FE Build instrument cluster stopped working

SMOKEDYA

Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Jul 13, 2003
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Tucson AZ
Search here didnt turn up much. Basically as the title says. In my 95 gt the cluster stopped working. Everything did except the bright light indicator and the dash lights.... No gauges work at all.....
 
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It sounds like you burned a ground trace on the control board (back face of your cluster).

Pull it apart and inspect it. Follow the board traces. It should be pretty easy to see where the break is.

Either repair the trace or look for a replacement on Ebay. I'm not sure if there are aftermarket solutions.
 
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It sounds like you burned a ground trace on the control board (back face of your cluster).

Pull it apart and inspect it. Follow the board traces. It should be pretty easy to see where the break is.

Either repair the trace or look for a replacement on Ebay. I'm not sure if there are aftermarket solutions.

That would be my first guess too. There are no aftermarket solutions. You can get a replacement printed circuit for an 84' Ford Ranger, but not for an SN Mustang. We are all competing for an ever diminishing supply of salvaged instrument clusters. I don't think fixing a printed circuit is that easy either.

Kurt
 
This video is not the best example because this dude has a [lot] of toys.

You need flux, solder, pointed tip soldering iron, and a cheap pair of magnifying glasses. Use alcohol to clean it and clear fingernail polish to coat it.


View: https://youtu.be/a5A61fIu0kk


It's worth doing if you already possess and know how to do these kinds of things. Finding a replacement on Ebay or a repair facility will be better if you don't.
 
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It's worth doing if you already possess and know how to do these kinds of things. Finding a replacement on Ebay or a repair facility will be better if you don't.

That looks more like an actual hard plastic circuit board and not the thin plastic printed circuit on the back of an instrument cluster. I actually learned how to make circuit boards like that in shop class in 8th grade. Go figure. Anyway, I don't think you would have that much luck trying to repair a printed circuit. I would say that the best way would be to run a wire directly from the solder on the pin that goes into the printed circuit back to the harness itself. There are reasonably good magnifying lamps available at good prices at Harbor Freight. My wife has bought several for her jewellery work.

Kurt
 
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Well hopefully i fixed it.. The circuit the fuse was blown on was #15 and was labeled cluster,low engine coolant switch,warning chime, low oil warning relay,air bag diag moduale Noticed the low coolant sensor in the over flow was removed when the previous owner installed a new one. Seen bare wires tapped them up out of the way, replaced fuse this morning before work so far so good!
 
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Well hopefully i fixed it.. The circuit the fuse was blown on was #15 and was labeled cluster,low engine coolant switch,warning chime, low oil warning relay,air bag diag moduale Noticed the low coolant sensor in the over flow was removed when the previous owner installed a new one. Seen bare wires tapped them up out of the way, replaced fuse this morning before work so far so good!

Sweet! :nice:
 
Now another issue. And sure it's ground related? Anyone have schematic's or test procedures for the cluster? So I put the engine and transmission in my 94 I have. The oil gauge works with KOEO, but as soon as you start the engine the gauge goes to 0. Also the coolant gauge does one of three things. Not reading. Slightly reading. Or pegged on hot. Now. Once I drive the car for a bit the coolant gauge reads. But still not accurate, as in barley over cold. And for the fuel gauge. It don't start reading accurately until the temp gauges figures out what it wants to do and stabilizes. Tach, speedo, and volt gauge all reads fine all the time.