Occassionally I don't have gear selector lights. As my car is a rhd they are of little use anyway as the indicator strip is on the wrong side and hidden by the selector lever.

I would still like to sort this out though. I understand the lighting is fed by a fibre optic tube from around the acc panel area.

I a comfortable with taking the centre console and acc panel out, just want to make sure I don't take it apart and not fix the problem.

Any tips?

Cheers
Matt.

All of that stuff comes out pretty easy. It starts with pulling the ashtray insert out of its drawer. There are two screws accessible from that point. The ashtray drawer should slide out (electrical connections invovled). The little coin cup thing pulls up. The wood panel around the gear selector slides forward and then comes up. The radio has a couple of spring clips that hold it in.

I hope I remembered everything right. It could vary a little bit from what my memory recalls. It was easy though.

The 86 W126 300SDL has a bulb for the gear selector light. You should too. Remove the center consol wood trim and on the drivers side is a bulb assembly that illuminates the shift unit. follow the wire to the socket and pull the socket out of the shift assembly. replace the bulb and clean all the grit and grim that has accumlated in the area over the years. And your good to go.

Q is right about removing the wood. Just don't force anything. You have tabs on the underside of the wood that hold it in place and you don't want to brake them. By force I mean prying or pulling hard. You will have to slide it forward and if its been a whilethe Coke that spilled down there 3 years ago acts like glue. I usually clean averything in ther with 409 cleaner, vacuum all the crud out of the center consol area and reassemble.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Is this what I would do on my 190E? My bulb is out on the gear selector light.

Thank you.