Restore Your Classic Mercedes Gauge Cluster! (No Steps Skipped)

These same steps should apply to any Mercedes made in the late 70s all the way up to the early '90s. w123, w124, w126, w201, r107. all information offered as-is

contents:
00:00-01:39 Condition Assessment
01:40-04:18 Cluster Removal
04:19-04:51 Wobbly Speedometer Fix
04:52-05:49 Required Tools
05:50-07:16 LED Bulb Forewarning
07:17-08:08 Gauge Removal
08:09-09:24 Basic Gauge Cleaning
09:25-14:00 Odometer Repair
14:01-14:15 Cluster Glass Polish
14:16-14:23 Gauge Needle Paint
14:24-15:46 LED Bulb Mods and Test
15:47-16:37 One Week Report
16:38-19:46 Outside Temp LCD
19:47-23:30 Trip Meter Fix
23:31-23:57 C and F LCDs
23:58-24:44 Testing and Final Thoughts

mildew removal:
The more time you spend on this the better it will look. I bathed my empty cluster housing in hot water in my sink with baking soda and vinegar and scrubbed it for two hours with a tooth brush. there is no shortage on forums of people having trouble removing this. I believe the early 124 clusters are specifically prone to have this issue but it has been resolved in later cars I believe. I could have purchased a newer cluster and retrofitted but chose not to and I'm glad I went with that.

link to screen:

paint:
I recommend any matte orange paint for the needles. I purchased "Apricot" by Apple Barrel (Plaid) at Walmart for under one USD $.

note on loctite:
I opted to disassemble my odometer off camera and replace the loctite with e6000 epoxy as I felt it would better suit my gears that had a crack in it. this is more controllable and potentially less likely to cause problems if I put it back together without first fully drying.

note on odometer tampering:
Mercedes gauge clusters do not allow you to turn back odometers. I do not recommend or condone doing that and denounce the thought of this being a possibility. All information is provided on and as is basis and you are responsible for your own actions.

[viggosimonsen]

I had exactly the same problem with the odometer gear crack, and did the same as you: Glued the crack, and fixed the gear to the the shaft with some loctite.
My theory is that these damages may happen if you try to reset the trip counter whilst driving. The trip counter and the odometer are obviously connected, and you are not really supposed to reset when in motion. It can put a strain on the gears - and that gear is clearly a bit fragile
The repair was successful, and I haven't had any issues since - but I also never reset my trip counter anymore, just to be on the safe side

[dongtr]

This is the most handy video I saw on YouTube. Mose of the mechanic are just experienced labor instead of ME engineers.

[ianzleig]

Thank you for the video. I know you were saving us time by speeding this up during the more tedious parts but I would have liked to have seen those also.

[williamwintemberg]

Extreme patience and perseverance. Good Job!

[bartdombkowski]

Just what i was looking for. Great, thanks 😊

[puchak]

What did you do with the cluster box? Did you just repaint it in the matte paint or did you wipe it down/use vinegar like you did with the faces?

[ClassicRich]

My w201 has same issues where the gear has pushed out. But how do I remove the gear to scor the shaft and put loctite. When I try to remove it the shaft comes with it. I’m afraid to remove the whole gear with shaft. Not sure if everything will fall to pieces.

[puchak]

What buff did you use for your screen? I need to do the same for mine.

[grantanderson]

Any link to the needle paint you used?

[wmercedes]

How do you remove the lense without cracking it. I wanted to do the background of my cluster in burl wood but I hear its nearly impossible to remove the lense.

[dixboncan]

Hi where did you get the replace, rmy LCD screen? Thanks

[AliKhan-okph]

How to remove the glass of speedometer

[thiagarajgovindaraju]

my clock when the engine is OFF and stop working when engine is ON. why is that so? hope you would help