In my pics, cool white is what I selected, not yellow...
But I do have 16 colors to choose from with a push of a button.

Check eBay, I saw some as low $2 + free shipping.

I wouldn't bake it in the oven, the components would be damaged. Components from 20+ years ago are NOT designed for infrared or vapor phase solder process, just hand/wave soldering.

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Cypress, now you sparked my imagination. I'm going to assume that your using a remote control to switch different lights on and off or into different color. When you changed out the octupus cable for led's, what did you use for a power source. Did you tie this into be controlled (light intensity) by the reheostat.
Are you using an IR Remote Control with possibly 3 channels for light control?

See pic on post #6, it shows I have tapped +12V from the rheostat dimmer circuit & brought out two wires externally (for easy connect/disconnet) to connect to my cable of leds & 3 channel rgb controller (shown in pic).

I use RGB high power led strip, RGB controller + wireless remote.
- 16 colors to choose
- ON/OFF
- 7 step brightness control
- 4 special functions

Here are a few sample colors & with different brightnesses....

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Ok Cypress, you don't have to twist my arm. So, when I grow up I want to mimic what you have done! lol
I suspected you used an RGB Controller & wireless controller. An example I found was Wireless 44-key IR remote control for RGB Led strip.

http://cgi.ebay.com/D-wireless-44-key-IR-Remote-control-RGB-LED-strip-/150594641594?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231023deba

If this is similar to what you used I'll get one and play around with it. Please bare with me for I'm knew to this technology, so if I ask a stupid question, well you'll understand........lol. The CCU and console switch lighting, from the pic's seems to work independantly in color change from the dash light. I suspect that your using RGB dash leds are on one channel and the CCU/console on another. In respect to the IR Remote, are you using a common Anode or Cathode?
Now the purpose of this thread originally was to gain understanding of what I could have screwed up to cause a puff of smoke to come from the back of the dash-cluster and has skewed into the area of, "Dash Cluster light modernization". This would be a good mod to make to an almost 30 year old car. Although I can't totally focus on this other than currently getting the dash lights working again for other issues are more pressing such as quarter-panel rust that won't stop, sheet metal to form and weld in and to get the sun-roof water to drain correctly and to exit the car rather than rust out the fender. So, I guess I have to put this into prospective, this will be a cool mod but I can't let it stop me from fixing the immediate issues for satety before getting into a new direction and feature modification.

I had my since new, threat it like it's my 2nd wife (that's what my wife says ) & it's 26yrs old with collector plates now.

I thought maybe you just wanted to add the 5-led bulbs & octopus cable for leds only. But if you are interested in modernizing, I'll find the threads I did for these mods from BW & post them here, have a lot of info in them you'll find useful.

When I did mine, the 44 key version wasn't available, it'll work.
Just make sure you buy the controller with the led strip from the same guy (not separately). If you go for "common anode" controller, make sure you get common anode RGB led strips, vise versa with common cathode, won't work if mixed. I think I bought common anode.

This is all the modernization I did to the car, otherwise completely stock...collector status requirement.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w201-190-class/1467935-instrument-cluster-lighting-upgrade.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w201-190-class/1521019-will-interesting.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/1564298-front-dome-courtesy-light.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w201-190-class/1493634-wtb-center-upper-console.html

Cypress, what I meant by moderinization was, you've improved the lighting on your car (anything would be an improvement over the stock dim dash) with the latest technology (cool) and yes I'm interested in replacing the octupus and console lighting also.
I have a tendency at times to get distracted from what I know I have to get done, to what sounds like fun and go in that direction. Guess it's human nature. I liked your statement about the second wife! We do have a tendency to baby things.
I bought this car as a backup to my truck, which until recently hadn't needed any work on it for 14 years (since new). My wifes car is a 99 Dodge so I bought this as a backup so we can get to work. Lately I've rebuilt tractors and boats, but I hadn't turned a wrench on a car for 25 years so this is fun stuff to do again.

In studying your supplied links, I noticed that the dash lights are installed into the front of the light-prism tunnels. Cool design. The 240D prism's are the width of the back of the light tunnel where the factory bulb would be installed and extend to infront of the gauges. I'm guessing that their only 1 1/2 inches wide if that much. The light prisim on the 124 and probably the 190E flare out towards the front which provides much more surface area over the gauges.
Just thinking off the top of my head, I could I make the 190E/124 light deflectors work in a 123 ? It would take a little work trimming out with a dremmel tool but if the light tunnel in front of the guages could be widend, this mod wouldn't be that hard. All Id have to get is a 193 dash panel.

I was going to have a couple of weeks to myself & be able to work on the car. Install euro headlights, rear sunshade & some preventative work.
But no more, my wife cancelled her trip to Japan, Hong Kong, China & Singapore with her side of the family...I don't think I need to tell you the reason why.

