Hello all,
Recently my 1992 W140 instrument cluster died and I was forced to repair it. It was very challenging, but I did it. Some of you mayy have been witness to my agonizing repair period. I learned that the Siemens VDO circuit boards were flakey and as a result there were recalls on all W140 clusters from 1992-1994. Perhaps other models are affected.
Unfortunately MB will no longer honour this recall even if yours fails, like mine. And you have little choice but to shell out $1500CA for a 'new' one or $600CA for a scrap yard one. Both alternatives will leave you with an incorrect odometer setting. MB sold just replacement circuit board in the early nineties, but eventually they decided it would be better to sell you the whole unit at full price.
Aaaanyways, there are only a few companies like Programa in Boca raton Florida who will service your cluster for $400US, I believe. I have a better idea. In the face of a poor aftermarket for the W140 and everyone trying to rip you off left right and center, i am proposing a new business idea.
Would anyone be interested in getting a custom instrument guage cluster for their Benz, 1992-1994/6? I can build a standard/custom one with cool indiglo lights made from top quality aftermarket guages like Autometer, and a brand new circuit board with 2004 IC technology, vastly superior to the crap that VDO made. I can also guarantee my work by honouring a long term warranty.
This would mainly be for the W140, but if I R&D further I bet I can make it work for all early ninety benz models. I can, of course, offer a standard repair service less expensive than anyone else, if you just want to repair your old cluster. And it wont be a kludge, it will be the correct fix to a bad VDO design.
Let me know if you are interested or just what you think of the idea. Unfortunately good guages are expensive so Id price the custom cluster between $1000 and certainly less than the $1500 dealer price. Currently I have not done this, but if the response is right, I can begin R&D and offer this service in the near future. I dunno is there a market for repairing alone?
Necessity is the mother of invention, and my car has certainly given me enough need to break the monopoly that MB has on the options for an owner. I have a whole bunch of modification ideas for the early W140s. I am based in Toronto, Canada.
Thanks for your time! E-mail at snipped-for-privacy@chargerr.com or respond here.