2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS ON FRIDAY, 6/17/2016, I NOTICED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL WAS VERY DARK. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN AGAIN UNTIL DUSK, ON SATURDAY, 6/18/2016 AND I REALIZED ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE OUT, THE GAUGES WERE NOT WORKING NOR DID THE TURN SIGNALS INSIDE THE VEHICLE OR THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS, WORK OR THE VOLUME CONTROL ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT THE TIME OF THIS DISCOVERY

FIRST INCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2013 INSTRUMENT PANEL SUGGESTED THAT REAR LIGHTS WERE MALFUNCTIONING. TOOK IN TO MECHANIC AND REPLACED FUSE, THEN APPROX. 3 WEEK LATER REPEATED MALFUNCTION, BUT NOW THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT DARK. REPLACED FUSE AGAIN, AFTER THIS TIME IT LASTED FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS. NOW IT'S DECEMBER 2013 AND THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS DARK, NO MILEAGE, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL OR SAFETY GAUGES. MECHANIC TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AND ADVISED THAT IT WAS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I KNOW THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED ON THIS SAFETY ITEM. WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME HELP RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. *TR

ALL LIGHTING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN FLICKERING ON AND OFF ,PANEL REMAINED TOTALLY DARK, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING WORKED ON STEERING WHEEL. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH AND IT WAS DARK. COULD NOT SEE ANY LIGHTING ON GAUGES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WAS TOLD ABOUT RECALL ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER .AFTER CHECKING FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED BECAUSE MY VEHICLE HAD ALL INDICATIONS REFERRED TO IN PARTICULAR RECALL OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. *TR

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL LIGHTING FOR INSTRUMENT DARK/UNREADABLE (SPEEDOMETER,TACH,ODOMETER,FUEL,TEMP,TURN SIGNAL ETC). TAKEN TO DEALER AND I PAID FOR REBUILD TO UNIT. IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURED AGAIN AFTER APPROX 3 MONTHS. *TR

ON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS BLACK WITHOUT ILLUMINATION OR READING. AS A RESULT, GAUGES TO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, FUEL, WARNINGS TO MALFUNCTIONS, TACHOMETER, OIL PRESSURE, & ENGINE TEMPERATURE ARE NOT PRESENT. *TR