koskesh

some of the lights in the instrument cluster were dead so I played around with it before putting the new lights in. enjoy. comments welcome.

galleryvw

i don't understand...

but i would like to hear how it was taking the cluster apart and replacing the lights. are they just something you can pick up at an autozone type store? what type of bulb is it? the info in the middle (mileage and trip meter) is dimmer than the temp and time. it's only been that way for a few weeks. i guess i had a bulb die.

on a side note, my engine light is on, the seal of my tire to rim is leaking and my dash is really starting to rattle. this car is really starting to fall apart at 140K miles. almost makes me wish i still had my 300D - that thing had 250K and was rock solid.

koskesh

I took out the dash by prying out the sides where the wood trim ends using a flat head screw driver, and being careful not to break the wood or the edge of the cluster.

The information screen is illuminated by three clear lights and three red lights for the seatbelt reminder. if any of these goes out you see a dim spot. they go for about $4 at the dealership. once you have the IC out it's really easy to change out the bulbs.

no_clue

koskesh;

Do you know how to remove the "needle" safely?
The speed indicator "needle". (or whatever it called)

I want to put WHITE or Orange EL sheet behind the indicator. So it will glow white or orange light. Then, tint my cluster window w/ black. (sort of Lexus effect)

koskesh

that would look cool, I like the lexus effect. I think white would look the best in our cars as far as a classy look goes, I'm over the blue indiglo look. I've never attempted to remove needles in this car but when I did it in my 190E before I removed the needles I wrapped tape around the pin that rotates and the needle mounts on. this fixed the pin in the "zero" position until I was done. I still ended up with my speedometer 5 miles off. I can't think of anything that would work perfectly right now but if you could use something like maybe hot glue to temporarily fix those needles in position you should be fine. I saw jiffy lube use a seal kinda thing on my oil drain that stays on tight but with a little bit of pressure it pops of. it's very brittle stuff and you just put one drop that touches the pin and the housing around the pin to fix the pin in position.
If I was going to do it as lazy as I am I'd probably use chewing gum

no_clue

I am on ebay searching for cheap cluster and going to test one of them instead using mine.

Plus, I want to figure out schematic of each pin!!!!!!!!

However that darn thing constantly bid into 3 digit...

I like you guys but I don't love you guys that much to spend that much money for "public service".

Mr. B

i've never removed the needles on a MB actually... but on a mustang, they just pull or pop off... i used a dinner fork... slip it under and pulled up kinda on both ends of the fork and there you go...

before you do it... take a lot of pictures of where the needles point and do it for both parked and moving at different speeds...

we had a friend pace the car in his to verify the different speed photos and assisted us when it came time to re-install them... i still may be off by a mile per hour or so...

i also bought a set of white faced gauge overlays once that just slipped over the needles (barely)... no need to remove them... not sure if they make such an animal for the MB...

some gauge overlay sellers provide a tool for removing the needles if needed with the purchase of the overlay...

best of luck...



~ Mr. B ~

MBZ12

Mr. B is the man!!!! The dinner fork comes in handy once again.....nice!

CurYousGee

does the cluster naturally light up amber? making a white bulb in the back essentially useless to change the color? I just want it white, and i see the numbers and the circle by the number are white, but people are telling me they are amber when back lite. if they are, then i will not pursue this mod and just leave it stock

no_clue

If you can find a white LED bulb, then it will light up white.

artkitt99

What size of Flat Head screwdriver did you use?
I need to replace one of my cluster's lights.
I made my own tool from a hanger but it didn't work, I went to the dealer to buy the tools and they didn't have them.. I'll try with a flat head screwdriver.

CurYousGee

Hi no_clue, is the problem finding these white LED bulbs with the right resistance? i remember you mentioning that in your pm.

g

CurYousGee

can i pull out the bulbs from the base and place these in there?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2pcs-T5-Wide-Ang...QQcmdZViewItem


or do they have to be like these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Car-LED-Interi...QQcmdZViewItem

no_clue

There are 4 bulbs to light up entire cluster.
2 "larger 1.5w", and 2 "smaller 1.2W"

My 97 model using the "second link" style

But I think Whitey did mention his 2000 model use that "first link"?

Take your cluster out and check them out yourself first.

Whitey

Some MB cars (especially the newer models such as the R171 SLKs) do use the miniature wedge type bulbs (link 1), probably LEDs too, judging by their whiteness and brightness. On my 98/99, all 4 bulbs are the same size, the type that are fixed to a sort of plastic twist-base/socket. What you need to make LEDs work (i.e. to properly light up the needles as well) are probably wide angle LEDs with the twist sockets attached but I've yet to see some for sale. CurYousGee's idea of pulling the bulbs off the original sockets and attaching the miniature wedges in there did cross my mind but I have yet to take apart the bulbs to see if it'll work...

CurYousGee

No_clue and Whitey, Thanks for the info once again.

Whitey your right, i could not find the wide angle twist-base LED anywhere on ebay last night, just those funky colored ones. but if you look at one of the links on the ebay auction, it shows the twist base in black next to the wide angle bulbs in white, which made me think we can just pop them out..so is it just me or wishful thinking? this search has become another holy grail just like in the old days when people were trying to find the solution to the yellow city lights

No_clue, say some how i find the wide angle white LED twist-base type, if the watts that they use are a lot lower than the current incandesent bulbs, do i need to wory about 1. the LED failing, or 2. something happening to my cluster/car?

I tried posting in the w208 forums about this, no one really had an answer, and the one person who did, changed it to blue a few years back and can't remember too much details about the mod.

Thanks again for all the help

Here is the link to my pics for LED converions thus far:

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class-w208/157819-l-e-d-conversion.html

G

Whitey

The blue ones I'd used were fine, much lower wattage being LEDs but the problem is they don't illuminate the needles as I'd mentioned...so the search continues for wide angle ones or some way to diverge some light to them using reflectors.....

CurYousGee

yeah i noticed on some of them they have the flat tip which makes the angle on the LED a lot wider, you think thats wide enough or probably need it to be wider than that?

Whitey

Absolutely no idea until you try...the needles actually pick up ambient light from the 4 bulbs (at least on the W210 cluster) via some plastic "prisms" underneath, so who knows what's going to happen. Since the LEDs uses less power, another idea I had was just putting an extra LED under each needle but that's probably too much work.