W124 instrument cluster

[anfieldassasin]

Guys anyone know a place in Essex I can take my 300ce instrument cluster to for repair. Yday the trip and milage stopped working and below 20mph the tach needle bounces a bit. I know it's a common fault and although I've done various work I'm not sure I'm confident enough to fix this issue diy.

 

[roadhog]

The bouncing needle is more likely to be caused by the drive cable, they break a strand which then catches on the outer sheath as it spins.

I'd be looking at replacing the speedo with a 2nd hand one rather than trying to repair your existing item. There are plenty of instructions on the internet on how to remove the instrument cluster. Once it's out, all you need is a Philips screwdriver to swap the individual instruments. Nothing to it.

 

[anfieldassasin]

Thanks Roadhog

By drive cable I take it you mean speedo cable right?

Well the clusters gotta come out anyway to replace some blown bulbs and check the dancing fuel guage (sender in tank looks new). If I replace the speedo can the milage be adjusted to match my car?

 

[roadhog]

Yes, the speedo cable.

I'm sure the mileage can be adjusted but I've never done it before. In theory you could connect a drill to the speedo cable and drive the speedo to whatever number you need. No idea if this would work backwards though. What mileage are you on?

 

[optimusprime]

Gear repair on the speedo is ok depending on whats gone wrong in it . I was lucky that the pot gear had come adrift .All needed was a spot of glue to hold it in place, I thought the rev counter was electronic like all the other items in there .You can get another it would be faster to do this .Then you can operate on the old one so you know how to go about it next time, Lots of members on here to help you to repair your old one Go to DieselGiant web site and see how he went about it .Not the same as yours but you get the in and out of how to strip it out . I know a few tricks like when you have the speedo in your hand lift the pointer over the end stop and mark the face ,put it back in the same place after or speed will be out.

 

[anfieldassasin]

Yes, the speedo cable.

I'm sure the mileage can be adjusted but I've never done it before. In theory you could connect a drill to the speedo cable and drive the speedo to whatever number you need. No idea if this would work backwards though. What mileage are you on?

I'm on 104,225. Annoying at the moment as I can't really tell when I've run out of petrol lol.

Will buy a scrap one to have a go first and practice then attempt my own. Oddly the potentiometer works fine for dimming the lights but does nothing when I push it in. Anyway guess won't know the deal until I open it up.

Optimus thanks for diesel giants website with have a look.

 

[anfieldassasin]

Btw I meant speedo needle bounces below 20mph not tach

Wil edit post shortly, we'll actually join edit button so can't change original post.

 

[roadhog]

I'm on 104,225. Annoying at the moment as I can't really tell when I've run out of petrol lol.

Will buy a scrap one to have a go first and practice then attempt my own. Oddly the potentiometer works fine for dimming the lights but does nothing when I push it in. Anyway guess won't know the deal until I open it up.

Optimus thanks for diesel giants website with have a look.

Ok, I can help with the first one. When your engine stops you've run out of petrol.

On a more serious note, I have a complete instrument cluster sitting here doing nothing. I removed it from my coupe when I swapped the engine. Let me know if you get stuck finding one.

The light dimming and mileage reset are two separate functions even though they're done via the same knob. Said knob is spring loaded onto the potentiometer shaft, the free travel when you push it in operates a lever sticking out of the side of the speedo.
If the reset has never worked in your ownership it's possible that someone has had it apart before. If it's a recent failure the lever might be bent or broken. Easiest thing is to take it apart, you'll soon see what's wrong.

 

[brucemillar]

I have a 124 cluster that I cannot use (I need a specific 4-Matic one) I bought it in "working order" from e-bay, but have not tested it, as I discovered that it is missing the 4-Matic warning lights (my fault).

Yours for £25 posted.

 

[optimusprime]

Btw I meant speedo needle bounces below 20mph not tach

Wil edit post shortly, we'll actually join edit button so can't change original post.

Anfield then yes, then the cable is at fault i would think .But it might be possible to withdraw the inner part of it in to the car after you have removed the speedo . And still use the outer part of the old one To save you from playing under the car. But then the cable may be bent as it exits the car this can make the needle bounce .

 

[optimusprime]

Bruce would the speedo have an economy gauge on it ?

 

[nick mercedes]

Yday the trip and milage stopped working and below 20mph the tach needle bounces a bit.

Give the reset button a good push.

 

[brucemillar]

Bruce would the speedo have an economy gauge on it ?

Yes it does indeed. It has everything that I thought I needed except the 4-Matic) warning light which is not transferable.

 

[anfieldassasin]

Thanks guys, I will try and take it apart Friday and see what's wrong and then get back to you about buying one of yours mine had vacuum economy guage and red lines around 6500rpm.

Noticed today that the milage had actually gone up by 10 miles but whilst I drove the car there was no movement. I'm hoping as per dieselgiants diy that it's either the cof has just slipped off Centre from the verticle shaft turning it or the shaft the Grey cog sits on needs roughing up. Will have a look at the fuel guage whilst there as at full tank it worked fine, around half tank it starts to get twitchy and below half its doing the funky chicken.

I've got a trip to Cardiff coming up for a conference and don't want to be running out of petrol part way, but if I do I know people will be wondering why I'm ranting about a 'Roadhog' in the middle of the motorway

 

[anfieldassasin]

Right so took everything a parts today as promised. Thank you to everyone was the as difficult as I thought everything connected behind is either a different size plug or numbered so no issues there's. The first cog that sits on the rotating shaft has drift too far out and was no longer meshing with the vertical shaft that makes it rotate I popped it back in, it went with a click into to the other end where the pot gear is.

Also the trip meter wasn't working. Which was because there is a metal bar that runs across the length of the trip meter that depresses when you press the knob on the cluster from outside. This metal bar had come out of its location so I put it back in and now all works fine. I painted all the needles using orange nail Polish (don't ask) whilst I was there so all the needles match.

Now the problem I have is that the speedo needle doesn't move untill I get to about 20mph and the oil pressure guage works intermittently. Sometime I start and it doesn't move other times it will come on straight away and yet other times it will work mid way through driving all of a sudden.

Everything is connected no shorts from wires, and I didn't take any of the needles of. I triple checked everything. So don't know what's wrong.

Also the fuel guage which was doing a merry dance before hasn't changed I couldn't find anything amiss when I check the guage or wires or the sender in the tank which looks new.

Pics attached

 

[anfieldassasin]

More pics

 

[anfieldassasin]

And more pics

 

[anfieldassasin]

Big thanks to BruceMiller sold me his cluster. I poached the fuel guage side and no more dancing fuel guage. I also took out the shaft for the odd and scored it as it kept popping back out but hasn't come out since u scored it and out it back.