Instrument cluster problem

[Mitchh718]

Okay so I went to get my car inspected by the state patrol today since I just finished fixing everything and it failed because the airbag light never came on when he turned the car on. So then I started looking up what could be wrong and I saw it could be fuse 40 is missing or blown, nope fuse 40 is good. So then I take a flashlight to the cluster and low and behold there isn't even a spot for an airbag light. So then this gets me thinking I've also had an issue where I try to turn off dsc and the lights on the dash never come on to tell me it's off so I've been assuming that my switch was bad. But on the way home it was snowing so I held the dsc button down for a few seconds and have it some gas and traction control was turned off. So as far as I can tell someone replaced the cluster at some point with one from an older car, im guessing one without airbags and dsc. Why? I have no idea but this really sucks so my question is when did bmw start to have the airbag light on the dash and also the vin and everything else in the hidden menu are correct with no tamper light is there a manufacture date or anything stamped on the housing for the cluster?
Ps. Sorry it's not in my sig yet but I have a 2001 530i with the low obc.

[Mitchh718]

Also I just found a new cluster on Craigslist for a decent price I know a used cluster would need to be coded to not have a tamper dot can I just put a brand new one in and it will automatically download everything from the car or would that have to be coded too?

[StRaNgEdAyS]

An E39 cluster should have airbag and traction control lights.
It is possible that they had been removed or covered because a previous owner short cut a repair... It's something I have seen before.
Is it the high or low spec cluster?

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[Mitchh718]

Low spec and that's the thing the cluster can't be a e39 cluster I don't know how it's possible but there is no actual place for the light to shine through at all

[DennisG01]

Can you post a picture of your cluster?

Is it possible, because of the plastic cover over the cluster, that you just couldn't get the flashlight to shine at the right angle to be able to see the "spot"? I would think there is no way to get a cluster WITHOUT the airbag light since you would have to get a cluster from a MUCH older car, and then obviously that cluster wouldn't match or even fit properly.

[Mitchh718]

0224180931b.jpg0224180931.jpg0224180932c.jpgHere are some pictures to me it doesn't look like they have been blacked out from the back since I feel like you would still see somewhat of an outline I truly can not figure this out.

[DennisG01]

My '97 has an airbag so yours definitely "should" - and it's obvious that your cluster is newer than mine since you have 5 gears. The airbag light should be in that far right corner of your second picture. I can see what you mean about it looking like it's not there. But it just doesn't make sense. I'll look at mine when I get home and see if I can see the "ghost" when my cluster is turned off. I KNOW the airbag light is there because it's been on for about 3 years, now...

[Mitchh718]

Thanks I plan to disassemble the cluster today to look and I may go pick up a used cluster to put in just to pass inspection

[Mitchh718]

Well I opened up the cluster and there was tape over both the dsc and the airbag light both systems are working perfectly fine so I have no idea why they wee covered but that sure makes way more sense now! Thank you everyone

[Qsilver7]

Whoever taped over those warning lights needs to be publicly caned

then (stoned)


And no...you can not just "drop" another cluster in because it shares redundant data with the LCM. They will not communicate with each other until they both share the same VIN...and they won't communicate with each other and update the mileage etc...until the mileage in the used cluster is zeroed. You must take ALL 6 data points in the data below into consideration when replacing the LCM or IKE. Also, a BMW dealership CAN NOT install a used cluster (or LCM)...their equipment and software doesn't allow them to do so. It requires aftermarket software/hardware to code & zero out the mileage and over-write the VIN in order to make a used IKE or LCM work correctly:

[DennisG01]

Well I opened up the cluster and there was tape over both the dsc and the airbag light both systems are working perfectly fine so I have no idea why they wee covered but that sure makes way more sense now! Thank you everyone

Weird. Gotta luv previous owners!

[blackknight530i]

I was going to suggest that the areas were taped up from behind, but you already discovered that. I've seen it many times in the clusters I repair. Freaking sucks for people that didn't know they had an issue and now they can with a nice new mileage corrected/coded cluster.