Ok, this is certainly not a critical functional OR cosmetic item, but it bugs me that this glitch just popped up a few days ago.

My 108 gear indicator (auto on column) ceased moving to the left beyond neutral. In the drive gears and neutral it is OK but it hangs up in neutral so when in reverse or park, it stays at "N." Ran a few searches here and with the little info discovered, went out to try to pull the gauges to poke around. BUT, I cannot even get my hand up behind there to see if that vile knob is holding by gauges in place! Must I drop/pull the handbrake assembly?

Anybody dealt with this? When I garage the car for winter (soon) I like to get all the niggly things ship-shape for the next spring, summer, and fall daily driving.

TIA

Before you pull the instrument cluster out completely, reach up under the dash, with tranny in park, and give the indicator cable a couple of gentle tugs. It might have just gotten jammed on something.

I can't offer advice regarding the knob holding in the cluster, but aside from that, the speedo cable must be detached to get it far enough out of the dash to enable one to work on the back side.

Tension on the indicator cable is provided by a small wound spring, not unlike a clock mainspring, inside the indicator assembly. If it is not broken, you may be able to add a little tension by disassembling and re-winding it. It might take a couple of tries to get it just right, which is about one turn less than too many. These are pretty delicate little parts, best worked on at the kitchen table, under good light. If you have to replace the cable, do not lose the little brass bits on the cluster end.

I had to have the odometer rebuilt on my 250C and I figured I'd fix this while I was at it. It has worked well on a daily driver for a couple of months now. The cable needed to be replaced. The original is very limp .4mm braided metal wire. Nothing like it is readily available, but a .020 round-wound guitar string is close enough, and not too stiff.

thanx lefty

I have a W108 ( 250S). I can just squeeze my hand up behind the dash to get at the nut. On mine, some knuckle-head (I'm trying to be nice) had put a US thread nut on the metric stud. (Must have lost the original nut.) The little nut wouldn't spin off by hand - had to use a wrench. The moral of the story is that I can get up in there without taking the brake handle off.

You did the heater controls cables didn't you? This is much easier!
Dennis

The braided cable frays and then starts to hang up on the pulley inside of the unit. I'd try a fishing leader as a source for replacement wire.
As you know the 108 dash is evil. Band-Aids and or child labor is required to work in there...

__________________
Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

thanx colonol, dennis, and crusher. will putz around with this some day this winter when i need a break from trying to sort out my vacuum locks (which I disconnected and plugged on day one of ownership).

BTW crusher, the many niggly little parts you provided have been most appreciated. still have the major items in dry storage awaiting the day my originals break. then i shall, ever so smugly, simply pull out the awaiting replacement and be on my merry way. (as if it really works this way )