[spazzychalk]

w210 2000 E430 with steering wheel controls. Just turned on the car and the larger digital info center readout (mpg, trip, malfunctions, audio controls, etc) directly in the middle under the speedometer went dark. I can make out the readings like normal just barely, it is on, I can even flip through the different screens using steering wheel controls (you can see the defective lamp warning lit up by the camera flash), but they are not lighting up, can't see nearly as well as in the pic, with headlights on or not. I'm out of town at a friends who is capable of working on cars, need to know if this is fixable, if this is just a light bulb or an entire unit replacement????

sorry if this has been stickied already, I tried to search but do not know the proper name, and as I said I need to get this resolved immediately, I was suppossed to be on the road first thing in the morning and will stay an extra day if this is a quick light bulb fix. If so, which blub #, and is it dealer specific?

RE: the dark pic, the other guages (gas, left side of speedo) are lit and working, just not showing up in pic.

Defective lamp issue driving me crazy for months. I replaced a bad brake bulb and the warning never went away. All the bulbs seem perfect. Any ideas? bad bulb carrier??? reset computer?

 

[MrBiggs]

I'm no expert but this may be a good place to start looking.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210-e-class/1373177-diy-instrument-cluster-lcd-display-fix.html

 

[spazzychalk]

Awesome. reading the post it says specifically that it does not cover the digital readouts, I'm seeing so many bulbs in these I'm not sure about the core of the post, whether or not this panel has a bulb that can be replaced. If so I'll stick around here another day so my friend can work on it, if not I have to get moving home

 

[spazzychalk]

also, are these the same bulb as the hvac unit? I can't find the post now, but I recall there was a sylvania part # listed. When I went to use it, all the local stores did not have it in their system nor could they cross reference the bulb itself. I bought them from the dealer, then found another post stating the updated sylvania # at half the dealer price.

 

[MrBiggs]

If you look at the picture of the clusters back side it looks like there are 4 bulbs for the multifunction display. I wouldnt think all 4 bulbs would burn out but I guess it's possible.

I would probably check the ribbon cable connection as well. The reason the post leaves out the multifunction display is because he wasn't having a problem with it. Only his side displays are messed up.
Judging from your pics looks like yours are to.

 

[fabbrisd1]

Just a burned out illumination bulb - pull the cluster and check the color of the bulb holder - order the replacement bulb with bulb holder of the same color... EZ fix..

 

[spazzychalk]

can you elaborate on the different color thing? are they different bulbs? connectors? just the color light?

 

[Musikmann]

Since you are short on time don't worry about which bulb(s) are bad. Once you have the cluster out replace all of them so you won't have to pull it again for a long time. There should be a list of which bulbs you need, and at least 2 different ones, in the stickies. I'll look and post a link if I can find it.

<edit> Try this one:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210-e-class/1339126-bulbs-night-time-cluster-illumination.html