Mileage Correction / Tamper Dot

[Andrew Lockwood]

My 2001 Z3 cluster has had the dreaded EEP_1 error and no functioning dials other than the speedometer for about 4 years. This evening, in desperation, I swapped the coding plug (EEPROM) for one out of another cluster and as if by magic, the original cluster now works properly with EITHER coding plug inserted.

The only problem is that the cluster now shows a tamper dot and the mileage from the other cluster (around 111k), not the true mileage for my car (around 62k). As I have put the original coding plug back in the car, it appears to have updated the mileage in that plug as well.

Is the true mileage stored in the car? Is there any way to correct the mileage an get rid of the tamper dot? I live in Chesterfield (Derbyshire, UK), but would be willing to travel to get it fixed.

Any answers / assistance would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

 

[BMBabe]

@Lee from Zedshed HQ may have some idea

 

[gookah]

from what I have seen it always retains the highest mileage, which is what BMW would want if they fitted a new cluster.
In your case this was not the desired result, Too late now but if you had put one with a lower mileage it would have retained your 60K but showed the tamper dot.
I do not know if there is any way of getting this back, as it has updated your old coding plug too.

 

[Stevo7682]

@mrscalex Robert is possibly the person to ask about this .
Think I remember reading about correcting the mileage requirement is needs the dash reset and the ews mileage reset also as it's the difference between these 2 that trips the tamper dot ( there is an allowance between the two) but unfortunately in your case car thinks 50k been added.

 

[Andrew Lockwood]

I was wondering if a new coding plug would solve the problem - assuming I could find one anywhere.

 

[mrscalex]

@mrscalex Robert is possibly the person to ask about this .
Think I remember reading about correcting the mileage requirement is needs the dash reset and the ews mileage reset also as it's the difference between these 2 that trips the tamper dot ( there is an allowance between the two) but unfortunately in your case car thinks 50k been added.

I know my way round the immobiliser/EWS pretty well and can reprogramme them but mileage correction is still on my list to learn along with DME reprogramming. I'll try the DME reprogramming next as it's the most obvious step up from the EWS. The mileage correction I suspect is going to need a lot of researching and no idea when I'd have time to do it unfortunately.

 

[Geophys]

Might be worth calling someone like this. http://www.clusterrepairsuk.co.uk/ They specialise in repairing and modifying instrument clusters. They may be able to correct it for you, though I suspect they would at least need to see the latest MOT to check the correct mileage.

 

[Andrew Lockwood]

Thanks for all the replies. In case this is helpful to anyone, I will provide an update.

I think I got overly excited yesterday when all my gauges started working again, and didn't actually do what I said. I don't think I ever put the original coding plug back in the original cluster.

I have done that today and Eureka! Everything is now working, the mileage is correct and the tamper dot has gone.

As this saga has been going on for about 4 years, during which two different cluster repair companies have told me that my cluster was beyond repair, I am getting rather hazy on the facts. But as far as I can make out, the bare bones of what has happened are:-

• I got the dreaded EEP_1 error, and my tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauges stopped working
• I put the original coding plug in a different cluster which has had the effect of "kicking" it out of update mode (I read somewhere that EEP_1 means the EEPROM is stuck in update mode)
• I put the original coding plug back in the original cluster and everything works

I hope this saves someone else 4 years of grief!

 

[Stevo7682]

Great news you must be pleased

 

[mrscalex]

Might be worth calling someone like this. http://www.clusterrepairsuk.co.uk/ They specialise in repairing and modifying instrument clusters. They may be able to correct it for you, though I suspect they would at least need to see the latest MOT to check the correct mileage.

They look like good guys from their website.

Out of curiosity I emailed them asking about mileage adjustments, if they can do it & how much. Will report back here when I get a response.

 

[Geophys]

They repaired a cluster, I believe from and Audi, for Mike Brewer on Wheeler Dealers.