W210 Instrument Panel / Cluster Ribbon Replacement - Guide and Video Links

JimM

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I know there are many threads about replacing the ribbon cables or adding pressure pads to them to fix the missing pixels on the left and right side (temperature and gear/clock) LCD displays.

But the problem is that they are all over the place and take hours to find and read and sift the comments from the tuition.

So now that I think I have found the most useful guides and video, and have tried myself, (unsuccessfully so far because I didn't clean my contacts sufficiently), here are the links below so you can find them in one place easily and reduce your fruitless hunting...

Guide 1: Franasia, BenzWorld Forums: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210-e-class/1373177-diy-instrument-cluster-lcd-display-fix.html

Guide 2: Danton, BenzWorld Forums: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w208-clk-class/1440865-instrument-cluster-pixel-fix.html

Video Guide: balamquitzeramos, Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5krgYFfBVg

My Notes and Cautions
1. These guides and video are for my type of panel, which has the large rectangular central LCD display (not the angular streamlined type) and the two smaller rectangular side LCD displays. As often reported, only my side LCD segments were faulty, the centre one is fine despite being removed and refitted several times already. Just be careful and be sure to pull back the tiny black locking strip which secures the ribbon cable in the connector before pulling the cable out gently. And of course push it back home when you refit the ribbon cable.

2. The original ribbon cables on my panel were white with silver track, and were glued into place at both the LCD segment display and at the circuit board. One or two of the tracks on mine had broken at the board connector, so I have to replace my ribbons.

3. It is very important to NOT use any liquid or solvents on the glass LCD displays to remove the old cable residue, just carefully rub off all deposits with your thumbnail or piece of soft plastic.

4. The chap in the video says he used nail varnish remover to clean the circuit board contacts. This usually contains Acetone and can melt plastic and other materials. It is great for softening glues but I used to use Isopropyl Alcohol in days gone by for this purpose, it is pure and doesn't leave any residue. It is very important that the contacts at the circuit board are really clean shiny gold, with no residue whatsoever, so you will need to use a strong magnifying glass or Jeweller's Loupe to see.

5. Some replacement ribbon cables guides say they need to be "soldered" to the board and LCD segments. Not so, heating is needed but just enough to melt the glue on these preglued ribbon cables. I am not happy about glue on contacts, although many people have succeeded with these. If you use a soldering iron with the T tip you will have difficulty. Better is a 15-Watt iron with a very large rounded tip, you can even round a 4-inch or 5-inch nail with a file for this purpose, whichever fits your iron, and leave a good length protruding so it doesn't get too hot.

6. "Non-solder" replacement ribbons are available from ebay and other suppliers, but be aware that there are two types; clear or white ones with silver track, and green ones with carbon track. The green ones which say they don't require soldering look exactly like the ones which say they DO need soldering. Strange.

7. All ribbons are one-sided. The tracks and contacts are on the dull side, and the shiny side is the plastic backing and is not conductive, so be sure to place the dull side towards the contacts on the circuit board and this will be right way up for the LCD segment displays too. The dull side should be facing outwards as you assemble the panel.

8. The green carbon track ribbon cables I received were marked with small and larger circles which appeared to match the original ribbon cables, so I placed them in the same direction as the originals - this was wrong, the plastic was to the contacts! So look for the dull side when you fit them and never mind which way the circle marks end up.

9. The two ribbon cables are different, there are more and finer tracks on the gear/clock display cable (the right-hand one), and it is a little more tricky to align it to the LCD segment display.

10. The Video guide shows silver ribbon cables which I think are better, but the website he bought from now only supplies the green carbon-track ribbon cables.

11. Propaganda tells us the green carbon-track ribbon cables are better than the silver ones - but I found resistance when measuring the carbon tracks, which I am not happy about. However as I already have them I will try them again after I clean the circuit board contacts better.
 

toby1

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Excellent stuff. Still waiting to fit my new ribbons (bought them last year :rolleyes: )

Bookmarked!
 
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bob 6600

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Great info! Did mine nearly 2 years ago. First time I didn't get it fixed, ruined the cables from being careless (removed/applied i soo many times it didnt stick) so ordered some more with a T-Bar and got it fixed. Was easy second time round although I agree the T bar isnt the best.

My advice is take your time and let it cool well before testing. Mine had a small bit left which fixed itself after I presume the glue had set properly.

Well worth the effort, was embarrasing before!
 
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JimM

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  • Thread Starter
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I'm still in confusion about the cables I have, the supplier says they don't need "soldering" yet they are exactly the same as the cables sold "for soldering".

So I will try them "dry" again after I clean up the circuit board and ensure the LCD ends are aligned properly, not an easy task on the right-hand LCD! lol

And I have ordered silver cables with destructions too, in case this still doesn't work!

"If the right one don't get you, the left one will!
You load 16 tons, and what do you get?
Another day older, and deeper in debt!" ;)
 

Petemac

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did my ones 4mths ago perfect not the solder type cleaned it with a cocktail stick no liquid used £12 odds on ebay
 

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