MBhopeful

I've been looking at a 2003 C240 and the only thing that seems amiss is the instrument cluster is bad. Owner reports it has 90k miles and I can check that easy enough with AutoCheck's history, but I was wondering if this cluster is going to be a ma$$ive issue. I see I can get used clusters off ebay for around $100 but I'm guessing it will have to be reprogrammed through the dealer for $$$.

Anyone have estimates as to the costs of doing this? Also, can an independent Euro car mechanic do it or does it have to be dealer? Are there shops where both clusters can be sent and the replacement reprogrammed?

Any thoughts and help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Cntrypckr

Please see the thread I started below entitled "02 C240 instrument cluster replacement". They are very easy to remove and can certainly be swapped. Since the new cluster will have a different mileage stored and was not "married" to the EIS in your car, the odometer will show dashes. My independent mechanic is going to try to tackle this next week, as he has never seen a complete failure on a C class (only S classes and apparently quite a few). To answer your question, I wouldn't let it bother me. Have you considered having a PPI done before you buy it?

MBhopeful

I checked out the threads and saw nothing definitive - I was hoping someone had something more "definitive" to say. Some said that it couldn't be done unless the new cluster had less than 1k miles on it because that's when the cluster "marries" the EIS (and couldn't be changed) and others said that wasn't the case. One poster suggested other alternatives such as sending the unit to Palo Alto Speedometers to set the mileage, or erasing the EEPROM and this zeroing out the unit and letting it get its mileage fromt he EIS, etc. Another person said they could have it reset at the dealership but it would cost over $1,400!

With so many and varied opinions on the subject, I was hoping someone had actually done it and could give a final answer.

My concern with it has to do with three things - emissions inspections, registration and re-sale. I don't know if the State of California will give me crap at registration time if I can't provide the actual mileage or even if I'll be allowed to smog it and, of course, if I decide to sell it later I don't want to be holding the bag if no one wants to buy it or I have to drastically cut the price over the issue.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but those are the reasons behind my concern.

SoCal208

Way back, my W210 E class had some missing pixel. I search Ebay, there is a guy in Chicago area repair it (I have my mechanic remove the cluster), Fedex to him (fairly expensive if you want it overnite), I send regular FEDEX, get it back within a week, re-install, it work fine. He send the pictures all the progress of the work & tracking #. The cost (if my memory serve me right is @ US$300.00 that include repair + shipping + labor for the mechanic), it cheaper than replace with a different cluster (which need to have SDS from MB dealer, reset the right mileage to your car...it might end end very high $$$ amount. Report back tor us to know what is your decision.

MBhopeful

Thanks for the input. From what I gather a dead pixel or failure to produce an image is fairly common on the clusters in these cars - especially if the lcd is hot. However, that's a relatively easy fix - which has been described on the board here because it only involves pulling the cluster and swapping in another LCD screen and doesn't have anything to do with the odometer or reprogramming the odometer.

I've given some thought to possibly buying the car, pulling the cluster and trying to trace the board to find out what component(s) are bad but that's a lot of trouble that I haven't got time for if I can send it out and there'd be no guarantee a home-fix would work.