The world of car mods is seemingly endless, but for many cars, the fun seems to stop at the speedometer. You will find cars that have had every inch of their bodies and interiors touched, but still sporting the original clocks. If you own an old BMW, Volkswagen, or a Honda S2000, however, there is one mod that can transform your vehicle. If you’re willing to brave AliExpress, you can outfit your old hooptie with a glorious digital instrument cluster that, in less than an hour, can make your car feel a decade newer inside.
It is easy to date some cars simply by looking at their instrument clusters. Gauges of the 1980s sometimes looked futuristic, while the gauges of the 1990s often reflected the times with lots of circles. Today, it seems like most new cars come outfitted with giant screens with flashy graphics. To their credit, these screens do make cars feel “techy” and can display information in ways that no physical gauge could. I especially love the screens that integrate driving maps and the vehicle’s cameras.
For more than a decade, one company has offered an interesting solution for drivers of old-ish cars that don’t have digital displays. ID4Motion provided enthusiasts of BMWs and Hondas with breathtakingly beautiful digital instrument clusters that looked just as good as the OEM clusters in new cars. Unfortunately, ID4Motion has closed up shop, its website is offline, and its social media pages have been wiped out. If you want a digital cluster for your car now, there’s really only one place to look, and it’s in an online marketplace like eBay or AliExpress.
That’s where I recently found myself when I decided that I wanted to play with a digital cluster in the 2007 BMW 530xi that I bought from our secret designer, the Bishop. Since ID4Motion wasn’t an option, I rolled the dice on a clone cluster from China, and here’s what I got.
Nothing Wrong With Analogue
Now, I want to start this by saying that there was nothing wrong with the cluster that was already in the car.
BMW’s clusters from the 2000s are actually my favorite instrument clusters of all time. I adore how BMW’s clusters of the era look like two giant clocks, and they were distilled down to just the information you needed to know. The clocks of a BMW’s interior seriously complement the rest of the vehicle. I also enjoyed how BMW used the digital elements for data that might not be pretty in physical form, like outside temperature, gear, or vehicle mileage.
In other words, BMW’s clocks were a lot like German car design of the era, and they were beautiful without being overwrought.
Yet, I have always found myself curious about a digital speedometer mod ever since I discovered the ID4Motion website more than two years ago. In fact, I’ve had a tab open to the ID4Motion website for more than two years now. You will realize the reason why in a little bit. But first, a little backstory.
ID4Motion’s Clusters
ID4Motion didn’t just come out of nowhere. The company was founded in the early 2010s as an offshoot of ACtronics, a company in the Netherlands that doesn’t just repair damaged instrument clusters and vehicle computers, but uses its talented staff to find defective subcomponents and reengineer them. Basically, the idea is that if you buy a piece of automotive equipment from ACtronics, it’s probably better than the unit your car shipped with from the factory. The company, which is still around today, sees its parts lasting longer than the OEM models do.
ID4Motion was created within the halls of ACtronics to use the same talent that engineers car electronics to craft a unique instrument cluster modification.
It’s not as crazy as it sounds, either. Even though the BMWs supported by ID4Motion have physical gauges, their connections to the car are entirely digital. Thus, the team is able to take the data that would be used to make your instrument cluster’s needles move and instead just display that information on a screen. Of course, I’m simplifying this to the extreme, but you probably get what I’m talking about here.
ID4Motion’s clusters were incredible pieces of engineering. Yes, these clusters did nothing different than a physical cluster, but just look at the things:
ID4Motion also offered customization options, from different gauge faces and colors to special start up sequences. Supported models was pretty vast, too, with ID4Motion supplying clusters for seemingly most 2000s-era BMWs and even a cluster for the Honda S2000.
I have wanted one of these clusters for a long time, but the problem that I have always run into was that they were very expensive. An ID4Motion cluster easily set you back $1,000 or more depending on customizations. ID4Motion charged extra just to add additional skins to your cluster. $1,000 is a lot to spend on a product that doesn’t improve your vehicle in any meaningful way. It’s also a lot to spend on a car that you might not have even spent more than a few grand on, anyway.
So, I had always just left the ID4Motion tab open on my phone, thinking that one day I’d work up the courage to blow a grand just to play with a digital cluster just for the fun of it. I would later discover that Volkswagen modding communities actually have similar companies that make digital clusters for 2000s-era Volkswagens, but they have the same problem of costing mega bucks.
Sadly, the fun has come to an end, at least for ID4Motion’s fans. A few months ago, ID4Motion told fans that it’s winding down operations and there would be no more new clusters. The company allegedly pointed potential customers to eBay and other marketplaces.
