I have 2004 mc ls and was told by the stealer that I need to replace the instrument panel for $500.
Sounds pricey and want to do it myself . Anyone have pics to help me remove and reinstall?

 

It's a PITA. I will hopefully have a writeup done soon in the book I'm writing. You basically take the faceplate off the dash, take out a few bolts (4 I think) and disconnect the wires. Hook up the new cluster and reattach everything.

For a temporary fix you can turn the car off, turn the key to accessory, and watch the needles reset. This will drop the speedometer needle down about 5mph. You may have to do this quite a few times.

Sometimes it works only for a few miles, sometimes for months. You may have to try it a couple times before it "will stick."

The down side is I've heard one cluster went out on the guy, but since the cluster was useless anyway I don't know why he was upset.

The dealership is correct at this time that the cluster needs to be changed. That is the only known fix. If you decided to get a new one (sometimes they are cheaper on ebay) let me borrow your broken one so I can disassemble it and discover what exactly is going on and come up with a backyard mechanic fix to help others such as yourself.