Hello all, I've got a 2002 E430 Sport with a defective clock / shift indicator display. I understand it's a fairly common problem in these and was wondering if anyone knows the best place to find one. Even used?? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Unfortunately, you cannot just replace one of the components. They are all soldered to one control board that has your odometer, temp display, and multi-function display. I had the same issue with my clock and temp displays. There were a few LCD's out and you had to decipher the time.

The problem is the LCD ribbon connections to the printed circuit board.

I partially disassembled my instrument cluster and noticed that the LCD ribbon connections had pink pads that placed pressure on the soldered ribbon when the cluster was snapped back together. I placed shims under the pink pads so they would place more pressure on the connectors. Both my displays are clear now.

It is sort of tricky getting the cluster apart without causing more damage. I had a spare cluster I purchased off ebay to practice with (the one I purchased had the same issues as mine - not advertised by the seller).

You can purchase another cluster used, but the dealer will not change the miles on the cluster to match your vehicle. You end up with some documentation issues for mileage. The dealer will sell you a new cluster programmed to your mileage for anywhere between $700-$1100. Another cluster from the 2000-2002 E-class is pretty much plug-and-play, but the mileage that will display will be the mileage stored in the cluster.

Good Luck