Question on Speedometer conversion

[Armond30]

Hi All,

I just purchased a new to me 2017 X5M that was originally a Canadian market car. It has been in the states since 2019, but the instrument cluster seems a bit odd and I was hoping I could do something to correct it. the analog Speedometer has MPH numbers, but all the tick-marks around the speedometer align with KPH positions, and the Cruise control info on the digital area below shows cruise speed in KPH (which i can't change in iDrive). I am able to get all the other displays in US Standard units (even on HUD). also, when I toggle speed up or down on the cruise, it moves in 1KPH increments (not 1MPH increments). This is pretty minor, but i was wondering if this can be fixed with coding or am i just stuck?

Also, has any ever seen a speedometer that was configured this way? Was this likely just modified before import to change the gauge face for the speedo and putting everything back together? Could i get a used US cluster and have it virginized and reinstalled into the car with some programming and be good? Also, would that have to be done by the dealer, or could I use tools on my own to code the cluster to the car with equipment from one of the programming / coding retailers?

This is literally day 2 of me owning a BMW, so i apologize for asking questions if they have been answered. I tried searching as much as possible before I broke down and made a post.

[Qsilver7]

Hard to say without actually seeing your instrument cluster. But there are two types…there’s the MPH cluster, then there’s the KM/H cluster (see pics of both types below). And since you mentioned that you have MPH and MILES selected in the UNIT of MEASURE screen in iDrive…I’m not sure why your instrument cluster displays km/h although the cluster says MPH. Perhaps coding can change the cruise control and digital speed display to show miles.

BTW the speedometer gauge on the M-cluster only shows MPH or KM/H (depending on which market it is sold)…whereas the regular 6WA MPH cluster shows both MPH & KM/H….but the regular 6WA KM/H cluster only shows KM/H.

[Armond30]

yeah, I think my cluster was modified for import. Looking at the two pictures, my cluster looks exactly like the one that shows Km/h on the analog gauge (silver tick marks and all), but the gauge face itself has the MPH numbers and the water temp gauge has the degrees F values. literally, if you were to just change gauge faces for the US version faces only, that's what it looks like.

I found a guy on ebay that does virginized clusters, and I am waiting to hear back on if he can get me a virgin US cluster that I can replace this one with. It's just awkward when the numbers on the analog gauge don't line up with the hash marks for me. I am hoping that this works.

[shimmy23]

GL and keep us posted. there was a recent post where someone passed on a canadian car after getting a PPI. the PPI revealed that the car wasn't properly converted to MPH by the dealer. i honestly haven't heard of a successful way to do this without it throwing codes (hidden or not). i've always steered clear of CA cars.

[NachO_X6M]

I have a Canadian X6M (MY2018) that is properly converted to MPH, no codes.

The cluster in my X6M is different than both of the ones pictured above, I'll get pics of it later today and post them back, but, my Water Temp is in C, and my Speedo is in MPH - My Heads Up, Speed Limit Signs, and Cruise Control are all in MPH. (I'll be honest, I'm pretty stoned most of the time, and I hadn't noticed the marks being MPH or KPH - so I'll be looking at that today as well)


#blamecanada

[Qsilver7]

...the suspense as to what your cluster looks like has me on edge...

I assumed that there were only 4 types of clusters:

• Basic (mph version)
  
• 6WA (km/h version)
  
• M cluster (km/h version)
  
• 6WB cluster (km/h version...but can be easily switched to mph version in iDrive) - all digital and has 3 different settings: Comfort/Sport/EcoPro
  
  

[Armond30]

Here is a pic of what I have now. Notice the tick marks are obviously from a kph cluster, but the Numbers are mph. Pretty sure that's custom. Hopefully a virginized us cluster will do the trick

[NachO_X6M]

here it is.

[Armond30]

NachO, it looks like you have the same deal as me (the gauge faces were swapped for US gauge faces only). Only difference is they swapped my temp gauge face as well it seems. As I am thinking about it, I would probably need to change the S838 code and S548 codes in the car that specifies Canada Model and KM/H cluster (I am not even sure if that is something that can be edited. I have only seen reference to it in other BMW model forums so far and it likely isn't something mainstream that a lot of people are trying to code ). If I can change that in the code, maybe as a bonus I could turn the DRLs on and off and maybe my cruise would go up in MPH increments instead of KPH increments, but I also don't want to turn my new (to me) car into a large shiny brick. I will have to do more reading.

[chris604]

just stick with km it's the future

[Qsilver7]

Wow…thanks for the updates. Hope you all can get things sorted out okay. My f06 is a Canadian import (VIN label has the maple leaf logo)…but it has the all digital 6WB cluster…so changing the unit of measure was easy since it’s already available in iDrive.

And coding will be required to have the capability to turn the DRLs off since they are a Canadian mandate to always be on.

Good luck.