Mercedes C280

[kylekruchok]

So, I have a Mercedes C280, 1996, it's truly an amazing car. However! There is one problem with it... one major problem anyway. It appears whenever the car is cold, or hasn't been started in a while, all the gauges work perfectly. Though, when you turn the car off and then turn it back on, the gauges die. Well, they don't even come on. None of them, tach, speed, temp, fuel, etc...
It's a given that it's an electrical problem, but where might I find this problem? My friend said something about all that stuff being next to the muffler. (I think otherwise). So, I guess I'm just asking why this might be happening, and where would the best place to look be?