i took my car in to the dealer to get a few minor things looked at and since i just got my extended warranty on the instrument cluster , i asked the SA if mine needed to be replaced.

his response seemed non-committal, as it was the previous time i asked him. after some i finally said,"so you're telling me MB is STILL deciding which vehicles are affected by the campaign?"

he replies, "correct".

i wanted to discuss what i originally came in for so i moved on. when i got my car back, there was a new cluster in it. it seems as if they don't want to be bothered with replacing defective clusters, although mine had not failed yet. but what's the big deal? MB eats the cost of the new clusters and the service department makes a little $, right? or does it cost the dealer money? mine was replaced so i'm assuming it needed to be. why wouldn't they just call and tell me this?

squeaky wheel gets the grease, i guess.

the new cluster is a little different. "no malfunctions" is now "no messages" and there are a few additions in the settings menu. the illumination around the speedo is a little uneven and an annoying chime goes off when i open the door, which is in addition to the chime i hear when the car is started. i'm attributing the first chime to the new cluster.

i'm tired of typing now, and i thank those who have read my too-long post so far; i really just wanted to get some info. i could go back to the dealer for it but i prefer getting it from gearheads.

so my questions are: my new cluster is different because these are the clusters used in the 2003+ s-classes? my car is an '02. is it possible to disconnect that chime? has anyone managed to persuade their dealer to do it? anyone else have the illumination issue? i'm missing the old cluster already.

thanks for any input guys.

 

I also have an 02.

I would live with the chime. Is it really that big of a deal?
The lights are fine on mine...at least as far as I'm concerned. I'm just glad I didn't have to pay for it.

Thanks MB!

 

Those changes are not a function of the new cluster; they indicate your car was re-"version coded." It's software that determines what the cluster displays. The chime could be built into the new cluster, but is more likely an option that the new version code activated. Ask the dealer if it can be turned off. Do you have Keyless Go? There is a warning chime associated with KG that they could have activated. If you have KG, they just "fixed" something that was supposed to be there. If not, they might have accidentally turned it on. Do a search on keyless go chime.

The uneven illumination is clearly the new cluster. It may just be something you're not used to. If it's clearly defective, go back and ***** for sure.

The dealer wouldn't have replaced the cluster if your VIN is not on the list. They wouldn't get paid for the work (warranty claim would be rejected) if they didn't follow the protocol.

 

I had mine replaced acouple of months ago at the MB dealer. Cost was out of pocket($1921.76) because VIN was not listed. After being a squeaky wheel to the dealer and MBUSA, they agreed to add my S600 to the list. I received a letter for reimbrustment, just waiting on the check. I also have "KG" and now the chime is constant whent he door opens. Just glad to have the cluster working again. The recall should now apply to all 220/221's.

 

thanks for the info whoover. and yes, i have KG. next time i'm at the dealer i'll see what they can do about re-coding.

as for the chime, i find it as annoying as hell. i learned to live with it when the car was started but three times now (entering,starting and exiting) is too much. it goes off, warning me not to forget my KG card when i GET IN and it happens even when i don't carry it. how does that work?

 

Just took my '01 s500 in for a few minor things and the service advisor had down on his list to do the cluster even though I have had no problems. He said they would do it and had it on the list before I even had the car there. Guess it came up on the computer per the VIN

Andreas

 

have 02 s600 new cluster, chimes non-stop when door is open, makes me nutzs......