Hi all, just joined, but have been lurking for a month. You guys are terrific! --I've already had several success with repairs due to the help I've found here. I've searched on "temperature gauge" and not found a similar problem. IF I missed it, I apologize for this new thread.

All my gauges and cluster lights work fine ('89 535i E34), but I was driving and my temp gauge needle, in a "split second" flopped ALL the way to the right to the 5:00 position. NOT as if it was positioned there on purpose---it appeared to have just "fallen off" the spindle--much as if the hands on a clock lost their friction on the spindle and just flopped over. It remains there, cold or hot, running or not, key on or not. So, I conclude it must just be the needle that lost friction contact with the spindle. The car is running fine, and has been for 6 weeks since I bought it. The engine temp appears definitely to not be the problem, only the gauge itself.

Now, I've seen several comments elsewhere that the temp and fuel gauges are NOT replaceable by mere mortals. And I certainly don't want to pop for an instrument cluster ($800 best I have seen). But NOW, I find that a store on eBay is selling this specific gauge (original BMW part numbers match), so I'm thinking that the gauge **IS** replaceable, if I get the cluster open. Is there anyone here who can definitively say whether or not, it is worth my time to order the gauge ($15-used, but guaranteed to work ---his store is: bmspartshop / Blue Octane BMW) and to pull the cluster (a 6-beer job if I ever saw one).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, comments or directions, and also sincere thanks to everyone who is in this community and is so very helpful. Cheers! -Morse