Some time ago the bulb illuminating the left side of my speedometer failed. Recently the one illuminating the right side of the speedo failed. Not a good situation at night.

After reading posts here on the BB and finding useful guides on other sites, I bought replacement bulbs and yesterday successfully installed them. (See my post https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ght-bulbs.html for information about the two types of bulbs in the cluster.)

Key points

• As others have said on this BB you do not need to remove the steering wheel as stated in the official maintenance manual.
• You must disconnect the battery before doing this task.
• You must disassemble the dashboard to remove the instrument cluster.
• You must completely remove the instrument cluster to replace bulbs.
• No special tools are needed. Screwdrivers, sockets, and needle nose pliers suffice. A Philips screw starter is helpful, as is a magnetic pickup.
• You should budget 2-4 hours for the task depending on your mechanical dexterity and experience. (I am not sure what the labor book shows for this task.)

The procedure is a PITA. The worst parts for me were removal/reinstallation of the cluster and the trim piece surrounding the instrument cluster, and aligning/reassembling the lower dash cover.

Primary Sources for Detailed Instructions

Pelican Parts’ PeachpartsWiki provides a very good pictorial guide, Instrument Cluster Bulb Replacement on the 2002 SLK 230 (R170 Chassis) at PeachPartsWiki: Instrument Cluster Bulb Replacement

One difference between the SLK and our Crossfires is that the left air vent on the Crossfire is integrated into the larger trim piece and there is no screw behind it as on the SLK. I broke one of its two locking tabs during removal. See photo for location of the locking tabs.

There are a few youtube videos that are helpful, including this one

You Tube

.

One tip, so that you waste less time scratching your head than I did, is the location of cable connector locking button--see the annotated photo showing where to push.

Summary

You can do this bulb replacement at home, but be prepared to get frustrated while doing the task.

And, yes, my dashboard is illuminated again.

 

This is a must-do on my coupe this summer. I noticed that my dash has a few more out this year. I will check this out when time comes.

Thanks, James

 

Thanks! Mods, please make this a sticky!