w124 Cluster gone haywire!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ps2cho · #1 09-23-2009, 08:19 PM

So I put my instrument cluster in and the left side does not work. No oil pressure, no gas, no temp. Nothing. I thought what the heck? So I swapped that entire side with the other one I have. Same deal. The right side works FINE. All lights work. It lies on just the left side of cluster.

When I hit the indicators, the wrong lights come on.

I think the problem lies in that round plug...I had it 1/2 plugged in (not pushed in all the way) and it started smoking!! Was this because I had it 1/2 way in or could this be the problem?

Anyways, I pulled the cover off it, and it kinda "snapped" off and now I've lost its position

I have 20 odd wires with no clue which order they are supposed to go in

Anybody here have a clue how to find out what order these are supposed to be in??

Here's the video of it going haywire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joJVT7pTDF0

Help!

ps2cho · #2 09-24-2009, 12:53 AM

Ok....I think I found the connector after a long time looking through the electrical diagram. I know some of you guys are better at understanding these so take a look at this:

I believe it is called the "x3" connector. 15 pole sounds right. But I am having some trouble understanding it. Do the ----- dashes mean all those are associated with x3? (I dont mean around the grey box, the ones that surround it at some points) It "looks" like it, but I am not sure. Next, I see some numbers 1, 5, 12, 4, 9, 11, 10.....Are those the pin #'s? On the connector there are numbers 1-15 to place the correct connector into.

Any help?
Much appreciated

Oracle12345 · #3 09-24-2009, 09:37 AM

check your ground connections first

Bill Adkins · #4 09-24-2009, 10:10 AM

If you had smoke you may have let the devil out in your cluster. Smoke is like the grim reaper. There are a few wiring diagrams on the web including the one you have shown. Using that type Dia count and color code each wire very carefully before installing anything and don't pkug another cluster in to try it as it may also be damaged. Do you have access to the entire electrical manual for that chassis?
Bill

E150GT · #5 09-24-2009, 11:06 AM

I smoked the instrument cluster in my 420sel a bunch of times. I took the cluster out to replace some bulbs and when I put it back in I got smoking and gauges going crazy. David S Poole told me to ground the cluster with alligator clips or similar and that cleared up the craziness of the cluster. AS for the smoking I think it did some permanent damage to the car. While my gauges and blinkers and headlights worked properly , all the idiot lights quit working on the right side of the steering wheel except for the SRS. The oil level light came on all the time and would go out whenever it wanted. I tried swapping clusters and it still had the same problem. As for the huge plug in the back, I also broke the little plastic tab, but I could still tell where the pins were supposed to go. I still got em wrong occasionally and smoked up my IC.

ps2cho · #6 09-24-2009, 12:06 PM

I think I have figured out the 15pin order from it, but I will take your advice on the ground. I got nothing to lose right?

big dog 2 · #7 09-24-2009, 04:06 PM

E150GT

How did you ground the cluster? Where did you place the clips or similiar wires to ground it?

dhjenkins · #8 09-24-2009, 04:49 PM

Yeah, once you let the smoke out it's almost impossible to get back in.

pawoSD · #9 09-24-2009, 04:59 PM

Yep. The smoke is the magic that makes it work, when it comes out it travels through space never to return!

E150GT · #10 09-24-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big dog 2

E150GT

How did you ground the cluster? Where did you place the clips or similiar wires to ground it?

I bought little double ended alligator clips from radioshack and clipped one end on the metal screws coming from the back of each gauge. Then I clipped the other ends to some grounds which reside right behind the cluster.