560SEC outside temperature display

Last week I fixed the outside temperature LCD on my 300SE.   Today it was time to fix the 560SEC outside temperature display as well.   In my previous post I covered the details of where I purchased the replacement LCD panels.   This same repair should also work on W124 and W201 models of the same vintage.  I understand there are minor variances, and that the LCD changed slightly in later years.    Both types are available.

I found a few things to speed up the process while doing the second car.   Firstly, the instrument cluster does not need to be unplugged.   It is possible to remove the 560SEC outside temperature display unit by just sliding the instrument cluster out of its housing, but not disconnecting any of the cables (other than the temperature one).    You just need a stubby Phillips head to get in behind the cluster and remove the two screws that hold in the temperature display unit.

The photo above shows the 560SEC outside temperature display unit removed from the car and dismantled.   Interestingly the 1987 unit used small Phillips head screws to hold the front of the display on. The 1986 unit had flat head screws.   Other than that, they seemed identical.     The SEC unit was stamped 5/87 which seems correct.   I forgot to look on the 300SE.  As per last time, that small dot in the border of the LCD unit indicates the top.   You can also see the little blocks that conduct the signal to the LCD panel are still on the old display.

The picture is showing the old LCD still in the display unit.   Behind the LCD unit there is a small piece of a paper like material that sits on the inside of the LCD.   I left that with the old LCD screen when doing the 300SE.  As the 300SE’s screen was so bright with the headlights on, I transferred it over on the SEC.   I would recommend transferring this paper.   It makes sure the brightness level is appropriate. I have saved the paper from the 300SE, so I can add it back in next time I have to remove the instrument cluster.

The picture above shows the repaired 560SEC outside temperature display, along with the two dead units.   It also shows the piece of paper that should go in the 300SE unit.     To make sure I did the repair properly, I did a quick test before pushing the instrument cluster back into the dash.   I was rewarded with a perfectly working outside temperature.

The way these units are so easy to fix also means it is an easy job to have your car in Celsius or Fahrenheit.   A used display with a cloudy LCD would be quick cheap, and then it could be fixed and put into the car.   I would have converted to Celsius when I lived in the USA.  I could never really get my head around imperial measurements.

Finally, I tested with the lights on and the illumination was a little dimmer than on the 300SE, thanks to that paper.  As it was all working perfectly, I pushed the cluster back in place.    Last step was to replace the drivers side speaker, and the job was done.