Mileage digital read out faulty

[RobMorris]

Hello

The Mileage digital read out works sometimes, sometimes not.
The mileage increases to stay correct so what whould i look out for?

Cheers

 

[jefrs]

I suspect they're just invisible.

Pull the dash display and replace the little bulbs that illuminate.

To get display out you need to lower the steering wheel and insert a hook between dash unit and facia at the wooden strip. Turn hooks and pull. An "L" shaped hook from wire coat hanger or stiffer stuff, I think I used a brazing rod.
Intermittent could be dodgy connection, twist bulb holders and check edge connectors (you'll understand when you get it out).

Get bulbs from MB.

 

[RobMorris]

Thanks Jefrs - thats a great help.
Bulb wise - the digital display seems to illuminate but doesnt show any information.

Can I go to the breakers and replace the whole unit? Mileage will be picked up by my car right (not the doner car)?

 

[RobMorris]

Ive found the below on ebay - it looks to be a direct 'like for like' replacement
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...em41595585df&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13128117637083
....apart from the miles - mine goes up to 160mph and this replacement goes to 140.
Obviously I wont be going over 70mph let alone 140mph but i dont want to be doing 80mph and the clocks show 70mph for example. Will it sort itself out right and i should be safe getting these?

 

[rascalmaster]

i used these guys; they are brilliant. repaired them while i waited...

ACtronics, based in colchester. they're part of a big company...

ACtronics - Automotive Electronic Components Suppliers

here's a link to a thread i'd started...

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/109222-instrument-cluster-s210-e320-2001-y-reg.html

 

[rascalmaster]

Ive found the below on ebay - it looks to be a direct 'like for like' replacement
MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS W210 SPEEDO CLOCKS SPEEDOMETER | eBay
....apart from the miles - mine goes up to 160mph and this replacement goes to 140.
Obviously I wont be going over 70mph let alone 140mph but i dont want to be doing 80mph and the clocks show 70mph for example. Will it sort itself out right and i should be safe getting these?

nope; that's fraught with risk.... besides, you change the unit, and you'll need to get it starred etc... much better to repair the existing cluster...

 

[RobMorris]

Cheers mate - how muh did you pay?

 

[rascalmaster]

Cheers mate - how muh did you pay?

I paid £90 but I had cream crackered the LCD display...

So they changed the main LCD and also changed all three display ( mine is a 2001 facelift) ribbon connectors which are a known source of display issues on the 210s.

They know what they r doing which is reassuring ;-)

 

[Dieselman]

Thanks Jefrs - thats a great help.
Bulb wise - the digital display seems to illuminate but doesnt show any information.

Can I go to the breakers and replace the whole unit? Mileage will be picked up by my car right (not the doner car)?

What does it show then. The LCD display is backlit to show the numbers.

The mileage and vehicle coding is held by the display unit.

 

[jefrs]

Thanks Jefrs - thats a great help.
Bulb wise - the digital display seems to illuminate but doesnt show any information.

Can I go to the breakers and replace the whole unit? Mileage will be picked up by my car right (not the doner car)?

There's more than one bulb, only part of mine disappeared, one bulb blown.
With the bulb out the display appears blank.

Otoh it could be a connector onto the display itself from the flexible circuit. Or the display could be loose in its fitting.

I would poke it about a bit more before buying bits.

 

[RobMorris]

OK so here are my clocks

With flash

yet to drive the car in the dark so appears I have a few bulbs out
Note the digital part light is on but no display

Once ive pulled the keys ut

 

[jefrs]

You temperature gauge has lit up but not the fuel, tacho and speedo, you definitely have dash bulbs out.
There are many bulbs. Some do illumination of dials. Warning lamps. And LCD display.
Some also dim with the +/- buttons and brighten up/down with the driving lamps on or off. If they have been dimmed right down then you are not going to see much.

The purple glow is probably just the LCD, imo you wont see the numbers without the back lighting from the suite of bulbs.
Can you make out any numbers on the LCD at all?

Mine did that but with the clock...
I could /just/ make out the numbers in favourable light.

Bulbs is cheap. Test bulbs with ohmmeter.

 

[RobMorris]

i didnt know there was a dimmer - where is it?

 

[nigel cross]

With the lights on, turn the trip reset button clockwise to increase the brightness

 

[rascalmaster]

i didnt know there was a dimmer - where is it?

You can see buttons on either side of the instrument cluster in the photo on your eBay link... If not the dial/ knob, then these buttons should have control of the instrument cluster brightness...

 

[jefrs]

Like wot I said above, the dimming is the + and - buttons (above the 0 button, which it the tacho trip reset and multifunction on 210). You need to read the handbook.

But you do definitely have bulbs gone. Pull it out and test them. Quite Easily Done.