Hi,

I've been fighting with a strange problem for the past week.
I have a W124 1992 300D with om603 and 722.3.
I've been using the original speedo cable that is a few centimeters too short for this combo, so it got kinked and had some low speed wobble.

Decided it's time to replace it, so installed a proper 148cm cable from low miles car, pulled the cluster and repainted the needles.

Now what's strange: The speedometer needle wouldn't budge. Even if the cable is not attached to tranny pan.
I know that my tranny tail end plastic socket for the cable is worn and aftermarket cables wobble like crazy, so I go only with genuine.

But the strangest thing is that odometer turns, so the cable must be turning. When I push the lower left or right corner of my instrument cluster, the speedo needle immediately jumps back to life.

Since this is W124, the odo is mechanical, but speedo needle is driven by rotating magnet in the speedo head. I replaced the whole speedometer, same issue. I replaced the speedo head with a low miles one, same issue.

I thought it is something electrical in the cluster, because my low washer fluid light went off and the oil pressure needle jumped up only after 10 seconds or so. I opened the cluster again, resoldered the pins, changed out the bulbs. It fixed the light, oil pressure gauge and speedo needle upon installation, but when I buttoned everything up, the speedo problem came back.

So when I start driving, odo turns, but needle doesn't. Push on cluster, both work. I stop at the lights for more than 20 seconds, the needle is dead again, I have to press it again.

Do you have any suggestions what's the problem?
Broken speedo cable?
Bad ground in cluster?
Bad harness? (I checked wires and everything is shiny and nice)

Cruise control works and everything else. Don't tell me it's the needle paint
I'm planning on borrowing a whole cluster and testing. I got the tail end socket ordered and will be getting a new cable probably.
Thanks

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