124 Dash Removal Turorial (sans photos)
 

Did my 4th 124 dash removal in 6months, getting it down pretty well. Easier than the 201 IMO, a little, and quite similar.

Doing this right to left, in a LHD/US car w/o passenger airbag.

Tools to the best of my memory:
4.5mm Allen Wrench
#2 Phillips
#1 Phillips
Pick, awl, or jeweler's flat screwdriver
8mm (I think) socket (nut-driver might work if they're not too tight), ratchet, and extension.
Small flat screwdriver (for light prying)
Slip-Joint Pliers
Needle-Nose Pliers (optional, step 5)

1) Remove screw-cover from RH speaker grill, small strip toward the center of dash, by prying upward along the length. Don't reach too deep to pry or you'll get under the speaker enclosure, and be careful not to damage the dash by prying. It can usually be removed with a strong set of fingernails.

2) Remove two small phillips screws from speaker grille.

3) Rotate/lift the speaker grill up and toward the A pillar, slide the clips on the A-pillar side out of the dash.

4) Remove the 8mm bolt exposed by removing the grille.

5) open the glovebox door and remove the 6 retainer buttons (top and bottom) by prying the button out ~1/8" and then pulling out with fingers or needle-nose pliers. If the clip doesn't come out with the retainer (2 pieces each) you will have to pry the clip out separately.

6) Remove two phillips screws and glovebox latch from top of the compartment.

7) Remove the glovebox light by pulling downward on the light, unplug the light.

8) Slide the glovebox liner out. You will need to pry the middle of the top downward slightly to get it to slide out.

9) Remove the RH vent from the dash: Through the glovebox, reach your left hand in. Using light pressure toward you, push the ductwork and vent toward you. While keeping this pressure, use your pick to pry the 4 retainer clips inward from inside the top and bottom of the vent. They are metal spring-clips with a hole in the middle, best to use a pick or jeweler's screwdriver to pry one at a time inward until all have released. It might be necessary to do each one more than once until the vent is out far enough to pull it free of the duct. Remove the light from the vent by pulling it directly out.

10) Reach in to the glovebox opening and un-plug the speaker wires, the plug should be wrapped in foam, green and black (Gruen und Swarz) wires.

11) Remove the two 8mm bolts at the bottom of the dash.

Now the left side.

12) Sitting in the driver's seat, pull the instrument cluster toward you. It is a friction fit, usually can be pulled out with finger pressure out to both sides, rocking from side-to-side. If you have a stubborn one, ... you might benefit from a set of M-B dash removal tools, I haven't needed them yet.

Once the cluster is out far enough to reach your left hand behind it, unscrew the retaining ring on the speedometer cable (directly behind the center of the speedometer). I have not had a problem with a 124 having too little cable for this (yet).

Unplug the wires from the cluster, should be plenty of cable. If the wire numbers are no longer on the warning lights you might want to mark them before removing them. The rest of the wires will only plug into one place, only one of each connector. Unplug all of the lights and wires.

If you are in an '87, the temp-display wires are pigtails, they unplug in the middle of the wiring under the dash, three separate plugs.

13) Remove the left speaker grille and 8mm bolt beneath using steps 1-4 as a guide.

14) Remove the left vent similar to step 9.

14.5) Reach into the opening and un-plug the speaker wires same as RH side.

15) Pull the headlamp switch knob off. Might take some rocking as you pull, some take a strong set of fingers.

16) Using the slip-joint pliars (best tool for this, honest) loosen the nut from the headlamp switch and remove it.

17) CAREFULLY pry the headlamp switch bezel toward you. It will also remove one end of the brow over the steering column. Carefully pry the mating trim from the dash on the other side of the steering column.

18) Remove 2 8mm bolts from the bottom of the dash, and one phillips screw retaining the black under-cover.

18.5) Remove 1 phillips screw on the end of the dash facing the door.

19) Remove the 4 (or 5) 8mm bolts that were exposed by removing the trim on both sides of the steering column. The lower dash panel on the driver's side should now swing down enough to be clear of the dash, it is still held by the park-brake release cable. We are leaving the bottom dash section on the driver's side in the car.

20) Rotate the headlamp switch clockwise until it can be pushed down into the dash.

You're getting close. the only place that the dash should be held now is by two bolts to the center console.

21) Remove one phillips scew on the glovebox end of the center vent assembly.

22) Using the 4.5mm allen wrench, find the allen-head bolt just right of center in the vent assembly behind the louvers, and loosen until it is free of the vent flap. The bolt is retained, should not drop into the vent. It will move toward you if you turn the thumbwheel to close the vent.

23) Using a method similar to removal of the L&R vents, remove the center vent. Once the screw is removed on the glovebox end there are only two clips, on the driver's end.

24) Remove the light from the vent. There is a hinged-door that opens to expose the light, then the light socket assembly will come out (I cut the wire on my first one, ... oops).

25) Remove the two screws above the radio, swing the zebrano panel up and remove.

26) Remove 6 screws retaining the ACC control, pull the control out of the opening and unplug the two connectors.

27) This step is difficult as it is easy to damage the center console while prying: CAREFULLY pry inward on either end of the switch retainer / switch assembly at the top of the opening so that the switch assembly can be pulled out toward you.