The led strip have self adhesive backing, so you can either:
1) stick led strip on the top side (inside) of the cluster.
2) use dremel & cut slot(s) of top of the cluster, stick led strip on thin plastic strip & insert in the slot opening(s) from the outside.

Presume you mean 190. Where are you located? I have a few and at least one is not otherwise useable due to broken clear panel.

Bob338, Thanks. Yes, I meant a 190. I'm located in Baltimore Maryland. How much ?


Cypress,
Bummer Dude! Every man needs a mistress, even if it’s only a MB. It helps maintain a person’s sanity. Look at it this way, they’re always happy to see you, they don’t whine, complain, a constant source of headaches, change their mind at the last minute, always having things for you to do around the house and they always perform! Yes, time away from a spouse is priceless. Remember it’s the small things in life that make a difference.
Ok, on to better things. I noticed in one of you’re pics a ring around the ignition switch. At first, I thought this to be a 190 factory feature. Reading other posts, I found this was a custom mod. Cool and quite a good idea. I’ve looked for this ring both on ebay and google search, but the nothing close to what you used. Probably looking in the wrong place, but is this an MB part ?

Too bad we're cross country. If you could pick it up I'd give it to you. $2 (for fuel) plus shipping. I'm in the country and I have to drive in to a UPS store to pack and ship, I don't have a box.

I'd guess shipping and packing would be around $15 but I don't know. If I ripped out the prisms I probably have a small box to put those in or do a priority mail Flat Rate at USPS, but I still have to drive into town, about 15 miles. USPS just misses on their Flat Rate shoe box for the whole thing. This thing is 15"X5.5"X5.5" and weighs about a pound, certainly less than 2#. That should be less than $10. You have to figure if it's worth it to you.

If you want it, you figure shipping on your end, add $2 and it's yours. I could try to cut the prisms out with a band saw and it would be about half price for shipping I'd guess.

You might be better off to hit a pick and pull. Around here the gauges are usually gone and these things are left behind so I don't know what they'd charge you, but it wouldn't be too much without the guts.

Bob338. Consider it Sold. Don't cut it up! The whole cluster will be fine, plus you never know when I might go do something crazy and buy a 190. I like the body style. The closest true Pick-N-pull is about 3.5 hours away in Richmond VA. Time is my worst enemy for there is not enought of it to get the things done you want to. Yes I could go to Potomac German Auto in Fredrick. Threy're about 1 1/2 hours and I know they have a whole row of 126's. Not sure about the west coast, but Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia junk yards don't let people walk around and pull parts off cars anymore. Usually you have to tell them at the counter what you want and they go get it. I assume this is because of to many lawsuits for this place is a meca for lawyers.

What is your zip code and I'll track down the shipping costs. Again Thankyou. Let's change this to a more private conversation. My email address is gregjsteele@gmail.com

The ignition trim ring is factory, but just not lighted/lit. As you saw in my 3rd link, I custom modded this ignition ring.

So the 240D don't have this ignition ring?

Back to your light guide prism. Yeah, it's pretty cool and the fiber optics & zebra connector for the temp led display. I was pretty impressed that MB already use these technologies back 26yrs ago.

In my install, I am not using the prism to evenly spread the light. Just something to stick led strip on to & at an angle like a spot light on a picture mounted on a wall. Most important the led strip is "hidden", can not be seen from the front of the instrument cluster.

Before I forget, don't forget to paint the gauge needles before you install everything back.

Nope no trim ring! I've replace the key tumbler for it was very stiff turning the key upon purchase of the car. A former PO had been into this for there currently is a small gap between the dash board and the ignition key. I will take pic's a post when I get home. There is a ring around the tumber which unscrews from the steering locking mechanism and is about 1 1/2 inches. To replace the tumbler this had to be removed for its also part of the locking mechanism.

As for the fiber optic being used by MB in the 80's. Even my boss was impressed with this one. We both work in the computer/ network administrion/communication industry. Heck coax I think 50 ohm impediance where was the thing then and twisted pair was starting to imerge.
I didn't suspect you where using the prisims for I noticed that your led where attached to the back of what I'll call the lighting back-splash. Don't have any better term to describe it at the moment. The ones on the 190 I'd guess are about 3 to 4 inches long. On my 240D, there about an inch long as can be seen in Post 18 #28. In that pic, you will see red outlines around the parimeter of the back-splash. I was testing a reflective film similar to the used on the sides of trucks. I modified one tunnel and left the other stock to see what the affect would be.
Thanks for mentioning about the needle paint. In that same pic is a compare and contrast between painted / non-painted needles.

I'll get some pic's tonight.

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Cypress, it appears there are two trim rings available. One is a flat washer type trim piece which is made for the car, the other one is similar to yours, but $$$$ from MB. Hypothically, I could use a rubber crank-shaft seal that would friction fit over the ignition ring. The seal has a inner-groove similar to your trim-ring. Obviously, I'd remove the stainless seal spring.