I did some reading on the fixes talked about and I approached it a bit different.

I don't know what year of cars this will work for, but I performed it on a 83 300D.

After you have the speedometer in your hand, you will notice there are 2 gears that are on the same shaft as rings of odometer numbers, to the right when viewed as if it were in the cluster. There is one gear that is on the outside of the metal housing and one gear that is on the inside of the metal housing. The inside gear almost touches the number rings and is the source of the problem. It should be locked to the shaft, but spins freely.

On the opposite end of the gears on the same shaft, there is a brass retaining ring. This ring is held in place by friction.

You will need some type of hand tool that will mar the shaft. I used a diagonal cutter.

1. Remove brass retaining ring.
2. Pull shaft by the outside gear, just enough to get so that your hand tool can reach the shaft.
3. Score the shaft at the location that the gear normally rests. Do this by making little "bites" all the way around.
4. Push shaft back into its normal position and press the gear onto the newly scored shaft area.
5. Push on brass retaining ring.
6. Re-assemble and install cluster.

Don

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1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it