Help with 1988 300 SE
 

I have a 1988 300 Se and i have a few questions i hope you guys can help me with. First off does anyone know where i can get clear turn signals and different taillights for it?? If not, what other cars have compatible parts??Does anyomne know the body # for it?? any help is appreciated

Another question
 

I want to replace all of those amber bulbs in the car with blue xenon style ones. Can anyone tell me how to disassemble the dash (where the guages are) and center console where the shifter is?:confused:

300SE,

I believe your chassis is known as W126, and I think if you do a search of the site for clear blinkers you will find what you are looking for, at both ends of the car.

There should be plenty of instructions for dash disassembly as well if you try a search. I was a little unclear on the amber lights you want to change to blue xenon types and their connection to the dash. What is in the dash you want to get to?

Hope with a little more information you can find what you are looking for on the site. Jim

You'll need to buy the cluster removal tools, or make your own (try a search, how to build the tool has been covered), or you could pull the lower panel and reach up in the dash and push the cluster out. I would advise against using the blue, they might look neat, but you lose your night vision with blue.

Dash
 

I need to know how to get into the guage cluster because a bulb is burnt out in there and i want to replace all of them with blue ones. Anyone know how to get into the guage cluster to rplace those bulbs, also i need to know how to change the bulb that lights up the P R D N letters by the shifter.

ok, i got the cluster out, but i cant figure out where the heck the lights are. Does anyone know what kind of bulbs they are and where the heck they are in the cluster?how do i get to them? also anyone know how to get the wood panel off that is by the ac controls??

people have said that using a higher wattage bulb inside the cluster will melt the plastic casing around it(not pretty). There are two possible locations for your light for your shifter, eaither behind the acc unit or actually inside the console surrounding the gear selector. I'm not sure which one it is, when someone comes back with what location yours is at i can provide dirrections on how to get in there. Just be sure that if you replace the bubls you get the same wattage bulbs
R

The bulb for the backlighting of the shift gate is located at the left front corner of the shift gate, kind of underneath the lip of the assembly.

i got the bulb for the shifter out, now i want to get to the ones that light up the speedometer and tach etc. I got the whole guage cluster out but i cant find where the bulbs are at. anyone know what kind of bulbs they are?? also mike, where do you get those badges for high mileage from??

there are two lights for the tach and speedo. They are the larger, brownish orage turn knobs on the back of the cluster. You twist them and they will pull out. I forget what kind of bulb they are, but you should be able to compare at an auto place once you have one out
Ryan

thanks a lot ryan. I was going insane today trying to figure it out. i still dont understand why the buzzer beeps everytime i hit the brake....lol do you know how to get the wood panel off that has all of the ac controls in it??

yes, anything in the dash i can pretty much tell you how to remove, as i have replaced the entire dashboard on my 83 300SD(older, but still a W126 chassis). Here is something i wrote up before, let me know if anything is unclear and please DONT FORCE ANYTHING!!!! you will regret it later i promise!(dont ask me how i know...lol)

To remove center console wood:

First remove the ashtray, once that is lifted up there will be 2 screws that hold the entire assembly in place. Remove those screws, and slide out assembly (Will take some effort). Disconnect light and lighter power wires. Once that is out of the way, you can lift up on the storage bin, once you have it lifted up pull it forward (towards front of car) and out. Next slide the piece of wood forward the surrounds the shifter, this will take a little bit of effort. Once you have slid that forward you can lift up on it safely, disconnect all wires and lift out.

To remove the wood around pushbutton unit (acc unit).

First you must remove the radio. On the underside of the wood, right above where the ashtray assembly was, there are two screws, the screws turn in towards the roof of the car, and help hold the wood in. Remove those screws. Once those are removed, you should be able to gently pull down the wood, and it should slide out.

You will have to remove the entire ashtray assembly to remove the wood surrounding the acc unit, that is covered in the first paragraph. Hope this helps
Ryan

quick edit: the two screws to remove the wood surrounding the acc unit will be right above where the RADIO was. I can't help with removing the factory radio, as mine was an aftermarkety cd player and it just pulled right out, hopefully someone else can help there
Ryan

if your still stuck on something shoot me an email and i can send you a picture of the console apart, kind of describing visually where the differant screws/clamps are
Ryan

hey thanks a lot. looks like i know what ill be doing tomorrow...are the bulbs that light up the stuff in the acc panel the same as the guage lights??