black connector (high cluster) and ground is pin 1.

[aw32]

I will test and report!

[aw32]

Works, thanks mate!!!!

[blackknight530i]

Works, thanks mate!!!!

Excellent!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[aw32]

Thats the result:




But the LEDs are slightly too bright. Didnt expect that

[m3j0n]

For the high cluster, you need both the black and white connectors to be connected. On the black connector, pin 1 needs to be ground and pins 7 and 17 need to be connected to power. On the white connector, pins 9 and 10 are ground and pins 15 and 16 are power. Pin 8 is the I/K bus wire that goes to the other Ibus modules and pin 7 goes to the diagnostic port (OBD2 port).

For the low cluster, on the black connector, pin 1 is ground, while pins 20 and 21 are power.

So 12V (R) on pin 14(B) and 12(W) do not have to be connected to bench test the cluster for mileage? Thanks in advance

[blackknight530i]

So 12V (R) on pin 14(B) and 12(W) do not have to be connected to bench test the cluster for mileage? Thanks in advance

Been a couple years since I posted the info, but whatever I posted before is correct.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[EuroV12]

johnate, is it hard to virginize a cluster? Do you have a link to specific guide that gives step by step info on the software?