help! removing cluster on 95 w124 wagon
 

So i got the actual cluster to pull out from its home in the dash, just no far enough to reach behind and unplug stuff. It seems to me that there isn't enough room with my non-tilt non-telescoping steering wheel.

Do i need to drop the steering shaft or remove the wheel and airbag to get it out all the way?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

There is no need to remove the wheel or drop the steering column on a W124, even the ones without the adjustments.
Remove the speedo cable from a metal clip that supports it at the base of the steering column. There should then be room to get the cluster far enough to unscrew the speedo cable and unplug the electrical connectors. Put a towel on the column so you don't scratch it when you are removing the cluster.
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I tugged harder and was able to get back there to unhook the speedo cable.

I had a dead potentiometer for the dash lights. Removed it and soldered some wire across both contacts to make it full bright all the time. For now, thats better than spending $50 and achieve the same end result.

Thanks for the confidence to pull on the cluster harder!

Thanks for the help. I was able to get it out by simply tugging harder. Had to solder a jumper wire on the dash light potentiometer so the lights would work again.

Aa post above .But take a few pictures with your camera .Most parts will only go in one way , but bulb holders along the bottom can get mixed up .So when you have a problem .So do replace in the right place . Or you think your looking at the biulb for abs ,and could be alternator light .

Something I have done is number pieces of painters tape and put sequentially on the light plugs as I remove them.

The bottom row bulbs should have numbers on the wires already, corresponding to holes 1-6 from the outside of the cluster in...

They do but some holes are empty of bulbs and with the cluster so close to the dash its hard to see just were the numbers are .The potentiomiter is in some cases repairable mine was , as it had fell to bits inside .