DIY LCD REPAIR (ODOMETER: CLOCK, TEMP, ETC)

[CLK430Benz]

Hey, I found the on the Benzworld.org forum. It is a do it you self LCD REPAIR ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OF YOU W208. I haven't done it yet; but I plan to.

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[vizionclk430]

Will pixel's start going out a little at a time or can the whole thing go out at one time my temp gauge went out at the right angle I can see what it says but its not lit up like the time this was after I took my car apart for paint so I thought I forgot to plug it back in but checked that and its all plugged up. Do you think it needs to be repaired with this solution or is it something else?

[gregory13lil]

This is a very good find...very common fault on W208's and the stealership will want you to buy a new cluster!! Thanks!!

[CLK430Benz]

Ok. The PDF that i have provide will reset the entire odometer. As a result, all the pixels are not technically "dead" there is just a faulty connection caused over time due to vibrations i believe. As a result, the connect needs to get reseted.

BE CAREFULL. EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE DOING THIS.

[babyboigsxr]

yeah, i read up on this DIY project, when it was first posted, and until now, i'm still trying to decide whether i should even try it or not. I'm really really really scared that i might mess up.

If someone ends up doing it. please post up extremely detailed pictures. LoL

[Serndipity]

More info on reparing the missing pixels at:

http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/sho...200&highlight=

[Ric_]

Originally Posted by CLK430Benz

Ok. The PDF that i have provide will reset the entire odometer. As a result, all the pixels are not technically "dead" there is just a faulty connection caused over time due to vibrations i believe. As a result, the connect needs to get reseted.

BE CAREFULL. EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE DOING THIS.

When you say that the PDF above resets the 'entire odometer', do you mean that the trip counters are lost or that EVERYTHING (i.e. including the mileage since new) gets wiped?

For obvious reasons, I'd rather not lose everything - I can live with losing my trip distance though.

I just want my gear selector display back (the temp gauge is completely dark and the clock is broken too)

[CLK430Benz]

No...Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[Ric_]

Originally Posted by CLK430Benz

No...Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Cheers! I did some reading and discovered that this was the case anyway. except for a couple of people (who it sounds like did it wrong anyway) there seems to have been a lot of success.

I'm going to give this a bash today and I'll take some pics too.

[batman6]

I would like to see pics too!!

[Ric_]

OK.... had a bash!

I first crafted my own instrument removal tools by straightening a wire coat hanger, cutting it into two and then some strategic bending. Way cheaper and just as effective as the genuine Merc tools!

The only mouse mat I could find was one of those new-style super-thin things and I soon discovered that these aren't necessarily the best thing to use (on their own at any rate).

Instead, I found a 'sticky pad' which seemed to work quite well after reversing the peel-off sides so that they didn't slide off.

A combination of the thin mouse mat, sticky pad and insulation tape evntually did the trick enough to be satisfactory. After some driving the fix worked loose so I had to make some adjustments but it's now at the point that can be seen in the pictures.

As you can see, my clock is still rubbish (there's one on my Kenwood head unit anyway) but the temperature gauge is now perfect (it was completely missing before) and the gear display is about 85% which is acceptable considering that it may as well have not been there before!

[CLK430Benz]

Originally Posted by Ric_

As you can see, my clock is still rubbish but the temperature gauge is now perfect (it was completely missing before).

I have the same issue. I tried to fix my odometer and I could only fix the temperature. I probably removed my odometer five times; but still the time does not work. Also, after removing the odometer a couple of times the upper metal clips that hold the odometer in place fell (not the ones on the odometer, the ones that hold the odometer in the dash). As a result, I was wondering if anyone knew how to put these metal clips back on. I search the inner dash board everywhere to see where they were previously; but still no luck. I know that there is four in total; two on top and two on bottom. A picture with the clips installed in the dash board would help.

Thanks,
Steve

[Gundo]

I tried this on an old cluster and had minimal success. I just cant seem to get all the pixels to show up despite using different methods...

[CLK430Benz]

HELP. I just plugged in my odometer and now it reads "Display Defective Visit Workshop." What happened? OMG I wish I never touched it.

Thanks,
Steve

[CLK430Benz]

FML!

[CLK430Benz]

Is there any way I can fix this issue? I have done the following so far: reset battery for extended period of time, check fuses, replug the speedometer several times (with battery disconnected). What else must I do?

Thanks,
Steve

[Gundo]

Dam that sucks a ss...When mine did that I had to replace it. Does your gas guage and speedometer still work? Mine did not.

[CLK430Benz]

Okay. Everything turns on properly. Lights and everything. The only thing is that when I turn it on the needles don't read; meaning that they stay in the original position (down). The clock, temperature and center display work.

[CLK430Benz]

I decided that I will send the instrument cluster to BBA-Reman. Hopefully they will be able to fix the issue that I am currently having. The price is $250 with lifetime warranty.

Thanks,
Steve

[GiZzO]

Originally Posted by gregory13lil

This is a very good find...very common fault on W208's and the stealership will want you to buy a new cluster!! Thanks!!

Is this covered by warranty?

[CLK430Benz]

Does anyone have any idea with what's wrong with my instrument cluster or even my car? Is this gonna cost a lot? I sent my odometer out today to BBA Reman. will this fix the problem with the message I am getting stating "Display Defective Visit Workshop?"

Thanks,
Steve

[CLK430Benz]

Anyone?

[CLK430Benz]

Bump for answers!

[CLK430Benz]

Hey,

So I sent my odometer on Friday and received the odometer repaired on Tuesday. I just installed my odometer and it works like BRAND NEW! Everything is crystal clear (i.e. time and temp) and everything works fine thanks to BBA Reman.

[1puttpro]

I had this problem last year. BBA Remanufacturing outside of Boston, did a GREAT job repairing my console. Somewhere in this forum is the instructions on removing the instrument cluster (just search for it) and BBA does the rest. It was absolutely worth the $200 for the repair. It has been working flawlessly ever since. I'm sure there is a DIY fix out there... but is it worth the effort.