E46 Gauge Cluster Removal

Hey guys, here is a vid I made to help out with removing the gauge cluster on an E46. This will show you how to remove it, add gauge rings and how to make your needles red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYuZDDAtm2I

Nice. Stupid me, I used touchup paint leftover from my car. You can imagine how crap my needles look with paint on them.


I can't believe I didn't think of using a Sharpie... nice tutorial too.

Thanks. Yup, easy as a sharpie. Put up a pic of how it looks with the paint, I'm interested, lol.

Uh, no. It looks pretty cheap.

I'll try to snap a pic of it, but my sister killed my camera's battery and I can't find the charger anywhere.

Haha, ok. I'll be waiting for that pic.

Here's a link to a picture I already uploaded. I wasn't emphasizing the colored needles, so I don't have a closer pic at the moment.

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/...87 BMW 325e/?action=view&current=CIMG0048.jpg

Look at the fuel gauge needle. See how the light is hitting it on the left side of the needle and it's kind of reflecting? Imagine that on all of the needles, except more reflection.
With paint on it, it reflects a lot of light and can look like gloss paint.


I don't like it... if only I had a Sharpie when I did mine. (Staples was closed)

it doesnt look bad from the pic...

Yeah because the lighting was "just right" in that pic, where nothing was reflecting. It looks a lot worse when you're actually staring at it from the driver's seat.



If I had a spare cluster, I would take the needles off and Sharpie them. I wouldn't paint them again, to be honest.

Weren't you afraid you'd damage anything at first?? Haha looks good. Good job.

no, you really cant break anything.

Wrong!

I bent one of my needles a bit on my "test" cluster (one that doesn't work). It bent pretty bad from just a little bit of pressure, and when bent back, you could see bits of it sticking out from the side, making it obvious that it was bent.