Instrument Gauge Glass Replacement
12-21-2009, 07:03 PM
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2008 E350
Instrument Gauge Glass Replacement
I have what look like drips on the glass over my tach and cannot remove them, so I suspect they may be on the inside? Also, on the large center and left clock, the glass seems to have minor marks or scratches near the edges that I cannot clean. I'm afraid to use anything too powerful. Has anyone seen this? What would it take to remove (to clean) or to replace just the glass/plastic on these? The gauges themselves work fine, so this is purely aethetics. Thank you for any advice!
12-22-2009, 09:46 AM
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I actually have the same "drip stain" issue on the inside of the glass. Not sure what it is.
I have what look like drips on the glass over my tach and cannot remove them, so I suspect they may be on the inside? Also, on the large center and left clock, the glass seems to have minor marks or scratches near the edges that I cannot clean. I'm afraid to use anything too powerful. Has anyone seen this? What would it take to remove (to clean) or to replace just the glass/plastic on these? The gauges themselves work fine, so this is purely aethetics. Thank you for any advice!
12-23-2009, 10:15 PM
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my cls had the same issue when i got it cpo in may. the dealer opened and cleaned it for me. PM Igor180, i think i read somewhere he knows how to remove it
01-12-2010, 08:05 PM
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Still Searching for an answer
No response from Igor180 on a PM...has anyone else had any luck finding an answer on this forum or anywhere else? Thanks!
01-16-2010, 11:32 PM
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I just did this and figured I would share it.
First, lower the steering column by tilting all of the way down and telescope all the way out. Now, there is a chrome ringed cowling that surrounds the entire instrument panel and has flat black plastic receding from the front of the dash back to the instrument panel itself. Take your fingers and gently lift the middle front of that chrome and you should see it lift up. While lifting up, move your fingers outward toward the edges and begin to gently pull the cowling out, or toward you. You should be able to work it all the way around until the one piece cowling is safely removed.
After removing the chrome ringed cowling, you will find 4 torx screws that need to be removed - two on top and one each on the lower sides.
These screws, once loose, will remain connected to the instrument panel and should not fall out, so listen for when they have been completely loosened. Once they have been, remove the reset/dimmer button; it is actually a 4 inch long plastic shaft connected to a metal connector on the left of the instrument panel. Grab it near where it connects to the instrument panel (furthest away from you) and pull gently until it disconnects.
Once disconnected, to completely remove it, you will see that just inside the hole that it goes through on the dash there is a flared out piece of plastic that you must push in while pulling the piece toward you, out of the hole. If you do not compress that plastic "wing", it will not fit through the hole. Once compressed, it will pull right out.
Now, carefully pull the entire instrument panel toward you out of the dash. As previously mentioned, it is convenient to completely lower and extend the tilt/telescope on the steering wheel. The instrument panel will have one single wire harness connected to it near the top rear. There should be plenty of slack to allow you to clearly see this and to remove the harness.
To remove the harness, slide the gray "keeper" latch across the white connector by pressing down on the portion of the white connector that keeps the gray latch in place. Once the gray latch is swung down, the connector pulls right off.
Remove the entire instrument panel (don't worry, your odometer and everything will be as before, but you will have to reset your clock). Once you have it on a clean work surface, the front panel with the glass covers over the three gauges can be easily separated from the instrument panel by releasing the four tabs, two on top, two on bottom.
Now you can do any cleaning you would like, then reassemble and replace in the reverse order. As mentioned, you will need to reset your clock using the COMAND system.
I hope this helps. Let me know if anyone has any problems or questions...I am happy now with a very clean instrument panel!
First, lower the steering column by tilting all of the way down and telescope all the way out. Now, there is a chrome ringed cowling that surrounds the entire instrument panel and has flat black plastic receding from the front of the dash back to the instrument panel itself. Take your fingers and gently lift the middle front of that chrome and you should see it lift up. While lifting up, move your fingers outward toward the edges and begin to gently pull the cowling out, or toward you. You should be able to work it all the way around until the one piece cowling is safely removed.
After removing the chrome ringed cowling, you will find 4 torx screws that need to be removed - two on top and one each on the lower sides.
These screws, once loose, will remain connected to the instrument panel and should not fall out, so listen for when they have been completely loosened. Once they have been, remove the reset/dimmer button; it is actually a 4 inch long plastic shaft connected to a metal connector on the left of the instrument panel. Grab it near where it connects to the instrument panel (furthest away from you) and pull gently until it disconnects.
Once disconnected, to completely remove it, you will see that just inside the hole that it goes through on the dash there is a flared out piece of plastic that you must push in while pulling the piece toward you, out of the hole. If you do not compress that plastic "wing", it will not fit through the hole. Once compressed, it will pull right out.
Now, carefully pull the entire instrument panel toward you out of the dash. As previously mentioned, it is convenient to completely lower and extend the tilt/telescope on the steering wheel. The instrument panel will have one single wire harness connected to it near the top rear. There should be plenty of slack to allow you to clearly see this and to remove the harness.
To remove the harness, slide the gray "keeper" latch across the white connector by pressing down on the portion of the white connector that keeps the gray latch in place. Once the gray latch is swung down, the connector pulls right off.
Remove the entire instrument panel (don't worry, your odometer and everything will be as before, but you will have to reset your clock). Once you have it on a clean work surface, the front panel with the glass covers over the three gauges can be easily separated from the instrument panel by releasing the four tabs, two on top, two on bottom.
Now you can do any cleaning you would like, then reassemble and replace in the reverse order. As mentioned, you will need to reset your clock using the COMAND system.
I hope this helps. Let me know if anyone has any problems or questions...I am happy now with a very clean instrument panel!
Last edited by Philip; 01-16-2010 at 11:36 PM.
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02-17-2011, 03:01 PM
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2006 CLS 500
Thanks for the posting Phillip, it was driving me crazy to look at my drip stained tach; but thanks to you, not anymore. The dealer said the entire cluster had to be replaced at a cost of 1400.00 Thanks again.
