I have a Mercedes C200 Kompressor, purchased new and registered April 2001. I have a problem with the square centre panel not lighting up immediately. This should show the mileage, trip mileage and time. Sometimes it lights up with a line where the mileage should show up.

Once the panel is fully alight you can start the car, until it is fully alight the ignition does not want to accept the key to start the engine. Having started the engine and moved off all the warning lights on the dashboard light up and go out almost immediately. I have the car served at a garage in Storrington West Sussex and they sent the binnacle away for repair, as they thought this was causing the problem as far as they could establish from their diagnostic check, this appears not to be the problem.

Could you please advise me what the likely course of this problem could be? The problem commenced at the start of the cold weather post Christmas.