Full Monte
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My '87 300D has a non-working trip odometer. The clock stopped working too, right when I was looking at it! I've never dug into a mercedes instrument panel. Any pointers? Thanks!
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Trip odometer & clock not working
- Thread starter Full Monte
- Start date
monte-
do not attempt to open up the MBZ instrument cluster by yourself. what you see on the face comes from all electric inputs. The shop I used to work for has quite a few of them that the owner has repaired. Give them a call durring the week, 243-3700, ask to speak to "Terry Reiling" tell them I sent you over there.
do not attempt to open up the MBZ instrument cluster by yourself. what you see on the face comes from all electric inputs. The shop I used to work for has quite a few of them that the owner has repaired. Give them a call durring the week, 243-3700, ask to speak to "Terry Reiling" tell them I sent you over there.
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Full Monte
Full Access Member
Towcat,
Thanks. Will do. My wife is driving the car, and she would like those items to work. I just convinced her to give up her Saturn and want to keep her happy about that decision.
Thanks. Will do. My wife is driving the car, and she would like those items to work. I just convinced her to give up her Saturn and want to keep her happy about that decision.
monte-
just make sure she doesn't fill-up with the wrong nozzle. I've towed many diesel benz's to the shop for a drain and refil due to "new" drivers filling up with the wrong stuff accidentally. BTW, once she gets used to the car, you're doomed. She'll won't drive anything else. Except for a Jag.....for some unknown reason, Jag seats and interiors are a near ******** experience for women....
just make sure she doesn't fill-up with the wrong nozzle. I've towed many diesel benz's to the shop for a drain and refil due to "new" drivers filling up with the wrong stuff accidentally. BTW, once she gets used to the car, you're doomed. She'll won't drive anything else. Except for a Jag.....for some unknown reason, Jag seats and interiors are a near ******** experience for women....
Full Monte
Full Access Member
towcat said:
Yeah...that's why I fill it up for her initially. I think she will remember
She's going through withdrawl on not having automatic lights and a remote key fob door locker, but so far, no major complaints.Full Monte
Full Access Member
The Warden said:
Warden,
That's EXACTLY what I was looking for! You da MAN!
One of these days, I'm going to tear into that...have to wait until I can get the Benz away from my wife for awhile. I'll update you with a "skinned knuckle" report. Thanks!
monte-
just got off the phone with Terry. Your car does have a speedo cable. Warden's linky does work for yours. Good luck getting the car away from the wife.
just got off the phone with Terry. Your car does have a speedo cable. Warden's linky does work for yours. Good luck getting the car away from the wife.
Just wondering, did later 124's have an electronic speedo, or did M-B wait until the W210 to get rid of the mechanical speedo on the E-class? Considering that, IIRC, even first-flight W126's have an electronic speedo, I'm surprised...
...and I guess I trained my g/f quite well. She's a bit of an airhead but has, amazingly enough, never pumped gasoline into any of my vehicles. I, OTOH, have come perilously close to grabbing the #2 pump to fill up my mom's Honda on occasion 
(fortunately, I only have to drive that POS on rare occasions). Monte, if your wife really winds up going nuts without the remote, IIRC some people have found a way to retrofit a remote-locking system into a 126 even with the vacuum locks...I'm sure it could be done for a 124 as well
...and I guess I trained my g/f quite well.
She's a bit of an airhead but has, amazingly enough, never pumped gasoline into any of my vehicles. I, OTOH, have come perilously close to grabbing the #2 pump to fill up my mom's Honda on occasion (fortunately, I only have to drive that POS on rare occasions). Monte, if your wife really winds up going nuts without the remote, IIRC some people have found a way to retrofit a remote-locking system into a 126 even with the vacuum locks...I'm sure it could be done for a 124 as well Full Monte
Full Access Member
That will be the true sign of me having too little to do....I can just see me trying to retrofit a remote control to an '87 Mercedes. PLEASE don't mention this to my wife!
What remote locks?
