CARCLUSTER: A JUNKYARD BMW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RUNS ON YOUR DESK AND SHOWS LIVE DATA FROM A RACING GAME
An ESP32 emulates the car's own CAN bus, so a second-hand BMW or VW cluster powers up on a desk and reacts to racing games.
DisplaysAutomation
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE257 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend · GPL-3.0 · 257 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
CarCluster makes a junkyard instrument cluster behave as if it never left the car. An ESP32 devkit (around 10 EUR) and an MCP2515 CAN module (around 5 EUR) emulate the manufacturer's bus, so a second-hand cluster (the README puts it at roughly 50 EUR including shipping) powers up on a 12V supply and reacts to Forza Horizon, BeamNG.drive or anything SimHub supports. The game data covers speed, RPM, gear, turn indicators, oil temperature, fuel level, handbrake, ABS and traction control, though not every cluster shows every indicator. Twelve clusters are listed, from VW Polo 5 and Golf 7 through BMW 3 and 5 series to Mercedes C and S class, with wiring guides per platform. The repo ships the firmware, a custom breakout PCB so you only solder headers and screw terminals, and a built-in web dashboard for testing without a game. The single hardest part is finding a cluster that will actually work: the VW T-Cross is explicitly flagged as locked down, and the wiring guide for your particular model matters more than soldering skill. If you pick a fully supported cluster and follow the pinout, a weekend gets you a working racing dash with a real needle in front of you.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —Full Arduino sketch in CarCluster.ino plus per-cluster drivers and game parsers.
- —Custom breakout PCB design included (Gerbers and schematic) so you only solder headers and screw terminals.
- —Twelve clusters listed across VW, Skoda, BMW, Mini, Mercedes and Opel, with wiring guides for eight platforms.
- —The README explicitly flags VW T-Cross as unusable due to component protection.
- —GPL-3.0 licence: open source, no commercial restriction.
- —The author has a step-by-step setup video plus 4K demo videos of VW PQ, VW MQB and BMW F clusters, all linked from the README.
Parts to buy
5 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
The author's 4K demo 'Gaming with BMW F series instrument clusters', linked from the README, showing Mini Cooper F55 and BMW 5 Series F10 clusters running live. For setup, the README also links his step-by-step 'Getting started with CarCluster' video.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Pick a supported cluster from the README list(VW T-Cross is explicitly unusable due to component protection, and the Superb 2 and BMW E60 only partly work; the author recommends a Mercedes, BMW F series or older MQB cluster like the Golf 7)
- 2.Source a second-hand cluster(eBay, local scrapyards, or car forums; budget ~50 EUR including shipping)
- 3.Flash the Arduino sketch to an ESP32 devkit(Open CarCluster/CarCluster.ino, set your cluster under USER CONFIGURATION, then flash; WiFiManager handles network setup)
- 4.Wire the MCP2515 CAN module to the ESP32 and the cluster(Follow the wiring guide for your specific cluster, linked from the README (Misc/README_WIRING_*))
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying an unsupported cluster: the VW T-Cross will not work, and clusters not in the README list mean you are reverse-engineering the CAN protocol yourself.
- Misreading the pinout: a wrong CAN High or Low wire means the cluster stays dark, and some clusters have separate power pins for the backlight versus the logic.
- Assuming one wiring guide fits every cluster: the BMW E46 needs its own connections (and a logic level shifter), different from the BMW F series guide, so always follow the guide for your exact cluster.
- Not setting the correct UDP port in the game: Forza Horizon uses 1101, BeamNG.drive uses 1102, and SimHub goes over USB serial.
- Use a proper 12V supply: the README says it does not have to be powerful, but 1A or more is what you want.
- The repo is GPL-3.0, so any commercial use (selling pre-built units) requires you to open-source your modifications.
Do I need the custom PCB?
No. The PCB is a convenience so you only solder headers and screw terminals instead of hand-wiring the MCP2515. Hand-wiring works fine.
Will this work with my cluster?
Safest is one of the clusters listed in the README; the VW T-Cross is explicitly flagged as locked down. Other clusters from the same platforms will probably work, but may need code changes for your specific car model.
Can I use this while driving?
The project is designed for a desk setup with racing games, not for retrofitting into a real car. Do not run this on public roads.
What happens if I wire CAN High and Low backwards?
The cluster will not get any data and stays unresponsive. Power off, check the wiring guide for your cluster, swap CAN High and Low and try again.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Twelve clusters are documented, from VW and Skoda to BMW and Mercedes — which one would you pull from a scrapyard first?
Andrej Rolih (r00li)
Slovenian maker Andrej Rolih built CarCluster to turn scrapyard instrument clusters into working racing dashboards. The project documents twelve clusters across VW, Skoda, BMW, Mini, Mercedes and Opel, with per-platform CAN drivers and a custom breakout PCB to simplify assembly.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the README documents twelve clusters, with demo videos for the VW PQ, VW MQB and BMW F series families plus a separate step-by-step setup video. Not all twelve are equal — the Skoda Superb 2 and BMW E60 only partly work, and the VW T-Cross is flagged do-not-use because it drops into component protection mode. The README warns that newer MQB-platform clusters in general should be avoided and recommends older cars like the Golf 7, or a Mercedes or BMW F series cluster for beginners. The 50 EUR cluster price is the author's own figure; actual scrapyard prices vary by region and model. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.