OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post in this forum for topics relating to the interior.

Moderators: GRNSHRK, ron, bfons

Post Reply
User avatar
Bostn635csi
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:40 pm
Location: Boston

OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Bostn635csi »

Hello, can the OBC just be pushed out from behind? If you remove the top portion inside the glove compartment, you can reach behind with your hand. I could feel the OBC with my hand and tried pushing out but no movement. Are their clips, screws holding it in place? If not I will have it done when the body shops takes out my instrument cluster for repairs to the gears. AGH!!!!!!!!
Kevin
1988 BMW 635csi, 5-speed
Lachsilber
madridcab
Posts: 132
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:48 pm
Location: Spain

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by madridcab »

From memory, is held by a couple of nuts at the back..
User avatar
sharkfan
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 2235
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Guildford, U.K.

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by sharkfan »

A small screw in each corner; you have to take out the centre console I believe.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
User avatar
Bostn635csi
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:40 pm
Location: Boston

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Bostn635csi »

I figured there was something holding it in place. Thanks.

Lucky for me, the car is at the body shop having some hit and run damage to the drivers side front bumper cover repaired. He is also taking out the instrument cluster to send to Bavarian Restoration for a full refurbish so might as well take out the OBC and install new LED light bar. Also attaching the rear spoiler and badging to the trunk.
Kevin
1988 BMW 635csi, 5-speed
Lachsilber
User avatar
Brucey
6 Series Guru
6 Series Guru
Posts: 10077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 7:17 am
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Brucey »

if you are installing a new light bar you don't always need to remove the OBC completely (*); IIRC one of the corner screws obstructs it.

(*) -on RHD cars. On LHD cars the OBC has to come out.

With care you can undo the screws without dismantling the entire centre console (IIRC the screws need a #1 pozi to work them...?) but in reality it is so fiddly it might be quicker to take the centre console apart. It is certainly more straightforward.

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
baders
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 1084
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:38 am
Location: Perth Australia

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by baders »

If you are handy with a soldering iron and can order the correct LEDs and resistors from an electronics store, no need to pay the likes of Garagistic US$40.00 for an LED light bar. Just do it yourself for about $5.00 ! My OBC still running OK on the bulbs, but this is what I plan to do come the time.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2205147/1 ... -5-series/
1986 635csi LOCUTUS / Arktis Blau Metallic / Pearl Beige / S38B36/ Close ratio dogleg 5sp
2002 E46 M3 / Topaz Blau Metallic / Black Nappa / 6 speed SMG software tuned / Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers / CMP RACP reinforcement
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

I have an odd issue with my OBC and wondering if anyone has a solution. From my particular seating position the readout is so washout out that it is barely readable. If I move my head to the left or down to view it from a different angle it become very clear. I have replaced the light with the LED upgrade and this didn't change anything. I am thinking this may have been the way it was from new..but wondering if that is the case?
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
User avatar
Brucey
6 Series Guru
6 Series Guru
Posts: 10077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 7:17 am
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Brucey »

photo?

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
baders
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 1084
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:38 am
Location: Perth Australia

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by baders »

panthercity wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:34 pm I have an odd issue with my OBC and wondering if anyone has a solution. From my particular seating position the readout is so washout out that it is barely readable. If I move my head to the left or down to view it from a different angle it become very clear. I have replaced the light with the LED upgrade and this didn't change anything. I am thinking this may have been the way it was from new..but wondering if that is the case?
Which LED upgrade did you install ? The OBC LEDs must be of the wide angle kind.
1986 635csi LOCUTUS / Arktis Blau Metallic / Pearl Beige / S38B36/ Close ratio dogleg 5sp
2002 E46 M3 / Topaz Blau Metallic / Black Nappa / 6 speed SMG software tuned / Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers / CMP RACP reinforcement
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

I bought the LED upgrade from garagistic.com
https://store.garagistic.com/bmw-perfor ... conversion
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

Here is a picture. The image at the right is what I see from my seat position. The image at left is from an angle slightly lower and to the left of my seating position.

I think I had the same issue before the LED upgrade so perhaps it is just my unfortunate seating placement and angle.

