Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster

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Wed 25 Jan 2012 22:09
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - leebinnacle

My Mercedes E320CDI Sports Estate, first registered in 2007, has suffered what the Mercedes Main Dealer, who has diagnosed the problem, as a "total failure of the instrument cluster". The instrument cluster includes both the display of all the instruments including the speedometer and fuel gauge and the multifunction computer display. The symptom is that instrument panel and computer display are not activated when the ignition is turned on. The engine still starts and the car is driveable albeit without any instruments or status reports whatsoever. The car is less than 5 years old with a full service record with Mercedes thoughout and has done about 71,000 miles. I bought the car privately last September and was fully working until yesterday. The replacement part is £1200 plus VAT and I understand that cost of the part and the replacement of the existing instrument cluster will probably cost at least £3000 unless Mercedes Benz are sympathetic and offer a hopefully substantial discount. Is there any precedent to suggest that a major and essential part which has a lifetime of less than 5 years in my case is not fit for purpose ? Should I accept the Mercedes Benz main dealer's description of the seriousness of the fault or should I take my car elsewhere for repair ?

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Wed 25 Jan 2012 23:38
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - whitevandriver

I am not a mechanic and have no qualifications to issue this advice

I would be taking a look in the ignition switch area first, I am thinking lack of power supply to the instrument cluster, could be as simple as a loose connector/wire or possiby a fuse or relay

Check the circuit diagrams look to see where the power feed to the cluster goes to/comes from

hope that helps

wvd

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 05:40
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - Falkirk Bairn

I am not a mechanic and have no qualifications to issue this advice

I would be taking a look in the ignition switch area first, I am thinking lack of power supply to the instrument cluster, could be as simple as a loose connector/wire or possiby a fuse or relay

Check the circuit diagrams look to see where the power feed to the cluster goes to/comes from

hope that helps

wvd

If that fails an upmarket Scrap Dealer would be worth a punt - with high prices for MB bodyparts there will be more than a fair chance of write-offs on a 5 year old motor

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 07:27
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - gordonbennet

These people can probably repair your cluster, but car might be off the road for a week or so whilst its away, reckon on £135 or so (plus postage?), plus the cost for a competent indy to remove and replace the cluster if you can't DIY.

www.actronics.eu/en/

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 08:19
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - cws

You've also got BBA Reman who may also be able to repair the dash:

www.bba-reman.com/uk/index.aspx

Be very wary of when dealers warn of 'total faliure' - many things ARE repairable, it's just finding someone who can do it/can be bothered/doesn't just want to screw you over (like your average MB dealer).

Did you know many MB dealers now run commission-based pay for their 'technicians' ie the more parts they can find that need replacing/the more parts a customer pays for, the more pay they get at the end of the month............

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 08:32
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - elekie&a/c doctor

Instrument failure on these (and other models of m/b)is not uncommon.But before taking the route of a new or repaired unit,I would try a battery disconnect re-boot procedure.Disconnect the earth(negative/minus sign)lead only and run a jump lead from the detached earth lead to the positve/plus terminal of the battery and leave it attached for 5 mins.Under no circumstances allow the detached earth lead to touch the vacant earth terminal of the battery.Worth a try.If this does not work,then I would suggest a repair or new unit.Mercedes should contribute.Poor show from them if not.An instrument pod should last the life of the car.Ford and Renault have have similar issues and have accepted the problem and carried out a replacement for between £100-£150 .hth

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 09:35
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - leebinnacle

Roadside diagnosis indicated loss of communications with instrument cluster. Roadside mechanic did a battery disconnect reboot. Displays did light up very temporarily but in totally unstable unuseable fashion before disappearing again, Main dealer garage said isolated communication fault to the instrument cluster itself and that was the basis on which they said it had to be treated as a "complete" instrument cluster failure. I am awaiting Mercedes-Benz reaction to the main dealer garage's report to them.

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 11:46
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - gordonbennet

I am awaiting Mercedes-Benz reaction to the main dealer garage's report to them.

So are we all.

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 13:38
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - leebinnacle

Today, Mercedes-Benz have offered me a 50% discount on replacement of the Instrument Cluster for good will, which I have accepted. I am told that failure of the instrument cluster is unusual for the E320CDI (W211) of the age of mine - I was just unlucky. The price I was originally quoted was, I understand, the full package price for the replacement rather than just the replacement part cost. I believe that the price I have now accepted is lower than I would have paid for a non-Mercedes-Benz repair shop replacing the Instrument Cluster with an original new Mercedes-Benz part. I agree that I could possibly have saved money by having a repaired instrument cluster re-fitted, but that would have involved considerable inconvenience which I have avoided on this occasion and for a car the age of mine a new original Mercedes-Benz replacement is my preferred option.

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Thu 26 Jan 2012 14:51
Mercedes Benz E320CDI Sports Estate 2007 - Claimed "total failure" of instrument cluster - Peter.N.

For future reference:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-Benz-INSTRUMENT-PANEL-CLUSTER-W211-E-Class-160-mph-A2115403747-/150720730618?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2317a7d5fa

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