I've read a bunch of the posts about this task on a W123. I've got the cluster loose but am having a lot of trouble pulling it out far enough to disconnect things. How hard can I pull on this thing brfore screwing up stuff in the back. I dropped the underdash panel but can't find a way to get my hand up to the cluster, all I can do is barely touch it. I did find I have an oil line to undo and suspect the speedo cable is what's holding up progress, but I'm not sure. Any tips for accomplishing this task without destroying the cluster??
Thanks much.

On my 78 240D, the cluster will come out a good ways before I have to disconect anything. I can easily reach up under the dash and get to both sides of it to push it outward. The first thing I have to disconnect is the main harness. After disconnecting that, the cluster will slide out enough where I can easily get to everything else including the oil line and speedo cable.

Thanks. A shot of Jack Daniels, a little chest beating, and a 10 year old's little tiny hands to reach up there did it. Sucker's sitting on my kitchen table now. What a PIA for a burnt out bulb !

Just recently pulled mine over dash lights not working. Found that the dimmer was shot. Soldered a heavy wire across the back terminals until I can get another one so that I can have some dash lights in the meantime.

Hi Phantoms,
To tell you the truth, you probably should just leave it like that. I did replace my adjusting thing for the lights and any setting other than full on is pretty useless. The things cost like 30 or 40 bucks too I think. What I did with this cluster was take it completely apart and washed the plastic parts in the sink. Lots of dust and crap inside. Hard to dry throughly though. I had a can of air for cleaning keyboards and computer guts which helped. The indicators, seat belts, GPs etc are still a little damp. With new bulbs and a new adjuster the lights look about the same as before which was just one step better than off. :-)

I've got to pull my cluster (85 300D) to address my slipping odo gear, and want to change my main cluster bulbs (not the idiot lights) while I've got the patient opened up. How many bulbs are there? Are these only available at the dealer? Any number/type designation?

I also want to repaint the dial indicators. Any special paint? Any recommendations? Thinking of using flouescent (sp??) orange??
Thanks

Hi,

Bulbs, three big ones brown cap, 6 small, black caps, 2 small for the gp and seatbelt indicator. I can't recommend painting the guages or indicators. l would wash the whole plastic thing throughly inside and out once the cluster is disassembled. I sprayed my guage faces with some electrical contact cleaner from a distance of about 8 inches or so. That and a little rubbing alcohol on a qtip worked pretty well. The big bulbs are available from here, the little bulbs (black cap) I've not been able to find. Performance Products might have them. Take the guage cluster apart carefully, lay out the screws so you know where everything came from. Another tip, one I didn't do because I needed the car right away, is to paint the inside of the housing where the two main bulbs go with BRITE white paint. This will be obvious once the guage is apart. If you dimmer control switch is acting up at all either replae it or jump it with a piece of wire.

Don't bother with the dealer, you can get the proper bulbs for less, from Kragen, Autozone, Napa, etc. Look for Sylvania 2821 (W3W). There are two bulbs used for the cluster illumination.

300Dguy,

A word of warning about messing around with the odometer. The 100k dial in my 450 slc was slipping around. I took it apart and found that the little trip cog, the one that causes the next wheel to turn was broken. I flipped it over so that it would hold the 100k dial in place. I don't plan of driving it to 200k.

The trip cogs are held in place by a rod that connects all of them together. When you slide this rod out (one end is flattened but you can crimp it in and rotate it enough to get it loose) all hell will break loose. These cogs hold the number dials in place. I didn't do it but I think the best way to hold them in place with the cogs loose is to put a wad of plumber's putty across the top of the dials before you take the cogs loose. I say this because when mine came loose it took me about one hour to get them back in place. You need about four hands to hold them in place but there is hardly room for one.

The dials must go back exactly lined up or the trip cog won't work correctly. If you are not good with very small parts it might pay to take it to a speedo shop. The speedo comes out of the cluster and the mechanical drive unit off the back of the face very easily. The speedo drive magnetic coupling then comes off the odometer unit with a couple of small (hell, everything inside is small) screws. One of those jeweler's magnifying head bands helped me.

Good luck.

The limitation on removing the instrument panel is the speedometer cable. At the rear of the engine is a holder for the routing of the speedometer cable. Release this attachment point and the cable will slide further towards the rear. This allows the instrument cluster to move further out to allow you to unscrew the speedometer cable. then pull the cluster out more and unbolt the oil line.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car