28) Looking/feeling up into the top of the center console you should find two bolts, one at each end, connecting the center console to the center of the dash. The nuts are on the bottom, remove them while trying to not drop them into the abyss.

The tops of the bolts are visible through the opening where the center vent was, and a clip should be holding each of them in place. Slide the clips forward (again trying to avoid dropping them into aforementioned abyss) and pull both bolts up and out.

29) Lift each end of the dash, it should be free. if not then feel free to comment on whatever I forgot.

30) Reach into the center vent opening and push upward on the dash as close to the defrost vents as you can get. The defrost vents slide down into the ducts and don't easily come out when removing the dash. Missing this step will leave the rubber seals in less than optimum condition.

The dash should now rotate up and out, plenty of clearance around the steering wheel etc. Re-installation is basically the reverse, the defrost ducts being the only tedious part IMO.

Also in installation you will need to adjust the allen-head bolt that connects the thumbwheel to the flap. I do this in the closed position with the blower on, tightening until there is no more airflow and then a touch more.

In doing this today, I felt it took around 20-30minutes to remove the dash. You know how they say "time flies when you're having fun" though, it could easily have been a hour, I didn't time it. Best of luck.

Sorry I didn't take photos, I always think of that too late.

Dash removal W124
 

Thanks for writing down the details. Take it, dash removal for a 91 W124 similar.
My 91 W124 has an airbag instead of a glove box and not sure yet if this will bring complications. Will have to change the center vents at on point.Did a dash r&r on a 86 W201 and the hardest part was to remove the speedo cable.
Not enough slack in the cable. Happy New Year.

[QUOTE=babymog;1718841]Did my 4th 124 dash removal in 6months, getting it down pretty well. Easier than the 201 IMO, a little, and quite similar.

Doing this right to left, in a LHD/US car w/o passenger airbag.

Tools to the best of my memory:
4.5mm Allen Wrench
#2 Phillips
#1 Phillips

Nice work
 

Excellent narrative, will print a copy & file. Hardly need pictures, I can see most of the details in my mind since I've done a lot of the individual operations for other reasons.

I presume the main reason for removing the dash is A/C work -- evaporator core, etc.? I'd like to replace my old cracked dash but where would I get a new one?

Jeremy

And vacuum pods.

I've pulled a couple for the dash itself, the last one (a '91) for the wood strips on the dash, the dash was badly cracked.

Wow, I have been trying to decide on if to pull the dash but was worried about the drivers side air bag! You have given me hope!
If the clips do drop into the abyss, are they easy to replace?

I've never had to. The clips are there so that the nuts will stay in place if you are re-installing the center console with the center vent in place. If the clips are not there, you would need to remove the center vent to R&R the center console just to hold the nuts for re-installation.

But, probably a ***** to get them back out. Someday I'll save a pair when I remove a dash, probably stash them somewhere that I can't find them.

Now I just wish I could tell for sure that is my problem. If I refill the system, its gone in 24 hours and there is a small puddle near the tranny under the car. At least enough is gone that it no longer cools but here is some left in the system. Every car I have ever had before my Benz, that did this, was the evaporator core.

124 Dash/console removal
 

Babymog, fantastic writeup on dash removal! Thanks! 'Gonna have to do it to my 87 300D for evap swap. 'Any good tips on removal of center console, radio, A/C controls, etc?

Wilton
91 350SDL, 87 300D

Paint or dye to change dash color?
 

I found a '91 300E (W124) at the Windsor (Northern California) Pick and Pull today. The dash was uncracked but damaged where someone had removed the cluster the hard way. I ended up passing on it but in any case it was the wrong color -- dark brown while the cracked dash in my '87 is dark blue. I did get the cluster case with its improved illumination.

Is it possible to paint or dye a dash to change its color? It would be a lot easier to find a replacement dash if I didn't have to wait for another blue one to come along. I'm not sure how well paint will adhere to vinyl.

Jeremy

I have dyed (painted) several dashes and complete front dash and overhead consoles on Wanderlodges (8'+ wide), never had a problem. Very durable stuff once applied, cures extremely fast, used SEM product. The difficult part is matching the blue if that's the color you want, I'm looking for a good '91-up dash for my blue interior, am planning to dye the upper half black so it'll have the 2-tone look of all of the other interior colors in the 124.

It is easy, inexpensive, durable, and looks as good as the original finish (much better than a dash "cap".

What is this "SEM product?"

SEM is the company name, the vinyl dye product is called Color Coat.

Click on the color-chip icon on this page: http://semproducts.com/Catalog.asp?cat=36 and the can icon to the right of the color-chip icon is the color-coat selection.

It is available by rattle-can or pints, have a good color selection, but I've not seen a perfect match for the Mercedes blue interior. It can also be mixed to match, and put in spray cans if you have a local outlet.

Thank you. I'll check with my paint place, they mix colors to match and have already done a blue-match for me when I painted an adopted first-aid kit compartment for my '85 W123 car: same shade of blue. I'll see what they can do with the SEM products.

Now I need to find an undamaged W124 dash.

I have an un-damaged dash for my 124, but I'm holding out for a '91-up dash with the wood strips.