Replacing bulbs / insturment cluster
05-17-2003, 09:32 PM
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1999 C230 Sport Kompressor
Replacing bulbs / insturment cluster
Bulb illuminating the clock is out on my '99 C230. How hard is it to pull insturment cluster to replace bulb? Are any special tools required?
05-19-2003, 07:00 PM
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asdf
You're going to need pullers to take your cluster out, but there is an alternative way to do it. you can take the panel out directly under your cluster (where the pedals are) and try to push the cluster out from under.
05-19-2003, 08:27 PM
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C220
One of the altenate ways to remove the cluster is:
Make a tool yourself out of a wire coat hanger. Cut the coat hanger at a bend, and make sure the remaining stup is approximately 1/4 inch long, and angled at about 90-120 degree bend. (look on Ebay for a picture of a similar tool for reference)
If you have the telescoping steering wheel, have it out as far as possible.
Remove the left tweeter cover. (There's a couple of clips, including one that can be accessed through the air vent)
Unscrew the vent
Remove the vent. You should be able to get a decent grip behind the left hand side of the cluster.
Insert the tool to the right hand side of the cluster, between the cluster and the padded dash material, in approximately the middle vertically. Turn the tool so that the "hook" can grab one of the "ridges"
Push out from the left hand side of the dash while pulling on the tool on the right hand side. *Be very gentle*. If you pull.push too hard, you run the risk of shattering the face of the cluster. This step may require a lot of patience.
When you have worked the cluster free, unclip the two connectors (one on each side) and then gingerly work the cluster out from behind the wheel.
A quick caveat- Buy enough bulbs to replace all of the ones in the cluster. It's a real pain in the *** to remove the cluster when the next one goes out. Buy them online to save money, or go to the dealer, who should know exactly what type of bulbs you need and how many- but be ready to pay a *lot* more for them. (Mine needed a bunch of blue plastic base bulbs and a couple of clear peanut-type bulbs. The cluster also needed some green plastic base bulbs, but I couldn't find them anywhere, and they weren't burned out anyway).
Make a tool yourself out of a wire coat hanger. Cut the coat hanger at a bend, and make sure the remaining stup is approximately 1/4 inch long, and angled at about 90-120 degree bend. (look on Ebay for a picture of a similar tool for reference)
If you have the telescoping steering wheel, have it out as far as possible.
Remove the left tweeter cover. (There's a couple of clips, including one that can be accessed through the air vent)
Unscrew the vent
Remove the vent. You should be able to get a decent grip behind the left hand side of the cluster.
Insert the tool to the right hand side of the cluster, between the cluster and the padded dash material, in approximately the middle vertically. Turn the tool so that the "hook" can grab one of the "ridges"
Push out from the left hand side of the dash while pulling on the tool on the right hand side. *Be very gentle*. If you pull.push too hard, you run the risk of shattering the face of the cluster. This step may require a lot of patience.
When you have worked the cluster free, unclip the two connectors (one on each side) and then gingerly work the cluster out from behind the wheel.
A quick caveat- Buy enough bulbs to replace all of the ones in the cluster. It's a real pain in the *** to remove the cluster when the next one goes out. Buy them online to save money, or go to the dealer, who should know exactly what type of bulbs you need and how many- but be ready to pay a *lot* more for them. (Mine needed a bunch of blue plastic base bulbs and a couple of clear peanut-type bulbs. The cluster also needed some green plastic base bulbs, but I couldn't find them anywhere, and they weren't burned out anyway).
