Ok, I now have had my gauge cluster rebuilt twice by circuit board medics. This second time, they are telling me that a external source sent a surge through pin # 25 & 26 on the black plug. I have no operating windows, internal lights, radio, Mirrors nor the back window. Fuse #42 was blowing before I sent the gauge cluster back the second time.

A couple of questions, One, where can I get a wiring diagram that would allow me to trace back the circuits associated with pin numbers 25 & 26.

The second Does anybody have any idea what may be going on. Anybody have this problem and solved it. Suggestions Welcome

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Ray

 

Ray,
We will be happy to help you. Pins 25 and 26 on the black connector are connected inside the cluster through the battery relay saver circuit. When this circuit is energized, there should be a direct connection between pins 25 and 26. Pin 26 runs directly to fuse 41(10A) which is hot at all times (connected directly to battery), and when the internal relay circuit within the cluster is energized, pin 25 sends +12VDC to the interior lights, power windows, radio, etc. The Ford wiring diagram is misleading, because fuse 41 is labeled as "instrument cluster", but the cluster can still power up even with fuse 41 blown. It just runs to the cluster to provide power for the battery saver circuit.
When we received you cluster the 2nd time, the copper traces between pins 25 and 26 were literally burned open like a blown fuse. This leads us to believe that pin 25 is grounded somewhere. I would begin by checking fuse 41 to ensure that it is good. If fuse 41 is good, check continuity of pin 25 of the black connector (wiring harness side) to ground on the truck. With the ignition off, I would look for a ground on the wiring harness and then connect the cluster and backprobe the same pin to check for a connection to ground again. We certainly want to help you find the problem, so if that requires sending the cluster to us to see if the same circuit has been blown open again, it will at least give us another clue on where to look.
Let me know how fuse 41 checks out. I hope that's all it is.