SI Shift Light Arduino
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:26 pm
You can buy kits to change the E30 service indicator (SI) into shift lights but I like doing stuff myself so I've used an Arduino to make my own shift lights. This project wasn't particularly difficult, I would definitely recommend this as a good project if you have some spare time and want to get some experience with Arduinos. It requires disassembly of the gauge cluster and a bit of soldering. Before I installed one I wasn't sure that a shift light would be that useful but its actually a really good feature.
I forgot to take any photos but there are lots of guides for gauge cluster disassembly, once it is apart you just need to remove the board with SI lights on, install your own LEDs and run wires out of the cluster to the Arduino.
I'm using an arduino nano every. RPM signal is the black wire on the blue plug on the back of the gauge cluster. I have an 6 cylinder engine with 6500rpm redline but the code will work with other engines at different rpms with some easy changes.
My coding skills aren't great but it does work. Code is on git hub:
https://github.com/robbyenglish/BMW-E30 ... hift-light
Example of what it will look like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1CM7TlqcXc
I forgot to take any photos but there are lots of guides for gauge cluster disassembly, once it is apart you just need to remove the board with SI lights on, install your own LEDs and run wires out of the cluster to the Arduino.
I'm using an arduino nano every. RPM signal is the black wire on the blue plug on the back of the gauge cluster. I have an 6 cylinder engine with 6500rpm redline but the code will work with other engines at different rpms with some easy changes.
My coding skills aren't great but it does work. Code is on git hub:
https://github.com/robbyenglish/BMW-E30 ... hift-light
Example of what it will look like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1CM7TlqcXc