Going Digital
As it turns out, Chinese companies have more or less figured out what ID4Motion and these other companies were doing, possibly copied their clusters, and are punching them out for a fraction of the original price. An ID4Motion-style cluster can be had for between $300 and $500 or so on AliExpress, and it’s the same deal for the Volkswagen digital clusters.
ID4Motion never indicated why it shuttered operations, but I cannot imagine it was easy to compete with companies selling the same product for 50 percent to 70 percent cheaper. That’s especially since the entire purpose of the product was purely cosmetic, anyway.
As much as I would have loved to support ID4Motion, that option is simply not available anymore. So, I held my nose and bought the Chinese cluster.
In my case, I bought a cluster from a shop called PrelingCar, which got its clusters from a supplier apparently called Wowuseful. Look, brand names on AliExpress are totally meaningless. The reason why I went with PrelingCar was because the seller claimed to have U.S. stock and, perhaps more importantly, the cluster had 10 reviews from real buyers who posted real pictures. That, to me, told me that I was very likely to get a real product and one that worked.
I paid $404 for my cluster (the current price is $390), and it arrived on my doorstep less than a week later. The seller did not lie; it really did ship from a U.S.-based warehouse!
What was neat was that the cluster came with a free interior trim removal kit, which wasn’t needed, and a T10 Torx driver, which was needed. Installation was crazy easy.
I just removed the two T10 screws holding the original cluster on, pulled the cluster out, and put the digital cluster in its place. It took me about an hour to install the cluster, and a solid 50 minutes of that time was just me wondering if the screen really does go super deep into the hole. The answer is yes. Honestly, it’s a 10-minute job that takes no real skill. Everything is plug-and-play. Watch this linked video or follow the guide on Pelican Parts, and you’ll be fine.
The big question was going to be about quality. China has been selling clone clusters for a few years now, and the early ones were rough. The early ones had non-functional fuel gauges, did not work with the car’s built-in HUD, did not pull odometer information, and did not correctly display rev range. Basically, if your car revved to 8,000 RPM, the cluster went no further than 6,000 RPM. Oh, and the English was full of embarrassing spelling errors.
Thankfully, these clusters are based on Linux, and some more tech-savvy enthusiasts have been able to improve the experience over the years. Likewise, the companies that make these things have also been releasing updates to the software, fixing the spelling errors and other issues. Updating the cluster is as easy as plugging a flash drive into the included data cable.
As such, my cluster doesn’t have any of the issues that people complained about in the past. My cluster shows the correct fuel level, mileage, and rev counter. Likewise, I haven’t found any spelling errors yet. Oh, and my BMW’s HUD still works!
The only problem I’ve had with the cluster thus far is that, since it seems to be based on an old ID4Motion design, the metal arms that secure it to the dashboard are also used to adjust the alignment of the cluster. I didn’t know this at first, and my cluster is ever so slightly crooked. So, I need to go in there and bend the arms slightly to straighten it out. ID4Motion’s newer design seems to have the cluster attach to its plastic surround, which results in a perfect alignment.
Otherwise, the cluster is brilliant. My photos just don’t do it justice. This thing looks stunning in person. It also has all of the core features of the ID4Motion version. There are a few colors and four different gauge faces that you can choose from. The cluster even has a massive built-in database of BMW models, so you can choose the correct picture of your car. I was able to pick out an E61 wagon, but sadly, the closest color my cluster had to my car was gray. That’s just a minor complaint.
I also do not like how the BMW M logo is in each of the skins. I don’t have an M-car, and I don’t even want to pretend for that to be the case. Apparently, the Chinese clusters do have updates out there that might give you additional skins, but I haven’t fallen into that rabbit hole yet. For now, I’ll just play with what I have.
I’m A Fan
The cluster wakes up the instant I hit the start button, the latency (in this case, the time between me hitting the gas and the tach responding) is good, and the framerate is good, too. This cluster is smoother than the digital clusters that I’ve experienced on a few brand-new Indian motorcycles, which felt like they ran at 15 frames per second. So, I’m not entirely sure how “Wowuseful” made these clusters, but they are not piles of e-waste. They’re actually pretty sweet.
I’ve also found myself in an interesting loop of thought. I dig this cluster and think it makes my BMW feel newer inside, but I wouldn’t have paid $1,000 for it. As a $300 or $400 mod? Yeah, I can stomach that. But I cannot wrap my head around paying four figures for a mod like this. Yet, at the same time, these Chinese units are potentially clones of the ID4Motion units, so is it bad to have purchased one of these? But then again, it’s not like ID4Motion exists anymore. So, I’m not sure about that part of it.
