2004 Excursion xlt removal
<hr style="color: rgb(209, 209, 225); background-color: rgb(209, 209, 225);" size="1"> Today I finally decided to attempt to fix the overhead readout on my 2004 Excursion. It had been getting dimer and the compass had quit working.
It was quite simple . In the sunglass compartment there is a fillips head screw in the center that needs to be removed first. I just pulled on the front (windshield front) part of the cover and the two FRICTION clips released .Then I pulled on the rear of the cover and the 1 FRICTION clip released. Then I took a small #10 torx screwdriver and unscrewed the three screws and removed the module with the readouts and buttons. I removed the plug and heard something rolling around in there. Carefully I opened it by taking my fingernail and pulling out the little tabs(four of them) and slid the top black plastic off. I then lifted the green electronic board out of the black plastic base. Found the 3 chips laying in base. 2 -#680 and 1- #620.
Looked on the post above with the directions and figured out where they went and soldered them back in place. Plugged it back in and the readout was bright again but no compass just the square around the direction was light. Put the screws back in and snapped it back into the Friction clips and that was the end of it. Do the back first then the front. Started the Excursion up and held the 2 button in until the cal.was on the screen. pushed the correct ZONE for the Pittsburgh PA area and pushed the other button for the temp. Drove a little and had to pull off to take a call. Shut the Excursion off... Restarted it and viola, there was my compass working. So maybe the lose chip was a problem that fixed not only the brightness but the compass. Thanks to the former people that gave me the courage to tackle this easy job. And it really is easy.

 

I tried this last night and it just made me more angry. Found 1 680 chip loose, touched it and it fell out. I do not know how to solder but tried it anyway with no success. Any suggestions or instructions on soldering... ?

 

I ran into exactly the same problem. Many posts say simply solder or make sure you use a "solder pen". Radio Shack and Auto Zone acted like I was crazy when I asked for a "solder pen".

I decided the chips were way too small and too hard to reach to try it. Instead I sent my unit to: Auto Clock Repair - Overhead Information Display Repair only $34.95 shipped!*If the Display has gone dead (or is dim/intermittent) we can fix it!*Dealer pricing can be over $700!!! *Let the Pros take care of your problem. *

For $34.95 they will repair it including changing any bad chips and return it to me. Let you know how it works out late next week when I get it back.

In the meantime I put some aluminum roll insulation in the cavities where the console fits. Hopefully this will take some of the heat off the circuit board and my sunglasses.

 

Thanks Elmo... Looking forward to your results.

 

I got my overhead display circuit board returned today. It was fixed by Auto Clock Repair for $39.95 and comes with a warranty. Anyway it took about 10 minutes to reinstall and everything works fine. Display is bright and all functions work.

 

Very cool, my MPG indicator never seems to change, but the miles to empty seems to work just fine. The MPG always says 9.6, I have not driven all that much since I purchased it. Any ideas?

 

Yes, you need to recycle the MPG indicator. It is giving you the cumulative MPG since it was last recycled which could have been years ago. The owners manual tells how to reset this so it will tell you the MPG for the next tank full.

If you don't have a manual let me know and I will look it up.

 

To reset MGP calculation:

With the AVG MPG being displayed, press and hold BOTH buttons
until it resets to 0.0

Done, it's that easy.

I do that after each fill-up.

 

Thanks Guys, I love this forum.

 

I reset my "trip" meter on the dash after each fillup also.
I also use the "fill-up" feature on my SGII when I reset my overhead MPG.

I typically take 40-44 gallons of fuel @ fill-up, and my SGII is typically
within 1 or 2 TENTHs of a gallon of how much fuel I actually put in.
The SGII is also typically about 6 or 8 MILES below what the dash
trip meter says I drove. For 700 miles that is exceptionally accurate
to me.

 

No, it doesn't change at all. It must be broken as far as calculating the MPG. Any other ideas I should be on the lookout for?

 

I have an 01 limited, and the overhead display reads 999 miles to empty, and 99 mpg. Could this be an issue with the read out itself or a deeper issue. The miles to empty will change once your about to run out. If it starts reading 50 miles to empty i better be finding some fuel fast. Also the rear sensor for backing up will not turn on. Any ideas?

 

Thanks for this post.

With it, and other posts on the dark display, I was able to quickly pull my overhead console and teach my 8 y/o about soldering. I had 2 which were loose, I soldered them all. It works now!!

 

I'd leave it like that, hahahah