I turned the ignition switch on my 99 SL500 this morning and all the instrument gauges are on "0" and not moving, even though I drove the car for about 30 miles not even the odometer shows any movement (gas gauge, odometer, speed and non of the warning/brake lights are on at ignition)' everything else works fine exterior lights, clock ..etc
can anyone tell me if this is a major electrical failure or just a fuse needing replacement, andc how do i check which fuse for which instrunent, since the car manual did not show anything. thanks

 

check fuses 1 & 5 at the drivers side back corner of the engine compartment. there are two round electrical connectors that plug into instrument cluster. maybe one's loose. a fuse would probably affect other systems too. could be a bad circuit board. the cluster just pops out with a couple of stiff hooked wires on each side. you need to catch the back of the cluster and pull. be careful not to scratch the dash. I use a plastic wedge to get a gap between the cluster and the dash, then ran a couple of heavy clothes hanger wires, bent at the ends, through the gap. you won't be able to take the cluster completely out unless you remove the steering wheel, but you can reach in behind and check the connectors. they only plug in one way. I have had mice get into stored cars and mess up wiring and vacuum hoses pretty good in the past.

 

i will check the fuses and see if this will resolve the issue, thanks for the response