hello, newbie hear to the ford forum.
I'm currently driving a 2001 Ford V6 Explorer Sport. My oil pressure gauge on the instrument panel flipped counter clockwise so the dial is pressing up against the extended pin and will not hold its place. All other instrument display are fine.


I took the SUV to a local mechanic and he removed the instrument panel and informed me that I need to replace the "Instrument Cluster Print Circuit" aka known as Back End Circuit Board?


Problem is that he's checked all his local contacts and evidently Ford no longer manufactures this part for 2001 are they are very hard to find. He suggested that I might do an internet search for this part with my VIN number. So if I can locate on and purchase and he will install.


I understand the issue, but not an expert on Ford parts and hesitant to purchase what I think might be the part if I even can locate it.


SUV runs good and is worth $1,400. Current cost is approximate $175.00 for the mechanic to pull apart dash. So I'm in a delimma, do I try to search for the part, not sure of cost but rough internet search could be a few hundred plus mechanic job to install going to add up, maybe I should take it to the Ford Dealer, or maybe just have the instrument panel put but together and drive call knowing the Oil Pressure Gauge isnt working, knowing that if something more serious were to happen the Check Engine light would come on.


Overall sounds like time to get rid of this SUV but would like to keep a couple more years since it's running well otherwise.


Advice?

 

I'm not sure I'm following. Are you saying that the resting position of the gauge is at something higher than "L" and when the engine is running the needle rotates counter clockwise and comes up against the stop peg at the bottom of the gauge? Or are you saying that the needle appears to have rotated so far that it's now on the "backside" of the stop peg and unable to display properly?

On the Explorer the oil pressure gauge really isn't a gauge. Either your oil pressure reads good or it reads low, there are only two positions. If the gauge moves, the issue is probably not the flex circuit on the instrument cluster but more likely either the needle needs to be re-positioned or the sending unit is bad.

If you are convinced that the flex circuit is bad, have you considered either finding one from a salvage yard or, worst case, running a single discrete wire across the damaged trace in the circuit?

-Rod

 

Rod, thanks for the reply. The issue is the latter. "the needle appears to have rotated so far to the left that it's now on the "backside" of the stop peg and unable to display properly? When I turn the key the orange dial moves from the bottom position and only moves a bit up so the top of the orange dial is pushing against the bottom of the black extending pin preventing the dial from moving to the position between between H-L. Or rather the orange dial flipped so far the left and will not rotate.


My mechanic told me that is more than just the dial that the powersurge going thru the instrument panel is to high thus the need to replace the instrument panel. However all my other gauges are working properly. The only issue is the oil gauge. I like your idea or running a single discrete wire across the damaged circuit.


The mechanic doesn't do the internet so he advised me to look for the part, but I'm not convinced the entre instrument panel has to be replaced as he mentioned. The Explorer runs fine, it just the dial that I'm having and issue.
Frank

 

Why not just get an aftermarket gauge.

 

From the sounds of it, I'm not sure you need a new cluster, a new wire, or even a new gauge. If you are at all handy with a nut driver and Philips screw driver, you can remove the instrument cluster and lens. I'd certainly try repositioning the needle for the oil pressure to see if that will take care of the issue. You could always try removing the needle, position it at the bottom of the graduations, start the engine, and see if the gauge travels to about the midway location. If so, there's no voltage surge or likely need for wiring/cluster repairs.

-Rod

 

I agree with Rod. I used a simple kitchen fork to pry the needle off the gauge. You can temporarily leave the lens off the gauge and temporarily install it back in the dash and turn the key on so that you can watch the gauge, and reposition the needle to where you think it should be, then pull the cluster back out and put the lens back on ...reinstall everything and you are done.

However, if that is NOT the case and it still acts crazy, you should be able to find the cluster through any Junkyard local to you, or through one of them through a national parts search. The same cluster is found in Explorers, mountaineers and Rangers of the same year(s ) they used that cluster...it's a common one...hell, i think our 01 Sport trac has the same gauge cluster that our 96 Explorer had...the dash is the exact same...I pulled a cluster for my 98 Astro and it cost me $25 from a U pull it yourself yard in MN. The only special tool I know you'll need is the U clip to pull the stock radio out with, which you can pick up at any auto parts store for a couple of bucks.

 

Thanks all for the feedback all. The mechanic who seemed very knowledgeable and experienced said that he believes the issue is more than just the oil gauge, but that the electrical surge going through the circuit board in the back of the instrument panel is to high, however I'm not having issues luckily with any other instruments/gauges. So they wanted to replace the entire instrument panel/circuit board which I can find on Ebay. However the next issue they claim is that once the new instrument panel is replaced the circuit board needs to be recalibrated somehow in sync with the Security System which would required to bring in another mechanic who is a specialist in this type of electrical wiring and resetting.


At this point though I think the mechanic has good intentions, this is just not a job their skilled at so I had them put the dash back together and leave everything the way it is. I have a buddy who lives a few hours away I will see later this month and is pretty much a mister fix it (cars, homes, you name it). See if he can tactical it with just fixing the gauge like you all suggest and leave it at that. Thanks for everyones feedback.

 

Thanks all for feedback. I gave up with the mechanic, he had good intentions but don't think it was a job he could handle or at least was becoming more complicated. I have a buddy who lives a few hours away whom I will see later this month. He's a Mr. Fixit with about everything especially autos/tracks so I will take the advice here and see if we can just pull the panel out and move the gauge manually and so if that will do the trick.

 

Looking at the manual for the Explorers up to 99, the gauge cluster doesn't require anything special to recalibrate, except for the Odometer. That can be taken care of simply by taking the odometer off of the old cluster and installing it onto the new one. the only time you'd need someone to calibrate the new cluster is if the Odometer couldn't be salvaged. I've swapped the same Odo into 3 different gauge clusters in my Astro. You could also just swap the circuit board into the new cluster, or if the circuit board was fine and it was the stepper motor, you could swap in the stepper from the replacement gauge cluster ( make sure you use the same stepper motor from the same position, they aren't universal ).

 

Redfury, thanks so much for that info, very helpful. I'm meeting up with my buddy today who is a mechanic and see what we can do to fix this. I just don't think the mechanic I brought my SUV to for this job was not knowledgeable enough to handle the job.

 

Be mindful of the connectors in the back of the cluster... A different cluster may look the same, but the connection may have evolved to accommodate a change in instrumentation... For example, our 2001 /2 sport trac has the same gauge as our 96 Explorer, but the newer 2004 gauge would fit dimensionally, but the odometer is electronic instead of mechanical.. So they wouldn't be able to be swapped.