Hawkeyethenoo

Well that was easy, stereo removal key either side of the cluster, click, click, pull and removed. Remove single wiring loom plug and the job's jobbed. Next !

 

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

Thanks. The way the backlight went and then the gauges failed thereafter would point to the cluster itself losing power. There's a couple of places I've found which will repair it as a sent in item. It's been perfect up till now so can't grumble too much. From what I can see the cluster can be removed without removing the dash panels which I hope is the case...
Cluster shown working.

Pre_MOT photie. Now wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres as fitted last year before the Euro trip.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

Thanks. The way the backlight went and then the gauges failed thereafter would point to the cluster itself losing power. There's a couple of places I've found which will repair it as a sent in item. It's been perfect up till now so can't grumble too much. From what I can see the cluster can be removed without removing the dash panels which I hope is the case...
Cluster shown working.

Pre_MOT photie. Now wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres as fitted last year before the Euro trip.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

I seem to remember that as the failure mode. The main regulator internal and power drive ICs to the cluster fails or even falls off and it all goes dead.
https://www.mercedesmedic.com/instrument-cluster-s-class-w220-cl-class-c215/

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

I seem to remember that the regulator goes on these clusters. Either solder joints or the regulator IC itself, I can't remember exactly. Merc want an arm and a leg for a new cluster but they most certainly can be fixed. 

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

The Machine passed it's MOT today, first time of asking since the last ticket to ride experied, Oct 2022. En route hame from MOT station, the instrument cluster went dim and then, stopped working completely. No gauges nothing, blacked out. That was the highs and the lows of today.
Bugger... Car drives fine, heater, windows all work fine. Headlights now come on with and stay on until the ignition is switched off, related, and the left hand indicators have ceased working, related.
Had a quick look at the 5a fuses for the cluster, there's three of them and they all seem, fine. Now parked up with the battery disconnected. Checked for fault codes, none, it's a wiring or relay issue, or the clocks have just packed in? Anyway, 12months ticket to ride was the mission achieved for today.  Focusing on the postivies.  It's still great to look at.

Saturday collections inbound, Scotland to Wiltshire and back. Departing mega early Saturday, overnight stopover and then hame on Sunday, god willing. Funds in place, check, insurance in place, check, tax in the post, no doubt!
Earlybird details, it's  brown with a matching brown interior, well, shagpile brown carpet. yet somewhat if not fully modern and f*** Greta, it's also turbo diesel! As, Scottish ken... I've already named her. Bonnie and so she is in brown. Three more sleeps. 🍺

Saturday collections inbound, Scotland to Wiltshire and back. Departing mega early Saturday, overnight stopover and then hame on Sunday, god willing. Funds in place, check, insurance in place, check, tax in the post, no doubt!
Earlybird details, it's  brown with a matching brown interior, well, shagpile brown carpet. yet somewhat if not fully modern and f*** Greta, it's also turbo diesel! As, Scottish ken... I've already named her. Bonnie and so she is in brown. Three more sleeps. 🍺

Still here, still doing the job. Have grown to love this car, spoils you for everything else, that's the problem with Range Rovers. Nothing really to report, had brake pipes replaced for the last MOT and that was it, then front N/S pipe split while parked and had to be recovered by the AA, thanks, from my work to the local indy, split was hidden underneath the wheel well cover so invisible to the human eye.
Claim was put into the AA for the £199 costs of breakdown repairs, they rejected the claim as the car had advisories for yes you guessed it, brake pipe corrosion, as do nearly all Scottish based motors, lol. We argued that those pipes were replaced and they were, but they still said no, claim regected pal. Fair enough as it wasn't a big bill after all and they did recover it. Nae hassle.
This weekend, went to check the front pads as the brakes have been squeeking and didn't seem happy. Found the outer top caliper pistons to be frozen seized on both sides. This was a big change from when the discs and pads were fitted 10k miles ago, bugger. That's torn it, I thought. 
Offending item and only 148,000 miles covered too....

Big lump of a thing and there's two of them obviously. I need the car back on the road by tonight and as it was it wasn't roadworthy, double bugger. Seal kits are about 40 quid per side and pistons if required would be more, and would need ordering in, much more including the Brembo tax. New calipers are £900 + tax each.  Reasuringly expensive, or, daylight robbery you choose.
Then I remembered I'd saw someone selling the same set of calipers refurbished on one of the ahem, other forums. Contact was made money changed hands in a Tesco car park, natch, and we had a way! 
 
 
 

Further bonus, expect the fuel economy will rocket upwards as that N/S caliper was deffo binding, the outer pad was nearly worn out, while the inner pad was only half worn and the pads on the O/S caliper, were about equally half worn. Worth 2mpg?
Nerd bonus, single pad wear warning sensor is fitted to the inner pad on N/S caliper. That was carefully removed and reused. Yah!

Caliper securing bolts torque 110NM - you really don't want those coming loose and I will be ordered in a new sets of those bolts for when the discs need changed next, which they will. Wheel nut torque 140NM. You really don't want them coming loose either and I may well be changing those for new ones too as one of them has already lost it's shiny chrome cap.
Bonus caravan shot.

Last night I was mostly shopping for new to me brake calipers.

New insides without looking new, only bloody perfect!

So today it was off with the old on with the new. Tried to keep the brake fluid loss to the min, but still ended up with a puddle to clean up after, decided against clamping the pipe with mole grips, must get a proper pipe clamp thing, One man bleeder finished up the job easily added maybe 350ml to bring the res' up to the max, brakes are much improved even with the new Brembo pads from stock still bedding.  Will be towing that 1250kg ABI caravan mid-week so not a moment too soon. Love your brakes and they will love you back. Money spent on them is never money wasted. 

 

Still here, still doing the job. Have grown to love this car, spoils you for everything else, that's the problem with Range Rovers. Nothing really to report, had brake pipes replaced for the last MOT and that was it, then front N/S pipe split while parked and had to be recovered by the AA, thanks, from my work to the local indy, split was hidden underneath the wheel well cover so invisible to the human eye.
Claim was put into the AA for the £199 costs of breakdown repairs, they rejected the claim as the car had advisories for yes you guessed it, brake pipe corrosion, as do nearly all Scottish based motors, lol. We argued that those pipes were replaced and they were, but they still said no, claim regected pal. Fair enough as it wasn't a big bill after all and they did recover it. Nae hassle.
This weekend, went to check the front pads as the brakes have been squeeking and didn't seem happy. Found the outer top caliper pistons to be frozen seized on both sides. This was a big change from when the discs and pads were fitted 10k miles ago, bugger. That's torn it, I thought. 
Offending item and only 148,000 miles covered too....

Big lump of a thing and there's two of them obviously. I need the car back on the road by tonight and as it was it wasn't roadworthy, double bugger. Seal kits are about 40 quid per side and pistons if required would be more, and would need ordering in, much more including the Brembo tax. New calipers are £900 + tax each.  Reasuringly expensive, or, daylight robbery you choose.
Then I remembered I'd saw someone selling the same set of calipers refurbished on one of the ahem, other forums. Contact was made money changed hands in a Tesco car park, natch, and we had a way!