Image
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
baders
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 1084
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:38 am
Location: Perth Australia

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by baders »

It might be the photo, but that doesn't look right to me.
1986 635csi LOCUTUS / Arktis Blau Metallic / Pearl Beige / S38B36/ Close ratio dogleg 5sp
2002 E46 M3 / Topaz Blau Metallic / Black Nappa / 6 speed SMG software tuned / Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers / CMP RACP reinforcement
User avatar
Jono B good
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:33 pm
Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Jono B good »

I agree when I'm seated in mine the black is a carbon flat black, and the LED lit part is a pale orange, there is no bleed through. The black portion has a toxic liquid in it I forget now what it's actual constituents are but it is a liquid in between two thin glass frames if memory serves correctly. Maybe the LED's are way too powerful and producing a bleed through effect, that's my guess. The OEM backlights were just really small incandescent bulbs as those found in the dash for the automatic selector display.
Image
~Cirrusblau-Metallic~
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

Hi Jono,
Thanks for the feedback. I may try to find a way to dim the existing led or replace it with a dimmer one.
-Tony
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
User avatar
hornhospital
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 2929
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 6:46 pm
Location: Silverhill, AL
Contact:

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by hornhospital »

LED light is polarized. It shines brighter in one plane than another, although it may appear to shine equally in all directions to the naked eye. The liquid crystal in the display is polarized, also. That's why the illumination appears stronger/better at certain angles. Incandescent bulb light such as that from the OEM bulbs is not polarized, so the display illumination is even regardess of angle. LED bulbs are great for a lot of applications. The OBC display isn't one of them.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

Thanks for the info! That makes sense.
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
User avatar
Brucey
6 Series Guru
6 Series Guru
Posts: 10077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 7:17 am
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Brucey »

hornhospital wrote: Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:46 pm LED light is polarized. It shines brighter in one plane than another, although it may appear to shine equally in all directions to the naked eye.
I'm not sure this is correct; if it were then

a) this wouldn't have been news

https://www.laserfocusworld.com/article ... d-led.html and

b) there would be no need for a polarising layer on the back of an LCD display; the light could/would already be polarised as it goes in if an LED backlight is used.

Not sure quite what is going on with the display in the photos. However I note that

a) an external layer is coming off my display and
b) the liquid part of the display is leaking out or has failed in some interesting way on my OBC display, and where this has happened the display is no longer dark like it should be.

Eventually I expect the latter problem to afflict the entire display. A defunct set of bulbs could have masked all kinds of other deterioration in the display.

Since for years you have been able to buy replacement used OBCs fairly cheaply, there didn't seem that much point in trying to repair them. However they are now getting thinner on the ground, and the LCD display fails often, so if the correct replacement display could be sourced, this would be interesting for OBC rebuilds

cheers
Last edited by Brucey on Thu Dec 20, 2018 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
Jono B good
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:33 pm
Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by Jono B good »

Just an off note questing here, has anyone the notification of "hiez" on that LCD display Liquid Crystal Display FYI it is a LCD display if I'm not mistaken.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-crystal_display
Image
~Cirrusblau-Metallic~
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

LEDs tend to be more directional than incandescent (e.g. 180 deg light pattern) which is not the same as polarization. I think the issue with my OBC is related to screen bleed/backlight bleed which is a degradation of the LCD screen itself.

I just so happen to have the OBC out of Dean Cains' '85 as a spare and will give that a shot to see if it is any better.
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
User avatar
panthercity
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:52 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by panthercity »

Just found this on ebay from Germany. 13 button OBC LCD screen replacement kit. Looks promising.

https://www.ebay.com/p/LCD-Repair-Displ ... 537&chn=ps
'85 635CSi Euro
Image
grb2001
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:18 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by grb2001 »

Having upgraded to higher wattage globes about 10 years ago, I recently found that Jaycar stock 12V white LED replacements with a T5 wedge base. These are a direct replacement for our wedge backlights on the dash. They come with built-in resistor and diode which is nice, and they have very wide viewing angle because of a built-in diffuser.
The two wires are easily folded out to allow soldering to the OBC lightbar although, because they are 12V, they need to be installed in parallel not in series like the originals.
The result is spectacular - I can now see the time in daylight! And they respond to the dimmer switch, although I suspect they're not designed for this as they flicker if turned too low, but I have mine on high anyway. Total cost: $2.80 for the two globes! They also stock red LEDs but the diffused white is perfect.
Geoff
1989 635CSi, 2006 740i, 1988 325i Racecar.
RTHLSS1
Posts: 78
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:26 pm
Location: Slovenia

Re: OBC Removal to Install New LED Light Bar

Post by RTHLSS1 »

Guy my led display is broken - pixel damage.
I have my dash out so is perfect time to replace it.
Does anyone have any experience with:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Display-For-BM ... 635-2958-0
1968 e10 2002
https://bit.ly/3hLf3M8
1972 E9 3.0 CSI
https://bit.ly/3hSy0ga
1985 E24 635 CSI
1988 E30 318is
1989 E30 M3
https://bit.ly/3ms7WLm
1990 E30 325i Mtech
1994 E36 M3
1995 E31 840i
2004 e46 M3
2011 335iS
1991 SL500
IG: @pod_rzaj
Post Reply