gomez18

I recently bought an '83 300SD and it's been running great but
yesterday all the guages on the instrument cluster went
dead. The glow plug light and the clock work as expected but
the speedometer, fuel, oil pressure, temp, tach, and odometer all
are not responding at all. Everything else is running like a
champ.

I suspect that a wiring connection came loose or a fuse is
busted. Trouble is, I can't find a diagram indicating what
fuse I should replace and the fuses aren't see through
so it's non-trivial to determine if a fuse is broken.

I also tried poking around to get the instrument cluster
out to see if there's some wiring harness that came loose.
It seems there is a special tool needed to get that out
(unless I misunderstood.)

My questions are:

1. Does anyone have a diagram to point me to which fuse I
should try replacing?

2. Is there some way I'm missing to see if the fuse is blown?

3. Is there some kind of wiring connection near the instrument
cluster that could have jostled loose?

4. Do I need a special tool to get to it?

5. Where do I get the tool if that's the case?

6. Any recommendations for a Mercedes Diesel mechanic in
the Inland Empire (Ontario area)?

I know this is a bit long but I would greatly appreciate any information
you guys may have.

Thanks,
Carl Flippin

gomez18

I got a little hint this morning while driving. I hit a large
bump on the freeway and the dash suddenly sprung to life.
Sadly, it died again after about 1/4 mile. It seems, in light
of this, that there must be a loose connector somewhere.

I'd like to get the instrument cluster out to see if that's
where the problem is but I can't see any obvious way
of getting it off. Am I correct in assuming that I need
a special tool for that?

Thanks,
Carl Flippin