I have an 83 300D that I recently replaced the instrument cluster, climate control, and a few switches like window, sound control, etc. Prior to replacing all of these the lights on the dash worked, the climate control, window buttons, etc. were all illuminated at night. Now when I turn the lights on at night, my interior is dark excluding the shift selector, turn signals, and the emergency brake. Dash is dark, center console from floor to dash is dark. I checked the Haynes manual and the owners manual for the fuse assignments.

Does anyone know if this is a fuse issue or something else? How about where I can find fuse assignments?

Thanks for any assistance.

The rheostat its probably N/G. What most folks do is solder a small "jumper" wire across the back so its up all the way . Or you can buy a new one. You'll have to pull the cluster again to get at it but most likely thats your problem.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Steve,
Thanks for the tip. Where is/what is the rheostat? I am guessing it is somewhere on the instrument cluster, but where exactly? Also, is the rheostat responsible for all the illumination on window buttons, climate control, and instrument cluster?

Thanks,
Tim

AFAIK, the rheostat dims all interior lights. It lives in the cluster -- if you push its button, it zeros the trip meter. If you turn it, it dims the interior lights. Sometimes just twisting it back and forth a few times cleans the contacts and restores it to operation.

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

The rheostat is attached to the knob on the left. Make sure it is turned all the way up. Sometimes they get turned down. If that doesn't work turn it back and forth a few times, sometimes they get a little corroded and this will make them work again. If that doesn't work you'll either have to replace the rheostat or jumper it. It is on the back of the gauge with the oil pressure fuel level and coolant temp. It is a ceramic white thing in the bottom corner. To jumper it you just solder a wire across the two solder joints just above the rheostat. This bypasses the rheostat and make the lights the brightest they can be and you can't adjust it anymore.

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Be careful and shield your eyes if you turn it up all the way.....NOT

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Bingo!. .exactly what I was thinking (the little knob gets knocked easily)

right on the money about cleaning them through working them, I had the same problem on this nissan I owned. Rheostats rarely go bad from my experience, however the contacts are copper and are prone to oxidization.

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". . .back before accountants designed cars"

-Current Stable-
'78 MB 450SL-C 107.024.12.020783 #3840 <Kayleen>
'85 FORD F250 6.9L Diesel <Allison>
'98 Lexus ES300 <Rachel>
Long Gone...
'74 Chevy G10...........................'99 GMC Yukon 4X4
'83 Chevy Suburban 6.2 diesel .....'99 SAAB 9-5
'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS............. '01 Chevy Tahoe
'98 Nissan Altima .......................'02 MB ML320
'88 Chevy Suburban V2500 4X4 6.2 diesel

Well they do go bad. Inside there is a small metal winding and every time you push the button to reset the trip it puts stress on the alittle metal windings. Over time the metal winding breaks and stops the flow of electricity. A easy fix for that is to solder a jumper wire to the 2 metal spades on the back bypassing the reostat giving the lights full power.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Thanks to each of you for the education. I attempted the rotation cleaning, no dice and it is sounding pretty cruddy. I'll be pulling the cluster then.