Instrument cluster Dreaded Dot Disease (DDD)

[emerydc8]

Wow, now that’s a serious case of DDD!

 

[gerryvz]

Indeed, that's Stage 4 (terminal) DDD.

I've discovered over the past year that my cluster is in Stage 1. I'm hoping that the 124 cluster is easier to separate than the 126 cluster was. I cracked several 126 clear plastic lenses trying to get a good one separated, and I don't have any more spare 124 clusters left. I sent my last good 400E cluster to a forum member overseas for free, some years back.

I do have about 3-4 spare 126 clusters in my inventory, but that doesn't help me when the time comes to do the chemotherapy on my E500 cluster, once it hits Stage 2.

The key is treating DDD before it mestastisizes into Stage 3 and 4.

 

[sheward]

That cluster went from perfect to stage 4 in about a year due to being covered in a garage.

 

[gsxr]

That cluster went from perfect to stage 4 in about a year due to being covered in a garage.

Drew, is the garage insulated or climate controlled? I assume your location in GA is a high humidity area which likely doesn't help.

 

[sheward]

The garage was insulated but not climate controlled. The car was under an outdoor cover inside. The garage was not opened much, and I believe the lack of light and high humidity were the cause.

 

[Jlaa]

Anyone else keep a bucket of damprid in the car while in the garage?

 

[sheward]

I'll start now.

This car is now back in my garage where my leaky A/C ducting keeps the garage cool and dry.

 

[gerryvz]

Anyone else keep a bucket of damprid in the car while in the garage?

I use this in my boat during winter indoor, temp-controlled storage. Works well.

 

[nocfn]

yep me too. maybe not that brand but I do use these in the cabin and boot during periods of un-use.

 

[Sebastopol]

Hi All - I read in a prior article the DDD and dots that show up are crystal in nature, based on my removal and refurb of my instrument cluster it seemed the bulbs on the panel are melting the diffuser and blowing in the plastic crystals creating the dots,...? Pics below 525 and 524 show the DDD, 522 pic is a clean cluster.

The solution is to control the brightness/heat generated by the bulbs rheostat for the instrument cluster.

 

[gsxr]

... the bulbs on the panel are melting the diffuser and blowing in the plastic crystals creating the dots,...? Pics below 525 and 524 show the DDD, 522 pic is a clean cluster.

The solution is to control the brightness/heat generated by the bulbs rheostat for the instrument cluster.

Early cluster housings have thin clear plastic light guides which are more prone to melting... it looks like that's what you have.

Later housings have thick clear plastic which is more robust.

ALSO, the melting can be caused by overwattage bulbs installed. From memory they are supposed to be 3W but a 5W bulb is often substituted? Or something like that. Dimmable LED's are an option to prevent this. Turning down the rehostat will help avoid melting, but I want to actually see the instruments at night...