Question related to Part 51168118764 COVER GEAR SELECTING LEVER

[1badzr1]

Hello,

I noticed that when I turn my lights on the Gear selection lights on my center consol P/N/D/R dont move they are all on. When I lifted the panel up and over my gear shift to look, all the plastic clear and white pieces under the panel broke apart. If I order part 51168118764 will this include all the clear lighting parts behind the panel? I pulled the Part # from Real OEM. It looks like all the wiring is just plug in.


Thanks.

[duje]

Yes, it is all one part.

[1badzr1]

Yes, it is all one part.

Thanks, do you know if it is easy for DIYer. I was looking at it as mentioned and all the connectors are just plugs. I dont want to attempt it and under estimate the job then end up scewing things up more.

[Imndeep]

I ordered the same part, it's just cheesy. You have to fiddle with it to get it to work properly. It's not hard to do just fiddly.

[olinjohnston]

The LED shift console is the only reason I'd want the Steptronic transmission in the E31. It's SO much nicer than that flimsy faded indicator that slides down with the selector shaft.

[bruinbro]

My 89 Range Rover had the same thing except it had TWO indicators, one on each side of the gear selector. So, not only did they slip, but it was near impossible to get them in alignment with each other. Kinda interesting to figure out which gear you were in...

Steve

[olinjohnston]

Kinda interesting to figure out which gear you were in...

At least the 8 has the LCD display for the gear indicator in the dash too, making the lame console one redundant.

[toomanyparts]

The LED shift console is the only reason I'd want the Steptronic transmission in the E31. It's SO much nicer than that flimsy faded indicator that slides down with the selector shaft.

That's the only reason? ...

[NICO57]

Yet my DIY works wonderfully

[Black88GTA]

I ordered the same part, it's just cheesy. You have to fiddle with it to get it to work properly. It's not hard to do just fiddly.

I replaced mine as well - the part was about $100 from Gault, IIRC. And yes, it isn't too hard to replace, just annoying to get the indicator to actually line up with the proper gear. And the little bit that snaps onto the rod attached to the shifter is a bit delicate. It's attached to a little plastic arm that's designed to extend from the housing a bit so that you can pull the plate off and connect / disconnect it when working on it. But, if the arm isn't retracted properly when you slap everything back together, you can very easily break it the first time you run the shifter all the way through the gears. I did this with my old one after JB welding it. Decided to bite the bullet after that and just get the new part, since the plastic housing that snaps underneath and holds the gears and stuff was slightly damaged as well.

[Shaun850i]

Hello I know this is a old thread but i need this part Anyone know where I can still get this part? thanks 51168118764

[olinjohnston]

Hello I know this is a old thread but i need this part Anyone know where I can still get this part? thanks 51168118764

Might have to find a used one. That P/N is NLA.

[Shaun850i]

My bmw dealership said the same thing but he does not know if it will work and he will take it back if it does not but he said he is gonna order the one for a 840? now you guys would know more about this if it will fit and or work or not work? just kinda wana know what to expect when it shows up if any part of it is interchangeable? thanks in advance

[toomanyparts]

Aren't the 840s five speed? Not sure if it matters on the shift plate.

[olinjohnston]

My bmw dealership said the same thing but he does not know if it will work and he will take it back if it does not but he said he is gonna order the one for a 840? now you guys would know more about this if it will fit and or work or not work? just kinda wana know what to expect when it shows up if any part of it is interchangeable? thanks in advance

It will probably fit, but it would be incorrect since the 840Ci has a 5-speed transmission...The lettering goes "P R N D 4 3 2" and yours needs to say " P R N D 3 2 1"

[Shaun850i]

Oh i could live with that and i "Think" i can swap the lettering piece because on mine it looks like it will just pop right off as its own piece not sure how the 840 version would look but even if i cant do that its still fine i can live with that regardless. Thanks guys.

[tvjake2]

Aren't the 840s five speed? Not sure if it matters on the shift plate.

I believe the '96 and '97's are five speed, the pre-Steptronic are four speeds (I think.)

[olinjohnston]

I believe the '96 and '97's are five speed, the pre-Steptronic are four speeds (I think.)

Not so. All V8 E31s have 5-speeds.

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Oh i could live with that and i "Think" i can swap the lettering piece because on mine it looks like it will just pop right off as its own piece not sure how the 840 version would look but even if i cant do that its still fine i can live with that regardless. Thanks guys.

It looks like this. The indicator is also ever-so-slightly different as well:

[sleepy81]

Not so. All V8 E31s have 5-speeds.

We all have 5 speeds for our little four short engines.

[ctrout]

Need the extra gear to make up for the missing cylinders.

[toomanyparts]

Olin,

Thanks for posting the picture, exactly what I was getting at and didn't have time to find one.


Also, DOHC over SOHC is fine by me.

Not so. All V8 E31s have 5-speeds.

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It looks like this. The indicator is also ever-so-slightly different as well:

[tvjake2]

Not so. All V8 E31s have 5-speeds.

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Rats...'had a feeling I goofed on that one.

[adwebinc]

Waaaay old thread here, but desperate to find this part (51168118764) as mine has disintegrated. Did anyone ever try the 5-speed model with the 4-speed? I don't care about the gear indicator. I just need to be able to bolt the thing in place and have it stay. Thanks!

[Mikekugel]

Waaaay old thread here, but desperate to find this part (51168118764) as mine has disintegrated. Did anyone ever try the 5-speed model with the 4-speed? I don't care about the gear indicator. I just need to be able to bolt the thing in place and have it stay. Thanks!

In my youth I worked for a custom plastic fabrication shop, an amazing experience. You can buy Methelyne chloride (Weld-On) in pints, which is alot, but it is very useful for solvent welding acrylic, and styrene plastics. I had the same problem with a disintegrating selector indicator, as well as some console plastic that cracked, and was able to fix it. You need a syringe or squeeze bottle with a small needle to control the flow. That piece is pretty fragile to be sure, but if all the pieces are there, it might be salvageable. The tricky part then remains to get the light to be in the right place. It has been awhile, but as I recall it involved quite a few tries, and in the end I got it all to finally line up by starting at the lowest indicated gear. Be careful in how much MCL you use, as it is a thin solvent, and will flash right through joints, and make some things look pretty bad. Good luck.

[adwebinc]

Thanks Mike, but unfortunately there are several pieces missing. I tried to piece it together with Q-bond, but there just aren't enough pieces left.