What's gone wrong with my dash? W211 yellow

[G-a-r-y]

Started my car from cold. dash was bright yellow. Drove to main agents and as I turned in it went back to normal.
Any clues what this might be?

 

[WG M-B]

It looks like it starting to die

 

[G-a-r-y]

Dealer says he's never seen this before?
The display has sort of come back but now the dots/pixels are yellow like the old W210.

 

[mersum1es]

Never heard before, is it next generation of HAL series...

HAL 2012 MB?

 

[Spannaz]

erm.............that's a new one to me too!! Be interested to know what's behind it all

 

[G-a-r-y]

If you look hard you can see the pixels.

 

[WG M-B]

Bba reman will repair it for around £140

 

[Alex Crow]

I have seen it once before, and we have had another mentioned on the forum in the last year or so.

Both of those 'fixed' themselves, but I would expect trouble from them again.

As above, BBA can repair, but I would use ACTRONICS (£109 +vat) or even ECU Testing.

 

[G-a-r-y]

Thanks Alex.
I've got this poor warranty which came with the car, they make it near on impossible to claim/repay but I did and they paid for the IR locking sensor on the door..

I rang them with one day (three month warranty) to spare and logged a fault/claim. It's booked in with the main agent who I suppose will want to replace the dash rather than repair.
What might the cost be for a dash/cluster?
It worked OK this morning (black and white) and then turned yellow again.

 

[G-a-r-y]

Update, Dealer rang and said they were unable to replicate the fault (I emailed the pictures).
They tell me the only conclusion is to replace the dash/instrument cluster, £800 plus.
I said I couldn't afford that and would collect the car. He asked if he could keep the car overnight and offered to try something else? One last thing?

He appears helpful and keen to please but what else might he be able to do without replacing the dash. What might he try?

 

[WG M-B]

This is an internal cluster fault. There is nothing else to try other than repair/ replace.

 

[DIYMAN]

I had the same fault on my W211 about 2 years ago, it corrected its self the same day and has been OK ever since, fingers crossed.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Are there yellow LED's in there? I know they display white and red, but have never seen yellow, just wondering how they could manage to do that.

 

[G-a-r-y]

If you put the H/B on (driving) it turns red. Only when it failed did the pixels go yellow and the back ground wasn't quite black.

 

[Alex Crow]

Oddly, you will fimd that if you look at the display at an oblique angle, it will appear as normal.

As above, it is an internal fault and there is little that can be done other than repair or replace.

 

[toby1]

So it's not a warning of sunshine then?

 

[television]

These clusters only have a plus and minus and 2 CAN inputs, it has to be a poor connection or a fault in the display driver latching up. There are many diodes within the IC,s and in the case of a poor ground connection the display will go to one of the colours there in. They are very easy to open up and power up on the bench. The guys at MB are not allowed to do this.

Actronics must be the best firm, at one time they only took in components from indies owing to that some folk sent the clusters in when it was not the cluster at fault, wasting much time.

I will have a word with them on this front.

 

[drivemycar816]

Have never seen this before. Maybe, it's time for a replacement already. Has it been fixed now?

 

[G-a-r-y]

I can't afford the £800 for the dash, so will collect the car.

Dealer called and said take the car and try it?

They have "re-booted the software"
I'm going to collect it now so am unsure if I will be charged.

 

[G-a-r-y]

Not charged and car was still valeted,