Removing the housing around shifter

[Airborne001]

Does anyone know the easiest way to removed the gear selector plate to get at the bulb under there? Mine is blown.

I know it may be simple, but in a 16yo car I am very leary about breaking any plastic components.

[winfred]

take a pick and hook the front (closest to the radio) edge and pick up then scoot the whole thing toward the front of the car, this unhooks the back edge and it helps if you have taken the shifter knob off, 2.5mm allen on the auto and a good hard pull on a 5 speed

[JMI]

http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_13.htm

[Qsilver7]

WOW...I've never seen a 90 535i with a lighted gear indicator cover. How will the light shine through an opaque piece of plastic? :p BMW designed for the driver (in these early models) to look at the gear select window on the right side of the instrument cluster, in fact, it's easeir since the driver only has to cast their eye to the instrument cluster instead of all the way down to the ctr console. I think the illuminated gear indicator cover arrived in the 1993 model year.

(note red arrow and area circled in red for gear indicator location)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid58/p72d595215fd20d1c46134087eef06f8e/fc5ff08b.jpg

If your gear indicator cover has raised opaque characters, then it is NOT illuminated...but if there are small transluscent openings(dots) for light to shine thru next to the PRND321 (which are flat & not raised)...then you DO have an illuminated cover (see image below of illuminated gear indicator cover):

Illuminated gear indicator cover(has "dots" next to letters to allow light to shine thru)
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/433000-433999/433594_368.jpg

non-lighted gear indicator cover (has raised opaque letters)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid25/pbaedda3b594b6ffb598d8cf88e8393f0/fd8b7cd1.jpg

[Airborne001]

Wow, that has got to be the clearest , most concise and accurate answer I have ever seen posted anywhere. Absolutlely incredible. Thank you.

I had not had time to read the replies becuase my work is trying to kill me so they don't have to pay me any retirement later :)

Thanks for the info, you learn something every day. This is my first 5 series, so you may see more dumb questions like this one again some time soon. ;)





WOW...I've never seen a 90 535i with a lighted gear indicator cover. How will the light shine through an opaque piece of plastic? :p BMW designed for the driver (in these early models) to look at the gear select window on the right side of the instrument cluster, in fact, it's easeir since the driver only has to cast their eye to the instrument cluster instead of all the way down to the ctr console. I think the illuminated gear indicator cover arrived in the 1993 model year.

(note red arrow and area circled in red for gear indicator location)

If your gear indicator cover has raised opaque characters, then it is NOT illuminated...but if there are small transluscent openings(dots) for light to shine thru next to the PRND321 (which are flat & not raised)...then you DO have an illuminated cover (see image below of illuminated gear indicator cover):

Illuminated gear indicator cover(has "dots" next to letters to allow light to shine thru)

non-lighted gear indicator cover (has raised opaque letters)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid25/pbaedda3b594b6ffb598d8cf88e8393f0/fd8b7cd1.jpg