1986 300E odometer "access" question
 

Hello all,
My first post here.I've searched the archives about repairing the famous ododmeter issue that is common among these cars and understand how to approach the repair,.....but,I removed all the lower screws,hood release accuator,and find nothing else that is holding on the lower panel,yet it won't budge and I don't want to break it.Am I approching this properly,or are there more fasteners that I need to remove so that I may get to the back of the speedo and proceed with odometer issue? Thanks for any and all suggestions.It's my daughter's future "grandmother-in-law's"car and I'm just trying to help her out.92K on the car.

You will need to pull off the light switch knob and then the flat black molding there and at the ignition switch to uncover the top screws.

You have to pull the instrument cluster. It comes out as a unit and then you can remove components from there. You don't need to remove a single screw to pull the cluster. You need the factory or homemade little hooks you insert in the gap on each side of cluster and pull really really hard. First make sure it has some slack in the speedo cable which runs into it from by your feet. You will have to undo the speedo cable by feel once you get the cluster off enough to reach behind it. There are a ton of wires and a vacuum hose going to the cluster but you can get the speedo/odo out just by pulling cluster and undoing the speedo cable.

Thanks very much! ;)