Gauge Cluster lighting
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New User
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
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From: Southern Oregon
Gauge Cluster lighting
Hey all,
I've been working on getting the old Aerostar running. She's been parked in a field for several wet Oregon winters, and unfortunately I was unaware that the rear windows where leaking. I've got the leaks fixed, but the van held a lot of moisture for several years. Now when I turn on the headlights some lights come on sometimes, and others will flash occasionally, but none work consistently. I pulled the gauge cluster out to find that the bulbs where fine, but the copper backing was corroded. Is there a way to replace the backing, or clean the copper paths so all the lights have a good connection again, or does the entire gauge unit need to be replaced? I've called ford to see what it would cost to have a new unit programmed for the van's mileage, but they want more than the van is worth to do so (Not surprising.)
Any advice would be appreciated.
I've been working on getting the old Aerostar running. She's been parked in a field for several wet Oregon winters, and unfortunately I was unaware that the rear windows where leaking. I've got the leaks fixed, but the van held a lot of moisture for several years. Now when I turn on the headlights some lights come on sometimes, and others will flash occasionally, but none work consistently. I pulled the gauge cluster out to find that the bulbs where fine, but the copper backing was corroded. Is there a way to replace the backing, or clean the copper paths so all the lights have a good connection again, or does the entire gauge unit need to be replaced? I've called ford to see what it would cost to have a new unit programmed for the van's mileage, but they want more than the van is worth to do so (Not surprising.)
Any advice would be appreciated.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,013
Likes: 205
From: SoCal
If the corrosion has not completely eaten through the copper, you can clean it off and maybe flow some solder onto the traces to protect them. But if after you clean off the corrosion and there is no copper left, then you would have to solder wires to replace the missing traces. The hard parts to repair would be where the traces are also used as contacts, like for bulbs. One way to replace the traces would be to get some foil tape from your local hardware store, cut them to shape, and hope they stick to the board. You would need to connect the new foil to the old conductors.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,416
Likes: 1
From: Mitchell, SD
If you are going to go through all that work to fix your old one, might as well upgrade to a F-150 cluster.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...o-an-aero.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...o-an-aero.html
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