Either way, I’m happy with the cluster. It’s something different and fun, and I think it updates the interior of my car. Do I think you need to do this mod? Absolutely not. I did it just for the giggles, and have kept the original cluster in case I get bored.
However, if you’re like me and like tinkering under your dashboard, I think this could be a cool mod. It takes basically no time at all to install and adds a little flair to the instruments you will spend thousands of miles glancing at. Pair it with the aftermarket Apple CarPlay and Android Auto screens that you can get for these cars, and who needs to buy a new BMW when your old one will feel so fresh? Maybe I’ll install one of those systems in this car and report back.
I mean I think you need to put the fox body mustang skin on it lol
If you like it, great!
I would pay to NOT have that mess in my car. Somebody needs to start making making analog gauges and physical buttons for modern cars.
Mercedes out here just introducing me to new ways of blowing money on my old cars, like it’s no big thing.
I actually prefer analog gauges. What I’m always trying to find a solution for, though, is that in most cars, because of my height and long arms, when I get the wheel tilted down and the seat pushed all the way back until it’s almost comfortable, the wheel inevitably blocks my view of the speedometer. Maybe a full on cluster replacement is my solution.
I have a BMW e36, and I think gauges like this would be fun for a few weeks, but I’d eventually miss the clean analog gauges.
I’d prefer if they kept the analogue gauges but replaced the old monochrome centre screen and warning light panel with a modern LCD that supports smartphone mirroring and all the other stuff modern clusters are good for. Best of both worlds.
That is awesome!
I am on my 3rd car now with full digital display and I love them.
As far as screes go, all my cars going back to 2002 have never had any type of screen fail. I can’t say the same about my history with analogue gauges.
While I love screens, that doesn’t mean take my buttons away. BMW, for instance, does a good job of screen implementation: giving you the buttons and controls you need while also allowing touch control if you feel like it.
Mercedes, you always find the most interesting things to write about, and I learn something new with each one I read.
> I paid $404 for my cluster
And yet somehow they found it in the warehouse!
This one will fly over a lot of people’s heads.
Take my angry upvote.
That actually made my snort out loud. Congrats.
just needed to clear the cache
I’m glad you are happy with it. Also, modding cars is fun. I guess I’m old, but I vastly prefer analog gauges with needles that sweep to visually tell info even without really looking at them. Those clusters just make the car look more like a sim or video game. Which I guess is the modern appeal. I try to avoid bar graphs in my work, and also in my vehicle. Less digital connections for me please. The guy who makes gauge faces for Miatas does really nice work with fonts and artwork. I’d spend money on that.
bring back indiglo gauges!
Elder millennials who would pore over just the right WinAmp/Media Player/et.al. skin to use have suddenly re-awoken part of their brain.
I would try my darndest to make one of these look like Windows 98.
You have given me a terrible idea. 🙂 I’d go with Windows XP, with the field and all that.
That’s easy, just a simple screen of blue with white text “A fatal error has occurred”
Officer: “Sir, do you know how fast you were going?”
Me, pointing at my BSOD: “I think it’s pretty obvious I don’t.”
Reminds me of this:
“Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it’s very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.”
“Well officer I know she isn’t much to look at”
“you have no functioning gauges?”
“No not a one. But the radio still works. It’s clear as a bell”
Apparently Wowuseful kicks the llama’s ass.
I want the gauge in the pencil sketch skin!
I know Haltech recently made custom dashes easier to program for their lineup of aftermarket screens, and some of the dashes people have made are amazing.
This is pretty cool! I love modding cars. When I had my 2013 Veloster I updated the cluster to a 2016, was a straight swap (the milage is stored in the cluster so I lucked out and found one within 1k or my current mileage)
Now that I have a Niro the one thing I’m disappointed in, I found out that Canada/Euro version get a full LCD cluster with themes where the US model doesn’t. Only the EV has the configurable screen. I’ve tried in vain to find the part number for the Canada one but alas ce’la’vie!
You might want to try the later upper trim Souls for their cluster. My wife’s ’25 looks awfully close to the foreign market Niros and considering they’re platform mates – just might work..
awesome I’ll check it out!
Does “PrelingCar” mean the shop has been around before the glory that is Ling’s Cars?
Were you able to program in the existing mileage and maintenance status for the new odo – or is that some of those things you lose by making the switch?
The odometer carried over by itself! But I did lose maintenance status.
