ejrooney

The LED temperature gauge on my 97 E320 is going dim and is difficult to read, yet the ODO and clock are still fine. Any ideas?

nelbur

There are three mini bulbs with a tan base that light up the odometer, the temp. and the time read outs. One of yours has burned out. The instrument cluster is just pulled out with two hook tools that attach at the widest part of the cluster. Extend and lower the steering wheel all the way first. You don't need to unplug anything to get to the bulbs. You will easily see which one goes with the temp read out. It is a 5 minute job after you have done it once. Another twenty minutes trying to get the cluster out for the first time. Knowing where to hook and pulling hard enough takes some getting used to. I paid $8 per bulb at my local indi.

RichardM98

Just a couple of other tips -

If you get the factory 'cluster hooks' they have a mark to show how far to insert. Technique is to insert at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position, rotate 90 degrees so hook tip is pointed inward, bend handles slightly outward and withdraw to engage. When hooks catch edge of cluster, pull alternately left then right then left extracting about a 1/4" at a time until free. Clusters that haven't been removed in a long time may seem like they are bolted in place, but there are no fasteners just friction. If it seems really hard, you can remove the plastic panel under the steering wheel and push on the back of the cluster as an assist. You can protect the vinyl dash material by inserting a small piece of flexible plastic (like a microfiche sheet) between the tool and the vinyl.

BTW, most people replace all 3 bulbs since they're cheap and if one is going the others may not be far behind.

Good luck.

ejrooney

Thanks for the above replies. I was afraid this was going to be something expensive. Unfortunately, I don't have enough confidence in my mechanical skills that I can do this myself without causing more damage than I started with. I'll just add it to the list of nickel and dime stuff to have my indy mechanic take care of at the next service (LH mirror, LR window motor, the little fan in the overhead console, the dashboard light...). It's still cheaper than a new car payment, and the car only has 67K.