W124 E200 estate number plate lights/instrument panel lights query

[stinky]

Hi all,

My 94 E200 estate has no working instrument panel/centre console lights and no working number plate lights. They appear to use the same fuse (No3), I have checked the fuse, all ok but replaced it with a known good one to be on the safe side. Number plate light bulbs appear ok also. Ive done a voltage check at the number plate light terminals and there is no power getting to the bulbs at all.
What else can it be? the car did have a new servo/master cylinder fitted some time ago and I am wondering if the fuse box was removed and something has perhaps come adrift when it was all refitted??? I wasn't the owner of the car then so cannot say if the fault occurred at the time the servo was fitted or not.
Please help as its annoying driving in the dark with no panel illumination, my sat nav tells me my speed but nothing else!!!

 

[television]

Welcome back it is a known thing that the dimmer control (black knob in cluster) can come un soldered at one end,,it is an easy repair but the cluster has to come out to do it

 

[stinky]

Yes, been away from Merc ownership a while but back now!
Your answer would seem logical for the instrument lights etc but would this stop the number plate lights from working too???

 

[television]

Yes, been away from Merc ownership a while but back now!
Your answer would seem logical for the instrument lights etc but would this stop the number plate lights from working too???

Normally a wire breaks in the hinge area and a common fault

I forgot that bit

 

[stinky]

Thanks Malcolm, have pulled the instrument cluster out today, everything is ok, the dimmer unit is good and even the small fuse in the red holder is good. One thing I have now noticed though is that I have no working fog lights front or rear and the fog light internal light on the headlight switch doesnt even come on. I'm now wondering if I have a faulty headlight switch where there is no current being sent to the instrument cluster lights, there must be a problem with it somewhere as I have no front or rear fogs, all bulbs and fuses are still ok.

 

[television]

Take a look here at the wiring diagrams

http://www.autolib.diakom.ru/CAR/Mercedes-Benz/1994/E320/SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAMS/

 

[stinky]

Well finally traced my problems to an incorrectly fitted headlight switch! it had obviously been removed at some time and had not been pushed fully home when refitted. I found this after buying a new switch, stripping the fascia panel to fit it and finding the original not right. Pushed it fully haome and everything worked...including the annoying lights on warning buzzer!!!

 

[television]

Pleased that you fixed it,, you can chop the wire to the buzzer.

Fault made by someone are always hard