My lips are sealed... (they don't have an X smiley, do they?)
My lips are sealed... (they don't have an X smiley, do they?)
Full Monte
Full Access Member
Yesterday I started the removal of the instrument panel on the '87 300D. Notice I said "started". I'm starting to remember why I got rid of that old fintail MBZ I had....mercedes engineers use screws to secure screws! Apparently, my model has a more aggressive attachment system that resists the "coat-hanger" special tool described in the Warden's linked articles. (Warden...I'm still grateful for the articles...they are pretty good). Today I'll try it again. So far, I've removed the hush panel below the dash and the plastic cover panel above the pedals. The instrument panel seems like it wants to come out. I can get each side to move, but not at the same time.
I'm going to try removing the speedo cable at the transmission and see if this allows the cluster to move outwards. I'm not used to working this slow and trying to think like a German engineer!
I'm going to try removing the speedo cable at the transmission and see if this allows the cluster to move outwards. I'm not used to working this slow and trying to think like a German engineer!
I think I forgot to mention that, at least on my car, I didn't even find the coat hangers necessary...I just pushed on the cluster from behind. But, it sounds like the 124's cluster may be held in differently somehow...I'm not quite sure how it was done, though. BUT, I think you're on the right track with the speedo cable...I know that my cluster didn't want to move very far until the speedo cabe was removed from the cluster. I can't remember if I was able to get the cable removed from behind or if I was able to pull the cluster out enough to get to it without going behind the dash.
Just some random ramblings good luck!!
Just some random ramblings
good luck!!Full Monte
Full Access Member
I got the cluster removed, but it wasn't easy. 
Finally, I went over to a local independent Mercedes dealer and asked a German mechanic for help.
I showed him the "clothes hanger" special tool and the instructions from the manual. He said I need the two special tools in the manual, that the coat hanger would never work, and that it was often very difficult to remove the cluster. The parts dept. gave me a phone number to the local $nap-On tool guy, who could get the tools. I called him and he said $35 for the set. I said "No thanks", remembering my no-income budget. Next, I went to Home Depot and found a $1.97 package of three peg-hooks. I bent the ends of two of them at 90 degrees and used them to pop out the cluster. It was HARD to pull it out, and it came with a loud pop!
What a relief after working on it for over a day. Last night I replaced the clock's two electrolytic capacitors from the article you referenced. Now I'm trying to get the needle off the front of the speedo without breaking something. 
If I can do that, I'll work on the trip odometer using the other article you referenced. I never woulda tried it if you hadn't sent me the links to those articles. Thanks!
Finally, I went over to a local independent Mercedes dealer and asked a German mechanic for help.I showed him the "clothes hanger" special tool and the instructions from the manual. He said I need the two special tools in the manual, that the coat hanger would never work, and that it was often very difficult to remove the cluster. The parts dept. gave me a phone number to the local $nap-On tool guy, who could get the tools. I called him and he said $35 for the set. I said "No thanks", remembering my no-income budget. Next, I went to Home Depot and found a $1.97 package of three peg-hooks. I bent the ends of two of them at 90 degrees and used them to pop out the cluster. It was HARD to pull it out, and it came with a loud pop!
What a relief after working on it for over a day. Last night I replaced the clock's two electrolytic capacitors from the article you referenced. Now I'm trying to get the needle off the front of the speedo without breaking something. If I can do that, I'll work on the trip odometer using the other article you referenced. I never woulda tried it if you hadn't sent me the links to those articles. Thanks!
I have to wonder, though...is the 124 cluster really THAT different from the 123 cluster, or was this a case of "If I tell him he can't do it this way, maybe he'll bring the car in to me instead of buying the correct tool"?Full Monte said:
Very cool otherwise! Just wondering, have you applied 12 volts to the clock to see if it works yet?
I wish I had some insight to offer on pulling the speedo needle, but it's actually something I've never tried...I imagine that the key is to be slow, gentle, and steady with it, though. Let us know how it goes!
