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BMW E36 Forum • Instrument Cluster clear window | BMW E36 Forum
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Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:34 am
by E36Jester
Hey all,

Just a quick question regarding the Instrument Cluster's clear window.
How do I remove it? Has anyone done it before? I just bought a custom gauge bezel, and I need to remove the clear window before I can install it.

Any help would be great.

Cheers,
Jester

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:40 am
by VMZ
A quick Google or a look in BMWe36blog.com's own DIY section would have found you this guide;

http://www.bmwe36blog.com/2008/09/14/in ... w-e36-diy/

It's for plasma guages but it's pretty much the same('cept a little less involved) for a bezal.

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:27 am
by E36Jester
[quote="VMZ"]A quick Google or a look in BMWe36blog.com's own DIY section would have found you this guide;

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bmwe36blog.com/2008/09/14/installing-plasma-gauges-for-your-bmw-e36-diy/">http://www.bmwe36blog.com/2008/09/14/in ... w-e36-diy/</a><!-- m -->

It's for plasma guages but it's pretty much the same('cept a little less involved) for a bezal.
I had already found this guide. Nowhere does it mention how to remove the front of the dash so i can place the bezel over the top of the current one.
I had used this very same guide when installing my own plasma gauges, and it was very helpful, but not what i'm looking for.

The bezel will be sitting on top of the original black bezel already on the dash, therefore i need to remove the clear window to get to it, not just the back of the dash. If you know how to do that, it would be very helpful.

Jester

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:47 pm
by VMZ
So you have pulled your cluster out and apart before and yet you want instructions on how to pull the simplest pieces apart? :?

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:53 pm
by E36Jester
[quote="VMZ"]So you have pulled your cluster out and apart before and yet you want instructions on how to pull the simplest pieces apart? :?
you know, most people post questions on blogs to find out things that they don't know. And when someone replies to that post, it usually means that they can help. So far all you've done is show me something that i already knew existed, then criticize me when i tell you that it's not what i'm looking for.

do you know how to install a new bezel or not? if you do, help me, if you don't, then do nothing. simple as that.

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:22 am
by AngeloViveros
i was trying to do that when i change mines, looks like its glued to the black plastic, didnt want to break it so i stop trying

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:56 pm
by VMZ
Actually a blog is where people post their opinion/ramblings on a subject of their choice in the hops that the wider internet community will leave comments and link to them most of the time in the hopes of making money.

Forums are places the people are able to open threads to speak the mind or ask questions and then other forum members are able to discuss and speak their own mind(within the rules of the forum). It quite frankly scares me to think you would wan't to follow instructions from random people on the internet when dealing with you're pride and joy(it's an e36 after all). You're DIY'ing, have a go...try different things and problem solve.

You tell me you have installed plasma gauges before so in your own real life experience you have seen something along the lines of this pic;
http://www.bmwe36blog.com/image-viewer. ... bmw-e36-12

All thats left to do from there is remove the clear plastic from the black piece in the top of the picture. If you have had it out before I don't think its beyond reasonable expectations that you have a good enough head on your shoulder to enable you to pop two pieces of plastic apart.

All but one of the 5~ e36 clusters I have dealt with were able to just be popped off. The other was similar to what AngeloViveros said. In which case you could have come back and said "shit it looks like is glued." If it glued you're SOOL unless you're comfortable with taking up a screw driver and wiggling and trying to crack the glue... or even dissolve it with something? There may very well be a better way but as you haven't found it I'll assume it doesn't exist or at least isn't documented.

I assume it was an eBay buy? Most sellers who stock cluster bezels have reasonable PDF instructions... did you get them/ask for them?

Re: Instrument Cluster clear window

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:23 am
by paulduminy
Try buffing it clear on the outside with a soft cloth and some brasso metal polish- if soap and water doesn't do the trick. Instrument Cluster Window is foggy and I want to remove and replace it.