W126 DIY odo/tripmeter gear replacement

[owm]

I have been unable to monitor both my mileage and fuel consumption since getting Adala a month back as both the odometer and tripmeters were not running. The reason for this? The crappy gears made of plastic that had an averse reaction to the grease that MB used which caused them to soften and disintegrate over time:

Culprits are designated E1, E2 and E3:

As referenced to in the guide I used:

http://www.odometergears.com/howto/Mercedes-Benz_Electronic_Odometer_Repair.pdf

These are the new gears that were purchased:

E1 is the smallest one, E3 is the one with the red dot and E2 is the remaining one.

The new E1 (drive gear) installed:

IMPORTANT - Do follow the reference guide above on how to remove the old drive gear and the brass ferrule.

All gears mounted and lightly greased (new gears are made of acetal and will not become brittle like the OEM ones that were made of PU):

You will re-use two of the gears as mentioned in the guide. They are hidden behind the E3 and E2 gears:

How to check if the gears are installed correctly is to turn each installed gear by hand and see if the trip and odo numbers move.

All assembled for another 20yr service!

Hope this helps for fellow W126 owners who have this common problem!

[jtang]

Great write up with pics. Thks for sharing. This model brings back fond memories...family used to have a 280SEL W216 many years ago. Which model is yours?

[owm]

Hi there,

It's in my signature 300SE, M103 engine, 4 speed slushbox. It's my favorite MB model in terms of daily driveability, ease of maintenance, parts abundance and build quality/reliability

[keltanky]

Bro, never try to modernize a bit of the W126? Like having those blue/green glowing lights for the Odometer?

and getting the new DRL fitted Headlights?

[owm]

Nope, don't like the disco lights of modern dash, will clash with the rest of the cabin

Don't think DRL will fit with the look I am trying to achieve with this car too. Prefer to keep it stock to showcase its innate elegance and timelessness. As you can tell, I am not a very trendy or fashionable fellow