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Ok, I've searched and people say it's easy. I'm sure once I do it, it will be... Taking out my cluster to fix dead pixels. I can't figure out how to release the wire clip... Any help is appreciated...
Well I had a quick turnaround from BBA-Reman with my cluster, but when I reinstalled the cluster all of the pixels weren't fixed, so back to them for another go around... They were very gracious, so we'll see how the cluster goes in round II.
This is a great thread, my E320 CDI tach light lost illumination behind the top center. I wish I had seen this first. From the info here it looks like I can simply keep the rear PCB and swap the face portion with the actual gauges with some basic electronic connector knowledge and a few screws. I literally purchased a cheap eBay sacrifice cluster for a E350 to test things out. I completely took it apart and got the illuminated sticky sheet off by desoldering the 6 pins and planned to do the same to another (except for my cdi) to add it to my cluster, it required pulling the tach needle and the clock needles, both of which I assume would need to be reinstall in the exact positions relative to their mechanisms, something I would prefer to avoid doing. It will be much easier to just unplug the cables and swap the entire front portion. I honestly though there were LED's and I would be changing one from the donor cluster to mine, but the adhesive illuminated sheet material really got me. I have no idea why a small section of the illumination above my tach just stopped illuminating. I tried testing the voltage to the pins to the sheet and only got 0.2V. I am unfamiliar with this tech. I have a correct cluster for my car on the way and plan to just maintain the rear section from my car in my car. I will probably toss the E350 cluster I have now. THANKS FOR THE THREAD GUYS!
Do you mean you drove it with the cluster out and the car suffered no ill effects? Thanks, I'm changing my front cluster panel now with one with 100% working lights.
Originally Posted by cindyclk
no...I drove it until I got mine fixed
I changed it with the car off, and it works great. I replaced mine due to a portion of the dash no longer lighting up. To repair just about anything in your cluster just buy a working cluster that has the same features, same car, same year, and same tach as yours, then change your rear board to it, it's only about 5 small connectors. You only need to keep the rear board with the car.
The procedure is very simple, Move the steering wheel all the way down and towards you. You will want a plastic tool to pry the bezel around the cluster towards you, grab it with your fingers and pull or you will make marks on it if you use a tool the whole time. Remove the dimmer selection knob after the bezel is off by pulling it towards you. Then you need a torx 20 driver to unscrew the 4 screws. You should be able to tip the cluster forward and reach the connector now, the main connector has a clip that locks an arm so push the clip in and rotate the arm, that unplugs the connector, see photo for how the connector works.
There are some very easy to release plastic clips that hold the cluster together, no screws, so pop that apart. Once you're inside, there are 4 more plastic clips holding the entire assembly into the back half of the case. Pop the assembly out of the case using a small screwdriver on the clips. Now you have the inner workings out, set them face down on your work area, using a cloth or something to keep the face safe. Now look at the photos on where to gently pry to release the connectors, there are three of the first kind and two of the second. Now the entire rear board that stays with your car comes off with 4 more easy plastic clips. Now put your cars rear board into your new cluster and install everything in reverse.
I've attached a photo of the rear board removed, illustrating the two types of connectors you will have to unplug and reconnect, if you are not familiar with the connectors you should look close at the photo on how to release them.
If this looks too difficult send it out.
Cheers.
Last edited by Mad Davey; Sep 4, 2020 at 04:48 PM.
Do you mean you drove it with the cluster out and the car suffered no ill effects? Thanks, I'm changing my front cluster panel now with one with 100% working lights.
I changed it with the car off, and it works great. I replaced mine due to a portion of the dash no longer lighting up. To repair just about anything in your cluster just buy a working cluster that has the same features, same car, same year, and same tach as yours, then change your rear board to it, it's only about 5 small connectors. You only need to keep the rear board with the car.
The procedure is very simple, Move the steering wheel all the way down and towards you. You will want a plastic tool to pry the bezel around the cluster towards you, grab it with your fingers and pull or you will make marks on it if you use a tool the whole time. Remove the dimmer selection knob after the bezel is off by pulling it towards you. Then you need a torx 20 driver to unscrew the 4 screws. You should be able to tip the cluster forward and reach the connector now, the main connector has a clip that locks an arm so push the clip in and rotate the arm, that unplugs the connector, see photo for how the connector works.
There are some very easy to release plastic clips that hold the cluster together, no screws, so pop that apart. Once you're inside, there are 4 more plastic clips holding the entire assembly into the back half of the case. Pop the assembly out of the case using a small screwdriver on the clips. Now you have the inner workings out, set them face down on your work area, using a cloth or something to keep the face safe. Now look at the photos on where to gently pry to release the connectors, there are three of the first kind and two of the second. Now the entire rear board that stays with your car comes off with 4 more easy plastic clips. Now put your cars rear board into your new cluster and install everything in reverse.
I've attached a photo of the rear board removed, illustrating the two types of connectors you will have to unplug and reconnect, if you are not familiar with the connectors you should look close at the photo on how to release them.
If this looks too difficult send it out.
Cheers.
You would be surprised what you can do if you are brave with ICs in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Here I connected a CLK 350 cluster to my ML 320 Bluetec. I didn’t bother version coding it, so you will not see the preglow lamp or audio information, but for all intents and purposes it functions.
This happened to my wife’s 2020 GLS just the other day. I had to pull the fuse to reset the circuit before the cluster would turn back on. Also the ignition went down with it, so she couldn’t turn off the car.
That cluster was one given to me everything seems to function on it on the bench. It is an interesting project to play around with coding, etc. I would not attempt to mount it in the ML - I did convert the ML320's cluster to display AMG information, such as a lap timer (in a Diesel SUV! ), current gear, upshift recommendation, oil temperature, and battery voltage.
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