The issue with this cluster is that the UI is modeled after the later iDrive 7 cars (like my 2022 X5 45e) and doesn’t really match the theme of your E61. If they could do one that looked more like the original cluster—especially in the heritage Bimmer Orange—I’d be more of a fan.
As it stands, it’s pretty discordant with the rest of the car.
But yes, modern BMWs have been hilariously easy for third party companies to reverse-engineer and retrofit, electronics-wise. There’s all sorts of kit to make something as embarrassingly outdated as an E65 745Li function to modern standards.
Yeah, the original ID4Motion clusters were better in terms of theming. IIRC, you were even able to select a more classic theme. As I tinker with this one I might try to see if I can find an older style skin.
sorry, maybe I will sound like an old fart but one of the reasons why I love my old BMWs is for the lack of any digital screen or gauge or cluster.
I love the dial and the needle I am sorry
So……this. Maybe re-read the paragraph in Mercedes’ article beginning ‘BMW’s clusters from the 2000s are actually my favorite instrument clusters of all time.’.
I’d so drop this into my car. But I highly doubt anyone makes such a kit for a Solara lol.
There’s probably a kit to delete the CD player so you can add a second tape deck.
Haha the stereo that came in the car had a CD player and tape deck, but was promptly yanked out and and replaced with an Android Auto/Car Play had unit.
One of the best upgrades you can make to an older car that addresses the main deficiency with my car.
Word. That small change instantly and completely transformed my Mazda5 into a much nicer ride.
Sigh… give me less screens, not more. I just need maps with traffic sometimes, nothing else. My HVAC doesn’t need a screen, my music doesn’t need a screen, my speed and revs don’t need a screen.
I love my E39 physical cluster and I certainly don’t love my G30 digital cluster.
If I was in the market for yet another BMW, seeing digital cluster from China would instantly remove it from my candidates.
That assumes I would sell this car with the Chinese cluster installed, which I wouldn’t. I’m a “mods don’t increase value” person, so if I were to sell it, I’d put the original cluster back in and then sell the Chinese one on eBay. 🙂
I’m okay with screens if they serve mostly a cosmetic purpose like this does. But yeah, I would not trade buttons for a screen!
If only it were so simple. As a long time BMW owner I can tell you what the problem is: these aftermarket electronic devices often cause the cars to store permanent codes, which affect other functions or they may cause current fluctuations that kill other modules. Instrument clusters in BMWs are deeply integrated with functions such as CanBus, mileage and VIN tracking (and codes generated when mileage/VIN between various modules don’t match).
To give you an example, lots of people buy generic LCI tail lights for the G30. They look great and are easier to install than OEM ones (they don’t require rewiring or coding). These aftermarket lights don’t communicate properly with the light modules, the car keeps a log of errors generated and after a specific number, it permanently stops sending current to parts of the tail lights. Naturally you would go back to the original tail light and guess what? It doesn’t work. Those codes can’t be removed with scanners. Only dealers can and sometimes they won’t.
“Those codes can’t be removed with scanners. Only dealers can and sometimes they won’t.”
That might depend on whether you mean a cheap $10 code *reader* and not a $100+ *scanner*. The scanner I bought cost $$$ but proudly exclaimed.it pulled ALL the codes, including the hidden ones. And as far as I can tell it does whereas they are invisible to my $ code reader.
There is yet another layer of permanent codes that no commercially available scanner can clear, not even a $5000 one.
Check out this thread and specifically post #5 and #6: https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2190091
Or post #640 here: https://f90.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1804297&page=30
The kicker with all this generic stuff like what Mercedes installed is that issues are not immediate, so you only realize you messed something up after weeks/months and then it’s harder to associate with something you changed.
BRAKELIGHT are a dealer-only reset?!
That’s begging for a VERY expensive class action lawsuit.
Apparently the reasoning behind this is that errors in lights could be wiring shorts which could lead to fires. If they were easily defeated with a commercial scanner BMW would be liable for the eventual deaths resulting from those fires. As a DIYer I only partially agree but I understand the logic.
Mercedes’ own E60 has a known issues with its original headlights where the internal wiring degrades and shorts out, so it’s not like these things only happen with aftermarket stuff. The E60 disables current to specific bulbs after logging 50 errors. Resetting that counter is dealer-only or a very risky process with a laptop.
Here’s a photo of a damaged E60 headlight harness: https://www.m5board.com/attachments/20200815_201107-jpg.942250/
“Apparently the reasoning behind this is that errors in lights could be wiring shorts which could lead to fires”
If so I call bullshit and I imagine any decent class action lawyer would too. That’s what fuses are for. And I think the safety issue of driving around without a working brake or tail light is a far greater hazard than an overheating circuit. Especially if there is no warning light to let the driver know what’s up.
