Removal of Instrument Panel

Someone please tell me how to get the instrument panel out before I break something! Also, the center vents are not working. Any advice appreciated!

1986 300E

[mhingram]

you can buy the special tools $$$ but good for putting seat springs back on too. Or get a coat hanger make a vary small j or l and slide it into the dash between the cover and the cluster. Turn them so the hook (j or L ) is on the cluster case and pull. Thats it.

[J.HIDALGO]

you can do a search on the right upper portion of this page and find things like this:
W124 Instrument cluster removal
Good luck!

[Phalcon51]

The correct tool, called a "pulling hook", part #140-589-02-33-00 is only $11.20 for a pair of them. Spend the "$$$" and I'm sure you'll get your money's worth out of them. On your '86 300E (same as mine) only use the hooks to pull on the upper half of the vertical sides of the instrument cluster, where the plastic is reinforced. (I have some pictures I can post if someone can tell me how to reduce a 1.2 Mb jpeg to 66.5 Kb or less.) Also, be very sure to either unscrew the speedo cable from the trans or pull up the driver's side floormat and unclip the speedo cable from the firewall (the second method works fine for me). Gently pull some slack up through the firewall grommet. When you pull out the cluster far enough to get your hand inside, unscrew the cable. All the wire connectors can only go on one way and the wired lights on the RH back side have numbers corresponding with numbers stamped on the back of the cluster. No. 2 will be missing (at least it is on mine). Don't forget to hook the vacuum hose back up.

HTH

Gary

Thanks again, Guys!

Toby
86 300E