hey all,
i've got a problem with my 1990 240DL. the backlight to my dashboard panel isn't working. the other lights on the panel(e-brake light, blinkers, brights indicator, etc) work fine. are there bulbs hidden somewhere that i can replace?

thanks,

kate

 

Are they ALL out? I.E., do you have ANY illumination to the instrument panel,(gauges)? Yes, there are several bulbs back therebut it'd be unlikely for all of them to be burned out. If you have NO light at all, chances are there's more wrong than just bulbs.

 

Sorry if I'm not being clear. I don't know the correct terms for things!

All the indicator lights (blinker arrows, e-brake indicator, 'brights' indicator, etc) that are on the instrument panel work. It's the background light that illuminates the entire panel (so that I can see the clock, how fast I'm going and temperature meter in the dark) that isn't working. There is a **** to the left of the panel (next to where you turn the lights on and off) that brighten and dims this light which is now out. It still brightens and dims the lights that illuminate the controls inbetween the front seats (shifter, blower speeds), but it does nothing for the backlight(s?) to my instrument panel. I looked at the spark plugs behind the panel next to the drivers seat and none seem to be burnt out, but I'll look again. I would think if a plug was burnt out, both the instrument panel light and the light to the controls in between the seats would be out (since that **** controls both), but perhaps not.

 

There are 2 bulbs in the instrument panel to illuminate the gauges. The first thing to try would be to replace the bulbs. You will need to remove the instrument cluster which is held in by 4 screws. The two black circles at the very top of the picture are the bulb holders; they twist out. Good luck.

 

I had the same problem with my '88 240 wagon. I stressed over bulbs and fuses and wiring for a while, but I eventually tracked the problem down to the illumition brightness control ****. This is the **** to the left of the gauge cluster. I replaced mine with one from a junk yard and now the lights work fine. To test and see if this is the problem, remove the ****, and connect the wires going to the **** to eachother. make sure the key is in and the lights are turned on. Your dash panel lights should turn on if your **** is bad, and the bulbs are good. If you dont care to have brightness control, you can just leave these wires permanantly connected, and you wont even have to replace the ****. Good luck.