If it was not for bad luck I would have no luck at all!

Today I replaced my speedometer since the original odometer stopped working. Every thing was working fine and I was ready to slide the cluster back fully into the dash. The moment the cluster was fully back into the dash the oil gauge stopped working. All the lights and gauges in the cluster still worked with the exception of the oil pressure gauge. Getting the cluster back out was a nightmare. In the process of removing the cluster I managed to crack my dash!

I checked out all the wiring and connections and could not find anything obvious to account for the problem with the gauge. If I push the cluster partially back into the dash everything works. If I wiggle the cluster on the right side, the oil gauge will go on and off. If the cluster is pushed all the way in the gauge will stop working. It acts like there is a short in a wire. Anyone have an idea what might be wrong? Does the cluster itself have to make contact with the dash to be grounded?

For the moment I am leaving the cluster slightly out of the dash so that everything works. I want to find the problem so that the cluster can be pushed fully into the dash.

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• 2001 E320

Is your oil pressure gage electronic? If it is I would check for either a loose nut on the back of the gage or some broken wires where the wire/terminal connect to the back of your inst. panel.

It is electronic. I did not see anything out of place.

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• 2001 E320

I have seen the solder connections on the big electrical plug fail on the printed circuit board cluster assembly. If the solder connections are bad, stress on the plug causes intermittant operation of all sorts of things. You have to remove and disassemble the cluster to gain access to the solder side of the printed circuit board and then resolder the connections. These bad connections are not easy to spot in some cases.

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I got too many cars!! Insurance eats me alive. Dave

78 Corvette Stingray - 3k
82 242 Turbo Volvo - Manual - 270k
86 300e 5 speed manual - 210k
87 420sel - 240k
89 560sl - 78k
91 420sel - 205k
91 560sel - 85k
94 GMC Suburban - 90k
97 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail - 25k
00 GMC Silverado 1 ton 30k

The problem with my oil gauge apparently was in the unit itself. I replaced that portion of the cluster containing the gauge and everything now works. The cluster is now back fully in the dash where it belongs.

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• 2001 E320

Glad you got your problem solved.