80s Mercedes - how common are "dancing" gauges and other 80s MB questions...
 

I was wondering about this because I have heard of "dancing" fuel gauges and oil pressure gauges on 80s Mercedes. My old 1985 380SE had a "dancing" oil pressure needle and occasionally the fuel gauge needle would "flicker".

Well, I did not realize it until today, but my 190D does NOT do this. I did not know if it was a difference between gas/diesel models or not. The fuel gauge stays smooth and steady, the oil pressure gauge moves smoothly and at low idle, engine fully warm, it sets still at 1.2 bar- no bouncing. My car was a well-maintained, well cared for car and still fairly low mileage, so that may account for some of it. I have also heard of lighting problems, but I have not been able to find no lights on my car that does not work - inside or out. Also I have heard of poor lighting issues on dash clusters of 80s Mercedes, but mine seems fine and better than those on my old 380SE.

Also, my car is a 1984, but it has a factory 3rd rear brake light. Most cars did not get this until 1986. Was it optional or standard on the 1984 Mercedes 190s? It was not listed on the factory invoice. My 1985 Mercedes 380SE did not have the 3rd brake light.

Also, my 190D has the "standing" lights for both the right and left side. I do not recall my old 380SE having it for both sides, but I may be wrong. Do the 84-85 S-Class have standing lights for both sides?

Lastly my 190D has "delay" interior lighting. When I shut either of the front doors, the front interior light stays on for about 5-10 seconds. My 1985 380SE did not have this feature. Strange a 1984 190D has it (a $23K car when new), but a 1985 380SE (a $44K car when new) does not, unless mine was on the fritz on my old 380.

Dancing gauges are hit and miss. Norm and Zippy don't, but Ol' Turbo does after a long trip. I don't think it has much to do with anything maint, but at some point the gauge changed from direct to computerized. Could be the W124 has that upgrade, but I'm not sure.

I'm pretty sure all 3 have delay interior lighting and standing lights (if you mean the amber side lights are on with the headlights.)

Whoops... The 500SL's lights don't delay.

The gauge has danced in pretty much every W123 I've ever owned at one time or another....

I have a dancing temp guage on my 300 TD, it will be normal then jump up and then fall back, my fuel guage also is erratic at the low end. I've takend the sending unit apart in the tank, and cleaned it up which solved the fuel problem. I did change the sending unit for the temp, but it didnt solve issue. Is your oil guage a mecanical one or electronic? If you look to the rear of your filter housing down low, you'll either have a black plastic hose comming off or a small wire off the sending unit. If you have a mechanical one, maybe the guage is get'n tired?

I'm at 50% - 300Td dances, 240D doesn't.

I think DieselDog once said something about running a new ground wire to help stop the wiggleing.

The dances keep me occupied at stop lights; it's like my car is happy to be driving with me!

My fuel gauge has tourettes.

Burnt out grounds ppl.

If your guages are bouncing around its the ground.

You dont think its the sending unit on the fuel Gauge?

It works fine over 1/2 then after that, it goes dead, alive, dead, alive etc. I need to get some biocide.

Its a constant problem on old boats because of corrosion, for fuel guages its usualy the ground on the sending unit. I don't know if MB sets them up the same way.

maybe not....I cleaned the gauge on the 300TD, and it still dances - especially in the last 1/2-1/4 tank range. More likely grounding at the cluster as said before.

Dance Fever
 

Coda's fuel gauge sticks to F upon startup. A smack to the dash and then it reads correctly. Same is true when cruising....and I look down and it is not reading accurately....a smack clears it right up. So, which ground wire do I need to replace? Or just run another one to every ground wire in the cluster?

My 300cd doesn't have disco gauges very often. The fuel gauge is wacky, it reads 2/3 full, and when the tank has a few gallons left the needle goes to 0 and the light comes on. I do sometimes have to smack the right dashboard light when it's not working to get it to work sometimes.