Thank you for the photos, they were a great help, particularly with the important items labeled. I knew what I was looking for back there. It can take some courage to keep pulling on that panel but it will come out. I did not have to unhook any cables but was able to get to the bulb sockets with a bit of finger cramping. I made my hooks from a dry cleaners coat hanger, I would suggest over bending the hook at the end beyond ninety degrees so that it gets a good grip on the edge of the panel. This was done on the 300TE Roy

'82 SL 130M miles
'83 240D 250M miles
'93 300TE-4Matic 260M miles
All great cars and still going strong

Thanks Chris!!! That was an awsome presentation!!!!

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

WOW''''''''

Great post. Your photos and details make this look like a job most of us can now do.


Thanks

MR.LUCKY

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1997 E420 White

Thanks for your comment about bulb wattage. I checked my dealer and he specifies that he only uses the correct German bulbs with the proper wattage, other "look alike" bulbs may have higher wattage and cause problems. I compared the brightness of a new bulb with the remaining old one and the amount of illumination is the same. I guess I could go and pull one out and check the resistance of an old and a new one as a comparison. I notice one of the threads mentioned using a Sylvania 194 bulb. If I get a chance I'll check one of those for specified wattage and will post any results.
The old bulbs had to be original since I had never changed one in this '93 car before.
Roy

'82 SL
'83 240D
'93 300TE 4Matic

We had some earlier comments about wattage on bulbs for the dial lights. Someone said they used a Sylvania 194 bulb as a replacement. Someone else said that 5 watt bulbs would melt the prism. So today I had occasion to check the wattage on the Sylvania 194 bulbs and they are 3.78 watts, which is 25% less than the 5 watt bulbs that apparently cause trouble. I had already installed the replacement bulbs from my supplier and I did not want to pull the panel out again so I don't really know what I was furnished except that they look like the original, in brightness, and they also look like the lights in the other two MB cars. So I assume I'm OK. I'd go for the Sylvania bulbs if correct wattage German ones are not readily available. Roy

'82SL
'83 240D
'93 300TE 4Matic

The actual correct bulb is Sylvania 2821, also known as W3W. They look identical to the 194 bulbs.

This is a great how to! Thanks I have something moving about back there, I suspect its my aftermarket alarm CPU and was a little hesistant to open her up. Thanks for the pics!

Many thanks for all the work you put into the descritions and photos. Just completed speedometer cable lubrication and two bulb replacements. There should be an easier way to get the panel out. It took some very hard pulling to get it to come out. Hint: I pulled on the driver's side and it just pulled out. My cruise control is STILL jerky. So, apparently that wasn't the problem. Looks like amplifier time. I'll check it out next week. Thanks again for information.

Why not just reach in from behind the cluster from undeneath using your hands? No tools where needed on my C-class to push the instruments out

One note about the led wedge base bulbs. they don;t illuminate properly. The standard bulb illuminates all around th ebulb, and the led's typically only illuminate out fromt he top half of the bulb, thus leaving the cluster dim.

Believe me, I have tried many different bulbs, and the ones I liked the best for color, were the xenon charged ones, but I took them out at one time to use them in my city lights in my euros.

I am working on making up some custom led's for the cluster lgihting, I am not sure how I am going to do it just yet, probably some drilling and placing them in from the top, or I am going to make up some custom ones usingthe factory bulb bases for the cluster lighting with several led's.

Either way, great write up. I have had my cluser out so many times, I can just pull one side and wiggle it out the rest of the way.

Alon

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon - Sold
2006 E350 Wagon - 368 - Dead
2015 GL350 Bluetec - 197U

I have been working on replacing the illumination for the ACC controls and the shift on the console - This requires removing teh cover plate for teh ACC controls in order to expose teh light harness (spider) which is behind the ACC controls. No problems here - just finding suitable bulbs - they should be Osram Silvania 2721 - Dealer gave me wrong ones and car parts places don't have them around here.

Decided to remove cluster and replace bulbs there too. There are actually three of teh 3W bulbs - two at to at one in lower RH corner looking at cluster from it's back side. Thes eshould not be a problem - plastic reflectors are still nice and clean and I just need three new bulbs - Osram Sylvani 2821,s.

While I have cluster out, I want to replace the 8 small bulbs - these seem to be 2721,s (1.2watt). 6 of these are mounted in plastic sockets that protrude out the back of the cluster. The bulbs don't just pull out - the wire connectors on the bulb bases are hooked around metal pieces inside the black plastic sockets. Presumably these are supplied as a unit? Has anyone replaced these? Where do I get them? I suppose MB dealer will have them, but do these have a different part number?

I took the rheostat apart _ it was completely clean - Should have left it because it is a little difficult to get it back together tight (have to bend the tabs a bit.)

Hopefully get all this back together once I get proper bulbs.

The photos were a great help. Thanks!

Graham
1985 300D

What a great desciption on removal of the cluster. I have just removed my 190E 1991: W201. I managed to pull the cluster out very carefully using needle nose plier and a soft cloth so as not to mark the cluster. On my car the speedo cable came through the firewall so didn't haver to lift floor mats, however gave the cable a good pull from the engine compartment to release it from its retaining clips on route from the tranny to cluster, this gave me a few more inches to work with as you'll find you need it.I did not remove my steering wheel but would next time as it is awfully tight. When removing the big black plug that houses all the wires (15 of them) DO NOT REMOVE the metal clip that connects them to the 15 pin receptacle that plugs into the back of the cluster. Use a small flat screw driver to ease the circular plug out. I made the mistake of taking the metal retaing clip off and all the wires came out..I now have to find the wiring diagram and replace them all ...what a nightmare.! Once the wiring harness was removed I was able to get my hand onto the brass speedo cable and turn it anti clockwise to release it( oh yes, I tightened it first and had to use long needle nose to loosen it. I haven't replaced it yet but may have to release speedo cable at the tranny to get it back on. I'm going to go to the expense of replacing all bulbs because this a job i'm in no rush to do again. Does anyone know how to remove speedo cable at tranny?. By the way ..my E320 2000 cluster removal was a piece of cake compared to this. Ok..now I have completed the job. I did not disconnect the speedo cable at the tranny but in conversation with Mercedes they suggest disconnecting at the tranny as you put a lot of stress on the cable if you pull too hard and are at risk of damaging the cable or clock-spring (I think the clock spring returns the speedo needle to zero when you de-accellerate) on the cluster. if you damage the clock spring you'll notice the needle will be jumpy or vibrate. Mine does at very low speeds but otherwise is ok. I replaced the two cluster illumination bulbs from Mercedes and they are 3 watt. I also replace the turn signal indicator lamps ($5 each).

The correct instrument illumination lamps for the W140 S500 is a Philips 12v 2w (France) bulb, not a 3w bulb as many suggest. See photos.

BOBB

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'98 S500 W140.051 119.980

I know Circuit City, cashing on the FaF craze, now carries Eurolite, or at least my local store does. Has anyone used LEDs on a Benz? Are there any reputable suppliers?

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1984 380SL-driving and service privileges.

I pulled the cluster on my 87 300e & I seem to have disconnected a long vacuum hose & I can't see or figure out where it goes. Anyone know? Thanks.