540i LCD pixels are disappearing

[swimerfl]

I have a 97 and the pixels on the info screen below the gauges are starting to disappear. I read somewhere else in this forum you have gotten the dealers to replace it for free but how? When I asked 2 different dealers they told me it is $500 for a new cluster and $100 for labor! What a rip. I can hardly read the odometer BMW should have to replace something like that you would think.

[imnprsd]

If your car uses a a gear selector switch under the center console, then it's probably time to clean it. This tells the LCD on the dash what to display.

[Antiburn]

You obiviously need a new instumnent cluster. The way the other people got it for free is that their car is still under 4yr/50k mile warranty. If your car is out of warranty you can eather take it to a import specilist shop and hope that they can do it right, or pay the money at the dealer. The specilist shop might not have the computer equiptment to reporgram the milage info into your cluster so the next buyer wont know the exact milage, and I believe thats agaisnt the law since your tampering with the milage trying to get a better price for the car.

[swimerfl]

what is a gear selector switch? how do i know if i have one? and if i do how do i clean it?

[imnprsd]

Cleaning the transmission gear selector switch is easy. I described how to do it in a previous thread. Do a search to find it. BTW, it's located under your shifter lever... under the T-bar (P/R/N/D/2/1). However, it's best to be sure your car has one of these. My 525 is a 1992 and I think they did away with this part in later models. I just know this is how I fixed the missig pixels in my car. Maybe it will work for you too. Otherwise, you can buy a used instrument cluster off EBay and swap the LCD glass you need for about $70 or less.