I have 3 problems, and hitting the dashboard a few times has always worked up until now.

1. Tach sticks when I start the car, I whack it and it turns on.

2. Temp Gauge sticks, that one takes a good whacking to actually go up.

3. Light Bulb is out; one that illuminates left side of speedo and fuel level.


For questions 1 and 2, are the gauges sticking? The guy at a dealership told me the plug to the particular gauges could be loose too. I have heard about the sticking tach, but not about the plugs coming out. But I would more likely think it was sticking because it only does this when I start the car, I then whack the dash and they go up. Never do they fail or stop working once I have them going.

For guestion 3, should I change all the lightbulbs in the cluster... hitting a few birds with one stone?

'Sticky'
 

Well, whether they 'sticky' or have a bad connection at the connector, removing the IC will tell the story. Since the newer cars like yours have a ribbon cable (not separate connections), the meters are most likely 'sticky'.

If you take it out completely, it pretty simple to take the IC apart. Then you can properly diagnose the two meters.

I would then definitely replace all lamps. Mine just plug in and are housed in a plastic base. Your's have got to be similar.

On the C-class we have had many of the gauges needles sticking to their stop pin. Seams as though the pin has plastic that becomes *sticky* & then the needle sticks to it!! Removal of cluster is necessary & removal of the glass to clean the needles & stop pins with q-tip & alcohol.