Gauge Cluster Issues after removal
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Joined: Apr 2020
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2000 Mercedes-Benz C280
Gauge Cluster Issues after removal
I recently purchased a 2000 C280 Sport with 125k miles. It is in really good condition, one original owner, always maintained at a Benz dealership, and I got it for $1200 bucks from a local pick-n-pull. Turns out the lady who owned it died and her family donated the car. Basically it was a steal. Anyways the car was in near perfect condition, but the only thing that bugged me was the LCD screens in the gauge cluster had some dead pixels. Well I purchased a pixel repair kit from ebay and followed this video
, except i had to solder the new ribbon cables instead of just glue them on.
Once i got the cluster put back together and back in the car, I started the car and all the lights on the cluster turned on and now none of my gauges work. I don't understand how the LCD screen ribbon cables would cause the whole cluster to go haywire. I put it back together correctly and I didn't remove anything besides the old ribbon cables which were already half peeled off anyways. Is there a fuse that could have blown or does the cluster need to be reset? I didn't start the car at all when the cluster was removed so i don't know what could have happened and i can't seem to find this issue on this forum.
Any help is much appreciated!
Once i got the cluster put back together and back in the car, I started the car and all the lights on the cluster turned on and now none of my gauges work. I don't understand how the LCD screen ribbon cables would cause the whole cluster to go haywire. I put it back together correctly and I didn't remove anything besides the old ribbon cables which were already half peeled off anyways. Is there a fuse that could have blown or does the cluster need to be reset? I didn't start the car at all when the cluster was removed so i don't know what could have happened and i can't seem to find this issue on this forum.
Any help is much appreciated!
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 140
From: Westcoast/Interior
02w163ML500 / 97w210E50AMG / 99w202C230k / 95w124500e-wip
I recently purchased a 2000 C280 Sport with 125k miles. It is in really good condition, one original owner, always maintained at a Benz dealership, and I got it for $1200 bucks from a local pick-n-pull. Turns out the lady who owned it died and her family donated the car. Basically it was a steal. Anyways the car was in near perfect condition, but the only thing that bugged me was the LCD screens in the gauge cluster had some dead pixels. Well I purchased a pixel repair kit from ebay and followed this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoAMLCBmKXY&t=9s, except i had to solder the new ribbon cables instead of just glue them on.
Once i got the cluster put back together and back in the car, I started the car and all the lights on the cluster turned on and now none of my gauges work. I don't understand how the LCD screen ribbon cables would cause the whole cluster to go haywire. I put it back together correctly and I didn't remove anything besides the old ribbon cables which were already half peeled off anyways. Is there a fuse that could have blown or does the cluster need to be reset? I didn't start the car at all when the cluster was removed so i don't know what could have happened and i can't seem to find this issue on this forum.
Any help is much appreciated!
Once i got the cluster put back together and back in the car, I started the car and all the lights on the cluster turned on and now none of my gauges work. I don't understand how the LCD screen ribbon cables would cause the whole cluster to go haywire. I put it back together correctly and I didn't remove anything besides the old ribbon cables which were already half peeled off anyways. Is there a fuse that could have blown or does the cluster need to be reset? I didn't start the car at all when the cluster was removed so i don't know what could have happened and i can't seem to find this issue on this forum.
Any help is much appreciated!
Your soldering most likely 'kuput" the cluster/ribbon. Find a replacement ribbon from the local PnP and test it.
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Joined: Apr 2020
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2000 Mercedes-Benz C280
I need to go to PnP this weekend to get parts for another one of my cars anyways so I'll see if there is W202 cluster i can take the ribbon cables off of. But when i removed the old ones from my cluster they ripper pretty easily so how can i take them off and re-glue on my cluster without messing them up?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 140
From: Westcoast/Interior
02w163ML500 / 97w210E50AMG / 99w202C230k / 95w124500e-wip
The kit i bought came with an attachment for a soldering iron and it said the new ribbon cables had to be soldered in place. Do you think this basically F-ed my cluster?
I need to go to PnP this weekend to get parts for another one of my cars anyways so I'll see if there is W202 cluster i can take the ribbon cables off of. But when i removed the old ones from my cluster they ripper pretty easily so how can i take them off and re-glue on my cluster without messing them up?
I need to go to PnP this weekend to get parts for another one of my cars anyways so I'll see if there is W202 cluster i can take the ribbon cables off of. But when i removed the old ones from my cluster they ripper pretty easily so how can i take them off and re-glue on my cluster without messing them up?
You said it was working before removing the ribbon.
Have you double checked /retraced back to make sure the ribbon was re-mounted correctly? (Not doubting your skills here)
EDIT: I presumed you used some electrical contact cleaner too, before reconnecting?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2020
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2000 Mercedes-Benz C280
It's possible.
You said it was working before removing the ribbon.
Have you double checked /retraced back to make sure the ribbon was re-mounted correctly? (Not doubting your skills here)
EDIT: I presumed you used some electrical contact cleaner too, before reconnecting?
You said it was working before removing the ribbon.
Have you double checked /retraced back to make sure the ribbon was re-mounted correctly? (Not doubting your skills here)
EDIT: I presumed you used some electrical contact cleaner too, before reconnecting?
Yes I used a cleaner and I made sure all connection points where clean before soldering. Ive only done this once before so it's possible I messed up. I'll take it apart again this weekend and double check everything after I get the extra OEM cables from PnP I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of what's going on.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 140
From: Westcoast/Interior
02w163ML500 / 97w210E50AMG / 99w202C230k / 95w124500e-wip
Yes I used a cleaner and I made sure all connection points where clean before soldering. Ive only done this once before so it's possible I messed up. I'll take it apart again this weekend and double check everything after I get the extra OEM cables from PnP I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of what's going on.
Yes I used a cleaner and I made sure all connection points where clean before soldering. Ive only done this once before so it's possible I messed up. I'll take it apart again this weekend and double check everything after I get the extra OEM cables from PnP I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of what's going on.
