Gentlemen,

Is this a coincident?

I just got my car back from the dealer and the lights illuminating the instrument cluster no longer work. All other lights (dome, door, radio, etc) are working and I know the instrument cluster worked prior to the dealer getting the car.

I brought it into the dealer complaining that when I used the key to enter from the driver's side door the alarm would sound and could only be silenced by using the one of the other entry points. Competition Imports of Smithtown diagnosed the problem as a faulty door lock. Unfortunately they did a poor Q/A job and $332 later I still had the problem.

They were nice enough to pick-up and deliver the car the second time around however. This week the diagnostic reveled that it was not the door lock but rather the door latch. Ok, what can I say, they only charged me the difference between jobs ($43). Very fair IMHO.

Now the instrument cluster no longer lights. It could be coincidental but I just don’t know.

Also, is the instrument cluster on it’s own fuse?

Thanks
Tony

Occam's Razor
 

This may sound over-simple, but are your instrument cluster lights controlled by turning the trip meter reset button? I drove around for months in my 300D without cluster lights, assuming the cause was hidden somewhere in the bowels of the wiring. Then I read where someone mentioned (probably on this forum) adjusting the lights via the switch I refer to above. Lo and behold, that's all it was!

Yes, the first thing I thought of also is make sure the dimmer didn't somehow get turned all the way down. There are about 3 "major" fuses for the cluster, but believe the power for the cluster illumination is directed from the light switch. There's a fuse that would affect it somewhere, but you would probably be missing some exterior lighting as well as the cluster lights.....Gilly

All I can say is "Oh boy do I feel dumb!". The dealer suggested I check the dimmer as well, and that was it. I didn't even know the cluster had a dimmer. I had no idea the trip meter reset control, was also the dimmer.

Thanks,
tony