cluster solder fixes
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2014
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cluster solder fixes
hi folks. i've been living for quite some time with no lights in the cluster - not such a big deal, but now that my coolant temp gauge also reads nothing, i suspect two successive cold solder joints in the cluster. luckily, with experience in this department, i consider those easy to fix. having not yet pulled the cluster, though - once i have it in hand, any tips on where i should look first?
(i am psyched to disable/destroy the door/seatbelt buzzer at the same time. oh boy, will that be nice!)
(i am psyched to disable/destroy the door/seatbelt buzzer at the same time. oh boy, will that be nice!)
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,533
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From: SW Florida
Oh I hate that buzzer... if you want you can just destroy the key part of it by taking the cover off the column and cutting the wire to contact on the key cylinder. Then it'll still work if you leave the lights on. Or just do what I do... rip it out from under the dash and smash it against the nearest hard surface 
What year truck do you have? With a 92+ I'd check the dimmer rheostat first if you have no instrument lights. On the back of the cluster, most of the circuitry is printed onto a flexible film instead of an actual PCB, so there ain't any solder joints in the illumination circuits... at least not on the cluster itself.
There are a few boards in there for some of the instruments. For sure the PSOM/speedometer has one, and I think the tach has one too, but I don't remember there being boards for any of the other gauges.
EDIT: wait a sec, yes there are solder joints on some of the instruments... I remember at least one of the having a resistor soldered across 2 of the input pins.
Anyhow, let us know what you find.
What year truck do you have? With a 92+ I'd check the dimmer rheostat first if you have no instrument lights. On the back of the cluster, most of the circuitry is printed onto a flexible film instead of an actual PCB, so there ain't any solder joints in the illumination circuits... at least not on the cluster itself.
There are a few boards in there for some of the instruments. For sure the PSOM/speedometer has one, and I think the tach has one too, but I don't remember there being boards for any of the other gauges.
EDIT: wait a sec, yes there are solder joints on some of the instruments... I remember at least one of the having a resistor soldered across 2 of the input pins.
Anyhow, let us know what you find.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 23,666
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From: Easton,Ks
There is also an instruments lamp fuse in the cab fuse panel in your 1991 F-150.
It is fuse number 10, a 5amp fuse.
I do not know of any solder joints for the instruments lamps in the cluster.
/
It is fuse number 10, a 5amp fuse.
I do not know of any solder joints for the instruments lamps in the cluster.
/
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2014
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super helpful folks! i agree, the rheostat may be the place to look, so i am going to swap that out first. it seems like my fuse #10 is reliably blowing but i only had one spare so i haven't proven this conclusively. those pictures were great, subford, so thank you. dixie460, i like that approach - any tip on identifying that one wire at the steering column?
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,533
Likes: 17
From: SW Florida
super helpful folks! i agree, the rheostat may be the place to look, so i am going to swap that out first. it seems like my fuse #10 is reliably blowing but i only had one spare so i haven't proven this conclusively. those pictures were great, subford, so thank you. dixie460, i like that approach - any tip on identifying that one wire at the steering column?
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