I'm in the midst of attempting to replace the combination switch and cruise control switch on my '86 300E. I followed the directions from members here to safely remove the airbag and steering wheel; that all went without a hitch.
I removed the black plastic panel on the top side of the driver's footwell, and was able to unplug the combination switch. However, for the life of me, I cannot find where the cruise control switch plugs in! Can anyone help?
Also, I can't figure out how to pull the large combination switch connector up through the steering column housing... the gaps apper to be too small... is there a trick to this? BTW - the steering column is adjusted all the way back towards the driver.. is this the problem?
Many Thanks,
Mika

Anyone???
I really need to get this old clunker out of my garage... please help if you can!
Thanks,
Mika

You'll need to remove the main underdash (colored) panel in order to unplug those!

1. Pull off the headlight knob, unscrew the large flat nut underneath, and remove the black trimpiece. Remove the 8mm nuts underneath.

2. Remove the black trimpiece surrounding the ignition switch. Remove the 8mm nuts underneath.

3. In the driver's footwell area, there are a few more 8mm nuts that need to be removed before the panel can be dropped down. It will still be held in somewhat by the parking brake release and hood release, but you can disengage the cables by removing the screws underneath the handles.

Thanks very much! That's what I was afriad of...
How, exactly, do you remove the black trim pieces around the headlight knob and ignition switch?
Thanks,
Mika

The black trimpieces just pry off... start at the area around the keyhole/headlight knob opening and pry them out and away from the steering column carefully.

Great, thanks a lot.
So, did I understand correctly that the headlight knob just pulls off?
Just yank?
Thanks,
Mika