Changing the color of the gauges? New Gauges?
05-29-2005, 03:13 AM
#1
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2000 CLK 430
Changing the color of the gauges? New Gauges?
Is it a simple bulb(s) behind the gauges which lite up when you turn the headlights on or is it something more complicated to change. Anyone with pics of different gauges please post. I guess to remain consistent... could you change the yellow color of the climate control also?
05-29-2005, 05:41 AM
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CLK W208
i changed all my lighting to red. they are all bulbs and so is the climat control there are two rice bulbs in the backof the circute board but i changed mine to the red LED with a resistor to hold the extra voltage. it wasn't easy but well worthed even the display on the cluster that shows the time and millage i changed it to red and the climat control and all the woindow switcehs memory seat switches basivcally all the interrior lighting to bright red. it looks very nice i'll take a picture at night and post it.
05-29-2005, 08:59 AM
#3
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hey VIP CLK320. I tried changing the 2 192 bulbs in the odometer to led blue a long time ago. The problem was that the digital gauges in the bottom of the odometer were still a nasty yellow and the needles were a nasty orange. How did you fix that?
05-29-2005, 01:51 PM
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How do you remove the panel to get to the lights? Do you have to get the new lights at the dealer? I need to change mine out. The reading for the mileage, time and temp is going out. Are these lights able to be replaced also?
05-30-2005, 02:36 AM
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CLK W208
here is the pic of my gauge cluster and my climat control i changed all the lights to led red with. (i used bright red led with a resistor to block the extra voltage to the leds. and hooked the all of them up to the power strip that runs power to the original rice bulbs and i just used the base of the rice bulbs to have the leds stay secure and clean without moving around. just break the rice bulb, pull out the glass and glue the led to the base and it will screw on to the board like original. you can pull the cluster out by just pulling on it. and the climat control comes out with the radio removal tool.sorry if they are kindda blury my hands shake alot lol 
climat control
cluster
the digital display on the cluster is also red now
climat control
cluster
the digital display on the cluster is also red now
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05-30-2005, 02:21 PM
#10
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the best way to remove the cluster is with the MB cluster removal tools
or, underneath the steering wheel/above where your legs/thighs go while driving theres is a compartment, remove the cover and if you stick your hadn up in there you can push the cluster out from behind.
id only recommend one or the other of these ways as to not wreck the cluste itself or the trim/frame around it
or, underneath the steering wheel/above where your legs/thighs go while driving theres is a compartment, remove the cover and if you stick your hadn up in there you can push the cluster out from behind.
id only recommend one or the other of these ways as to not wreck the cluste itself or the trim/frame around it
05-30-2005, 08:18 PM
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CLK W208
thanks man for the compliment. lol but ya for some reason my hands are extremly shakkuy when i take pics. RX honestly it was so long ago that i don't remember but keep trying differnt resistors with an super bright 3 volt led and a 12volt battery and keepo hgoing lower till the led starts getting dim then pick the one before that point. and if you hook it up the way that i explained on the other reply youre dimmer would also work on the new lights too.
Last edited by VIPclk320; 05-30-2005 at 08:22 PM.
05-30-2005, 10:20 PM
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335is
alright thanks!... i was trying to remove the climate control today and i had a hard time pulling it out cause i got no tools... lol... any ideas on how to pull them out other than the radio removal tool? cause i don wanna waste money on thos MB specific tools....
05-30-2005, 11:27 PM
#16
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Hey someone do a writeup on this. I have no clue how you would attach the LEDs to the original power sources, also, what are "rice lights"? Pics of the install procedure would be awesome.
05-31-2005, 02:28 AM
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CLK W208
rice bulbs are the name of the bulbs that go on the cluster and climat control. i just took mine out and broke the bulb and glued the LED to the plastic base so it'll sit in place and also because the light gets transfered via fiber optic plates you have to make sure the leds sit not to far out or too far in because then you won't get the light the tip of the led has to sit head to head to the fiber optic plate. also i can just grab a regular 12 v bulb ans attach wires to it and pull out ur cluster without detaching the wires harnesses then turn on youre parking lights and attach the wires off of the 12 volt bulb and you can finout which one is + and which one is -. then follow each connection and solder the wire off of the negative led to the negative connection and the positive to the resistor and the resistor to the positive connection. connect all led positive legs (longer leg) together then to resistor then to + power source on the cluster and all negative legs (shorter leg)to eachother and then the last one to the negative source on the cluster.
