Dash display dying!

[After Shock]

Hello,

Well I just jpined so all help appreciated!

I have an E320 CDI Advantgarde Estate. Love it!

However .. The LED readout on the clock and now the temp gauge is fading away. Well lines are missing!

So the solution is??

 

[Will]

Hi there,

Unfortunately quite a common problem. Basically, inside the instrument cluster there are some ribbon cables that connect from the display panels to the PCB. You have a few options:-

1) Try a DIY repair. Not much to lose, just an hour of your time. You just need to remove the cluster and pack out the foam/rubber blocks which apply pressure to the contacts (this is why the displays normally go - the rubber/foam stuff shrinks and the contact becomes less 'firm'). There's a how-to guide on here somewhere - let me know if you need it and can't find it with the search.

2) Send the cluster away to a professional cluster/dash repair place. Normally £100-150 with a decent warranty for the work (3 years in some cases )

3) Buy a new cluster. Probably quite expensive unless you can find one at a discounted price, and you'll need to have it coded to your car. The most expensive option obviously.

4) Live with it as it is. Not the most pleasing solution but I guess it depends on how much it bothers you? Most of these cars are suffering these days - I guess it bothers more people that it does others.

Best of luck,

Will

 

[IanT]

I've done the DIY option in the past, and while it's VERY fiddly and VERY easy to make it worse or break it completely, I managed to restore mine to perfect function.

I peeled the two outer ribbons off the printed circuit board completely (the centre one is reliable as it's a better ribbon that plugs into a fitting). Then I used a knife to gently scrape the emaining glue off both the circuit board and the end of the ribbon before using some of the Halfords heated (rear) windscreen repair paint ro draw new contacts onto the ribbon. Afterwards I made sure that none of my contacts were shorted by gently scraping between them with the point of a scalpel. If I remember correctly I tried shortening them first, but that made it hard to reconnect them while reassembling the cluster.

Once I'd faced the horror of having it to bits (and worked out that the gauges unplug from the board) it wasn't that hard, but definately a job that's best saved for when you've got the maximum of patience, somewhere bright and quiet to do it.

Ian.

 

[GordonTarling]

After Shock - I have a spare cluster for that car which has the same problem - I'd be happy to part with it for a small consideration, if you wanted to experiment. You would probably need to get it coded for your car though.

 

[After Shock]

After Shock - I have a spare cluster for that car which has the same problem - I'd be happy to part with it for a small consideration, if you wanted to experiment. You would probably need to get it coded for your car though.

Thanks!

I'll ponder this one and let you know!

Will ... thanks as well!

Know any "reputable" people??

I can't live without the clock I've decided! hey thats just me!

Also I just like things to work!!

 

[Howard]

Remember that if you put a secondhand cluster in it , if the cluster has more than 250 miles on it , i cannot be coded for the mileage ...

So if your original cluster had 30k miles on it and your new secondhand cluster has 50k miles on it , that's what it will read ...