Looks like I need to unscrew the speedo cable in the back of the instrument cluster in order to remove it far enough to repair the broken odometer wheel. I have read about going under the dash and removing the corrugated air line that goes to the driver's side vent…this look a little problematic, but if it come down to it I will give it a try. 2 questions:
1. Can you reach down through the speaker box in the left front and disconnect the cable?
2. If you can, after removing the speaker cover, how do you remove/get the speaker out of the way to gain access?

I’m just finding my way around the car and this forum, and it my be I’ve overlooked a post that has this info already. (or posted in the wrong place) My apologies if that’s the case.

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Kevin
Vehicles:
86 190D
93 Jeep Cherokee
2000 S10
2002 Jetta TDI
2007 Grand Prix
2007 Mazda6

Remove the left vent and you should be able to get to it through the vent opening. Pull the vent with a hooked wire, one side at a time, then the vent opening, careful to NOT break it around the switch opening when it hooks the cluster, should be easy access from there.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

It has a speedometer cable?

My '84 W126 has no cable, as it has an electronic speedo. I'm not familiar with the 190D so I can't tell you for sure. I just wondered since it is a later year model.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Yes, the 124 and 201 run cable speedos. I don't know why, but they do.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Here's a pic behind the cluster:

[IMG][/IMG]

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Kevin
Vehicles:
86 190D
93 Jeep Cherokee
2000 S10
2002 Jetta TDI
2007 Grand Prix
2007 Mazda6

Thanks for the advice. Removing the side vent helped, especially on reattaching the cable. It was still necessary to get underneath though to remove the ductwork going to the vent to get to the cable.

The fix was pretty easy though. The gear was off-set to the left between a quarter and eighth of an inch. I simply pushed it back into place and it seemed to almost snap back into the proper position.

The pic shows it re-aligned in the proper position.

[IMG][/IMG]

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Kevin
Vehicles:
86 190D
93 Jeep Cherokee
2000 S10
2002 Jetta TDI
2007 Grand Prix
2007 Mazda6

My 88 190D had exactly the same issue on the odometer gear alignment. Only problem I'm having is that I can't get the cable keyed in to the back of the speedometer now - got the collar threaded, and have circled the block a couple of times but can't get any speedometer register.

Any tips on getting the cable keyed into the speedo?

Thanks
Rich

Not sure I can help, I was able to reach in and reconnect the the cable to the collar, and although it was not real tight, it felt like it was completely threaded back in. It is a flat key and dose have to be somewhat aligned to go all the way in.

__________________
Kevin
Vehicles:
86 190D
93 Jeep Cherokee
2000 S10
2002 Jetta TDI
2007 Grand Prix
2007 Mazda6

Well, I'm getting pretty good at pulling the instrument panel. I'm afraid I have the dreaded "stretched" speedo cable.

Both ends of the cable are square keys - when I turn the key on the tranny end, the key on the instrument end turns. the sleave separated from the collar on the tranny end but seems to press back into place. Similarly, it looks like the translucent white plastic sleave originally fed into the threaded collar on the speedo end. I pressed the ends together the best I could.

I attached at the speedo and pressed the instrument panel back into the dash, pressing some of the slack through the firewall as I went. Then went below and reconnected the tranny.

No speedo, no odo. I'm afraid I'm going to have to buy a new cable assembly. Wait...maybe duct tape or super glue is a solution?