Venoxy 1M Style Gauge Faces + White LED Swap

[6ixSpd]

Seeing as the stock non-1M clusters are rather visually boring, I ordered a set of 1M inspired (with a backlit "135i" logo in the tachometer instead of the ///M) replacement gauge faces (not to be confused with overlays) from Venoxy.com for some OE flair and to bring a splash of life to the instrument panel. I've used these on my previous 328i and also have a set in my M3. The quality is top notch with crisp fonts and back lighting.

I also soldered in white SMD LEDs in place of the stock amber ones for the four gauges (3 each for the speedometer and tachometer, 1 each for the fuel and oil temp).

I used this thread for some guidance on disassembling the E82 cluster:
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=771058

My previous write-up when I first discovered these: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1617420

You can check out more of his really neat custom BMW gauges on IG:
https://www.instagram.com/venoxycom/

Let me know what you guys think

[Petro135]

I love it, great job. I was looking at these not too long ago

[Just Apex It]

Very nice and clean! Brings a bit more excitement to the cockpit and is much more pleasing to the eyes. I had done my cluster in a similar way but with gray 1M gauges (not overlays) thanks to ClustersandCoding (IG handle).

[CH400EM]

Those look fantastic. Very nice and crisp font like you said. Really updates the cluster.

I do a lot of driving at night, so I really like the stock amber colour, but this looks great.

[colorado.e9x]

Of course it was you who got them I saw this featured on their profile and immediately started my order

Did you just sharpie your needles red for those?

[Suprgnat]

Thanks to the OP for the vender lead. Just got a custom set on order today. He was responsive and fast with my mock-up. Great price, too.

[cjb762]

6ixSpd - those are awesome, thanks for sharing! I just ordered a set of these as well. Could you please post links to the white LEDs and red needles too?

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by colorado.e9x

Of course it was you who got them I saw this featured on their profile and immediately started my order

Did you just sharpie your needles red for those?

Yup. Trick is to use a flat tipped permanent red marker and use one continuous stroke. If you go back and forth, you will see the markings at night and it will look terrible.

Originally Posted by cjb762

6ixSpd - those are awesome, thanks for sharing! I just ordered a set of these as well. Could you please post links to the white LEDs and red needles too?

I used a red permanent marker to paint the needles red. As for the LEDs, any SMD 3 528 white LEDs off eBay or Amazon will work. I bought mine years ago and do not have a link.

[ShocknAwe]

TBH they look like they have a lot of edge bleed. Perhaps it's just the picture. Look great in the daytime shots but I could not live with that at night.

[6ixSpd]

There is no "edge bleed," and I'm even more perplexed at how you'd even arrive at that conclusion from these photos. Lol.

The font cuts are crisp and identical to OEM gauge faces. I've had multiple sets in 3 cars, and installed a few in some of my friends' cars. I wouldn't be using crappy products in such a critical aspect of my interior.

Here's better photos with the backlighting:

[colorado.e9x]

The "edge bleed" I think he is referring to is the reflection of the light on the silver rings

[ShocknAwe]

No I mistook Just Apex It users gauge faces for the venoxy gauges. A few posts up, and you'll see what I'm referring to.

The pictures posted in reply to my comment look good.

[Just Apex It]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

No I mistook Just Apex It users gauge faces for the venoxy gauges. A few posts up, and you'll see what I'm referring to.

The pictures posted in reply to my comment look good.

No issue with light bleed on mine either. If you look carefully at my first picture, you'll see it's a reflection on the silver gauge rings. Mine are just as nice and crisp.

Early morning shot of the cluster with the backlighting on.

[ShocknAwe]

Can see it there too. Not sure what you're talking about with the reflection, there shouldn't be any reflection under the needle base.

[6ixSpd]

Any reflection under the needle base is due to the needles not being pushed down 100% of the way, as forcing them further can sometimes damage the worm gear.

Moreover, any light there is only visible when taking photos as the camera has to bring down the aperture to focus the low light, thus exacerbating any other sources of light simultaneously. The same thing would happen with stock clusters if the needles weren't level enough with the faces.

It's not visible to the driver when driving at night - unless you really didn't push them down much at all.

TL;DR: installer error, not a problem with the gauges.

[Just Apex It]

Ahh, I see what you guys are saying. I had not noticed that before. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I'll have to pull the cluster out and fix that. 🙂

[dtla1]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

There is no "edge bleed," and I'm even more perplexed at how you'd even arrive at that conclusion from these photos. Lol.

The font cuts are crisp and identical to OEM gauge faces. I've had multiple sets in 3 cars, and installed a few in some of my friends' cars. I wouldn't be using crappy products in such a critical aspect of my interior.

Here's better photos with the backlighting:

Minor thing, but it looks like the cut right at 12 O'Clock is a bit offset, that would drive me crazy.

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by dtla1

Minor thing, but it looks like the cut right at 12 O'Clock is a bit offset, that would drive me crazy.

Yup. That was a printing error on the M3's tach and I've gotten a replacement. I didn't bother taking it all apart to install it. It's not noticeable unless you stick your face against the cluster

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

there shouldn't be any reflection under the needle base

Except there is. Even on stock gauges. https://www.1addicts.com/forums/atta...1&d=1560290340

This is only visible in photos, not while viewed at night from the driver's seat.

[E91WAG3N]

These look great, just read through all your threads on the various sets you’ve installed on your cars, and added you and the guy that makes them on instagram. The hard part is deciding what to put in mine!

[cjb762]

Finally got my 1M face and white LED swap done a few weeks ago. I like them a lot, but there are a few things that kind of bug me...

First, they don't look that great unless the gauges are illuminated during the day. This was super annoying at first, because I had to turn my lights on and off instead of leaving them on auto. The problem with that is I am used to not thinking about turning the lights off, so they got left on a few times. Fortunately, I had done the fog light button mod for both front and back lights, and figured out that the gauges illuminate when I hit the front fog light button. I have to hit it every time I get in the car, but there is no chance of leaving my lights on anymore.

Second, to make the gauges look good during the day, I have to turn the brightness all the way up, which means they are too bright during the night - so I have to turn the brightness up and down. I don't drive at night that often, so it's not a huge problem.

Third, although the sharpie on the needle trick worked really well, the red just doesn't look right. I don't know if it is too dark, or because it is the wrong shade red, but it looks off compared to the orange lights throughout the rest of the cluster and cabin. I think I'm going to pop the gauges back out at some point and try an orange sharpie. We'll see.

Other than that, it was an easy mod, and very worthwhile - especially because the E82 gauges don't have any adhesive holding the faces on (or at least mine didn't).

If you decide to do this, definitely download Perfekt Toolbox. Makes life WAY easier!

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by cjb762

First, they don't look that great unless the gauges are illuminated during the day.

Weird. I find my Venoxy gauge faces to be quite legible in daylight, though they're not 1M style.