And you got paid to write about it, so it all evens out!
Can this fix my Matrix odometer, which will eventually stop at 299,999 miles?
Apparently the CPU knows the true mileage, but the display won’t, despite its name, display it.
I’d also like to know my oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature. Not all at once, but a quick switch to it for easy reference. I don’t care too much how it looks.
How close are you to that magical number?
I’m assuming there are quite a few Matrices out there at that mileage, so it isn’t just one persons account of this issue?
I’m at 240K. Since I WFH, my annual usage is about 4K miles. It might be a while, but if I need to get a new display, might as well get one that will feed the right info, plus whatever info I want.
There is a company that will adjust the odometer if I send it to them. I have to do the documentation work on what the odometer was reading before I will have had it fixed.
There are plenty of Corollas/Matrices over 300K. Google “Corolla odometer issue”
Hope this works well long-term. I wonder how the instrument cluster factors into the electrical architecture on the E60/61; on the E39, the instrument cluster, or IKE, is one of the terminal resistor modules on the CAN bus, so I’d be very nervous about replacing it with an aftermarket part of somewhat dubious origin. The E39 cluster also requires coding to correctly display the odometer, which it seems like this one didn’t, so I’m guessing BMW separated some of the computer functions from the physical cluster for this generation. ID4Motion’s photos seem to show an E46, though, which has a similar CAN architecture to the E39.
Anyway, having recently gone through months of troubleshooting on the CAN bus in my E39 (where the ultimate solution ended up being repeatedly unplugging and plugging back in modules until a dirty/misaligned terminal got its act together) that rendered the car undriveable, I’d think long and hard before introducing additional electrical complexity of any kind!
Also, replacing the beautiful, functional and essentially glitch-free E39 cluster with a digital one from China is nothing short of blasphemous.
For me the tab I always kept open for almost a decade was a Sync 2 to Sync 3 upgrade for my 2014 FiST which requires replacing all the hardware as the Sync 2 screen did not support multi touch. They were in the $600-750 range forever, but I finally pulled the trigger this year at $250 and no ragrets.
I remember the finance bro using scare tactics of how expensive the screens are to replace and why I should get the extended warranty. As if I would take advise from the highest paid guy at the dealership that lives off commissions.
$250 for the whole thing is impressive. Did you go the junkyard route or is someone selling a reprogrammed kit for that much?
It was a kit straight from China I bought off eBay. All in shipped with tariffs it was like $300! Appears to be “refurbed” OEM parts. I gave the VIN and they programmed before shipping.
I’m curious how you adjust it though. My cars digital clusters are controlled with steering wheel buttons, so are these touchscreens or have a companion app since there’s no OEM interface for that?
And yeah, the Chinese screens are pretty good. I put a tablet style radio in my 14 RAV4 from Ali and it came with a full birds eye view camera kit (which I have yet to wire up, too hot in summer), a dashcam, plus the screen with wireless AA/CP, it’s own GPS antenna, remote mic, SIM card holder and SD card reader. It’s even got video inputs if you wanted to hook it up to a game console or whatever. It can function completely independent of a phone. As long as you go for one of the ones with at least 8gb RAM it will be snappy and fluid. And it cost me like $350.
I had an actual tablet in the WRX for a while, once it started crapping out I bought an eBay Android radio. I wanted a physical knob, but found one with full Google play access, rear camera, multiple remote USBs for media and a GPS chip. All for $165. (this was years ago) It’s lasted a while now with zero issues. It’s crazy…
It’s controlled through the same stalk buttons that sift through the menus on the stock cluster.
How’s the daytime visibility? That’s really been a question for me because I installed a flat screen double din MP4 media player etc into a my Sportwagen, and while it’s great having ever CD I own on it, it’s also a bit crap once the sun gets near it or it’s especially bright outside. This would be an intersting mod to do, especially since I plan on keeping the car for another few years at least.
I’m going to suspect, like my GTI, that it’s set so far into the dash it’s “shaded”. Meanwhile the infotainment screen has glare issues.
I would think so? Our dashboards are probably the same since about 3/4 of my car is a golf, but I would love to find out from someone before I find out for myself.
Oh I should point out that my dashboard has a downward tilt.. First thing I noticed when I got behind the wheel, stopped seeing it about 2 days later. But that could also help with glare..
Is this fully dimmable? New instrument clusters are way too bright IMO.
Sure is!
I wonder if VW sent ID4Motion a cease and desist over their name