Disaster changing Instruments Cluster
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
'00 CLK 430
Disaster changing Instruments Cluster
My pixels were completely out on the temp. side and almost out on the clock side so I decided to solder the pixels that were out. It was very easy to take the cluster out with suction cups as well as taking all the parts off to get the the mother board. If you do this all the gauges are exposed and DO NOT TOUCH THEM because they are calibrated. One of the guys helping me tried to take the arms for the gauges off to get to the mother board and that is where the cluster got FUBARed. Even if you send the cluster off to get the pixels soldered, the cluster will be useless because nobody I talked to could recalibrate the gauge arms to hit back on zero at rest if you mess with them. Infact, when we plugged it back in, none of the gauges worked and every error that could possibly flash was lit up! Since none of the gauges were working I almost didn't get the car to the dealership because it was running so badly!! The repair bill for a new cluster was $1,061.00 at the dealership. So the moral of the story is to take the cluster out and ship it to that company in Mass. for $250 and don't try to do it yourself.
Oh yeah, we never got to the mother board to solder the pixel connections because you need a #7 Torx bit and by then I knew the cluster was already toast.
Oh yeah, we never got to the mother board to solder the pixel connections because you need a #7 Torx bit and by then I knew the cluster was already toast.
Almost a Member!
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 41
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From: Louisville
2000 e46
that's wierd that if you move the needles they get screwed up are you sure something else didn't happen...On my bimmer i have taken the cluster out multiple times and if i move the needles i always put them back to where they rested.
I was getting ready to yank my cluster out and fix the temp and clock screens but this is making me have second thoughts
I was getting ready to yank my cluster out and fix the temp and clock screens but this is making me have second thoughts
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
'00 CLK 430
We plugged and unplugged it 3 different times. The 1st time I plugged it back into the dash, the rpm was out of sync because we messed with that gauge. It worked and everything else did, but we unplugged it and pulled it apart to set it back to zero. We plugged it back in and it went back to the same spot as before. We then unplugged it for the last time and tried to get to the motherboard and it was then I decided to quit screwing with it and take it to the dealership. We plugged it back in for the last time and it was then the entire cluster lit up like a X-mas tree, none of the gauges worked, and it ran like it was running on 2 cylinders. The good news is the car is running perfectly and the cluster looks great but the temp. reading is about 5-6 degrees too high. I haven't figure out how to fix that yet.........
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 384
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From: Northeast
02 CLK55, 07 E92 335 ProCede
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 209
From: Boston North Shore
2001 CLK320 Cabrio
Higgy,
Sorry to hear about the difficulties you encounted.
I have the equipment and I'm quite proficient at soldering but after hearing about your experience, am having second thoughts.
Would you be so kind to answer the following questions?
>easy to take the cluster out with suction cups
Saw this idea a couple of weeks ago. Where were you able to buy the suction cups? Would be a good method for just replacing blubs.
>as well as taking all the parts off to get the the mother board. If you do this all the gauges are exposed and DO NOT TOUCH THEM because they are calibrated. One of the guys helping me tried to take the arms for the gauges off to get to the mother board and that is where the cluster got FUBARed.
Your saying that acccess is not possible to the solder points w/o additional disassembly?
If so, specificly, what has to be removed (I have torx bits)?
Kind of sorry that I sold my BMW318IC Cab to buy this CLK320 cab. The 318 was so easy to work on and much more fun to drive. From what I've been reading lately, even changing the spark plugs has turned into a nightmare.
Again, sorry to hear about your experience.
Sorry to hear about the difficulties you encounted.
I have the equipment and I'm quite proficient at soldering but after hearing about your experience, am having second thoughts.
Would you be so kind to answer the following questions?
>easy to take the cluster out with suction cups
Saw this idea a couple of weeks ago. Where were you able to buy the suction cups? Would be a good method for just replacing blubs.
>as well as taking all the parts off to get the the mother board. If you do this all the gauges are exposed and DO NOT TOUCH THEM because they are calibrated. One of the guys helping me tried to take the arms for the gauges off to get to the mother board and that is where the cluster got FUBARed.
Your saying that acccess is not possible to the solder points w/o additional disassembly?
If so, specificly, what has to be removed (I have torx bits)?
Kind of sorry that I sold my BMW318IC Cab to buy this CLK320 cab. The 318 was so easy to work on and much more fun to drive. From what I've been reading lately, even changing the spark plugs has turned into a nightmare.
Again, sorry to hear about your experience.
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Super Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 527
Likes: 5
From: TN
2002 c240
This is just like BMW gauges. The only way you can screw them up is to flexx the motherboard and that will cause hairline fractures in the tracers.
Anyone with any electrical work behind them can do this job. The fact that you got to the "hard part" of taking the cluster apart (and I've been in it, I know where that is) and next everything went "FUBAR" tells me you had no business in there in the first place.
People will try and pry the unit apart without seeing the screws and the next thing you know the motherboard has 30 fractures in the tracers and it doesn't work anymore.
Amateur mistake cost big $$ Calibration has nothing to do with it.
Ask me my qualifications........ http://lextech.org/gallery/index.php
Sorry you had to learn the hard way. I fix gauges all day from people who think they can do it because it seems so easy. (but NOT for MB clusters, done a few BMW though and have been in my own MB cluster before)
Anyone with any electrical work behind them can do this job. The fact that you got to the "hard part" of taking the cluster apart (and I've been in it, I know where that is) and next everything went "FUBAR" tells me you had no business in there in the first place.
People will try and pry the unit apart without seeing the screws and the next thing you know the motherboard has 30 fractures in the tracers and it doesn't work anymore.
Amateur mistake cost big $$ Calibration has nothing to do with it.
Ask me my qualifications........ http://lextech.org/gallery/index.php
Sorry you had to learn the hard way. I fix gauges all day from people who think they can do it because it seems so easy. (but NOT for MB clusters, done a few BMW though and have been in my own MB cluster before)
Last edited by The Jury; Jan 10, 2007 at 10:54 PM.
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
'00 CLK 430
I don't know the cause and effect of everything, I'm just telling you what I did and the result I got out of it. I used 2 2-inch suction cups from my girlfriends makeup mirror and you just pull it straight out. Don't worry about hurting anything because it will come out.
The dealer installed a brand new one and yes you have to expose the gauges to get to the motherboard. The #7 Torx screws are surrounding the the areas of the fuel, temp, mph, and rpm gauges. We thought that they were soldered to the motherboard but then quickly found out that the Torx screws are holding the m. You have to separate the 4 gauges from the motherboard to get to the pixel solder points.
The light bulbs are very simple to replace once you get the cluster out of the dash.
The dealer installed a brand new one and yes you have to expose the gauges to get to the motherboard. The #7 Torx screws are surrounding the the areas of the fuel, temp, mph, and rpm gauges. We thought that they were soldered to the motherboard but then quickly found out that the Torx screws are holding the m. You have to separate the 4 gauges from the motherboard to get to the pixel solder points.
The light bulbs are very simple to replace once you get the cluster out of the dash.
