My fuel level/oil pressure dash light was out. Once in a while it would come on, usually after closing the driver door, then it would not come on again next time I got in the truck and turned on headlights. Finally, out of curiosity, i smacked the top of the dash with an open palm and the light came on. I was thinking that it might be a loose connection that I could easily fix, but when I googled a youtube on how to remove the instrument cluster and saw what the cluster looks like, I figure that it looks like there might not be an accessible connection to check on the cluster, other than the two main plugs at the top. I'd guess that if it were one of the two plugs on top, it would have more than just the one light being faulty.

Is there an accessible connection that I can easily get to and snug it up? Or will it take a more in depth repair of the cluster to get this fault fixed? Any thoughts?

 

I'd start with a bulb change. When you bang the dash it's making the broken end of the filament vibrate and make a connection. Then when you turn it off and it cools it breaks connection again.

 

Oh, OK thanks. Didn't know it had changeable bulbs. I'll try that. When I viewed the youtube video it looked like the unit might be sealed and non-serviceable, like maybe long life LEDs or something so I held off removing it till finding out if it's worth the hassle of disassembly. I suppose I just need to get the darned thing out and in my hands so I can get a good look at it, try the bulbs. Maybe if it's not that, another possible culprit might stand out at me. Thanks for the tip.

 

Hey Tim,

I just did this repair. Same bulbs too. There's only one bulb that illuminates the gas/oil gauges.

Watch this video on how to pull the dash. Not too bad but, the wires are short once you get it out. Don't pull hard either.

These bulbs are 10 bucks a piece and I would suggest you buying more than one.! I had two bulbs out and I bought two. But once I got it back in the dash I had 2 more out. I guess pulling on the cluster yielded 2 more. Anyway, be careful when taking it out.

If you go to ford for the bulbs. The part # has change from AB to AA @ the end of the part #

 

That's the video that I watched that gave me the thought that the bulbs were only changeable by taking the cluster apart. I believe that they are sealed units so I assumed that they were only serviceable by a shop, being that the only wires plug in from the top. Thank you for this video and your first hand account. Out of curiosity, where are the bulbs accessed and changed from? The back of the unit?

 

The bulbs go into a fitting like the black ones in this link in every Ford cluster I've seen, including a 2002 Ranger similar to the one pictured but also a 2004 F150 that had the next-generation cluster and an '03 6.0 IIRC:
https://www.ranger-forums.com/interi...-lights-65263/
(Step #12 and Post #4 for pics of what I mean for the "little black fittings")

Twist 1/3rd turn, oull out, pull bulb, new bulb, twist back in.

Obviously you have the 05+ so I'm not confirming anything for you, jsut curious if once you get in they still use the same plug. Or maybe Xaviar can confirm for an 05-07.

 

Yes.

Once you get the cluster out. The bulbs just twist out. Also, you dont have to turn your key all the way to the run position. Turn it just far enough to pull your gear selector down all the way. If that doesn't work. You might want to pull your FICM relay. Or just disconnect your negative battery cables.

 

Mine were white similar to the white one in that post. Those black ones seem to be like those 194 bulbs they used forever. Which are replaceable.

The new ones like ours, 05 and up I had to by the whole assembly. Light and socket together, and they're half the size of the 194 bulbs. Hence the additional cost with bulb and socket together. .

 

Bulbs are not $10 each if buy from a reputable online dealer. Super Bright LEDS has a money back guarantee and they will pay shipping for returns. You can call them and talk to a live rep. LED replacement bulbs are about $3 each. They have a part finder to match your vehicle.

They sell LED replacement head lights for my E350 van with the same angle as standard head light replacements for $80. I am ordering the head lights this week. Money back guarantee.

Before you start replacing bulbs, check for a bad ground. I am having similar issues with my cluster. Problems are intermittent. It's either a bad ground or the instrument cluster is failing. I have searched other forums and our Ford instrument clusters have known problems. When you have a problem, try rolling down the electric windows and actuating the locks. If these do not work, there is a problem internally in the cluster.

 

Thanks guys! Diving in to it tomorrow after opening day fishing season in my county, or maybe Sunday if beer is involved with the fishing experience... Which could very well be. R&R does look pretty straight forward.

Coolfeet, where would one look for a ground on just the one bulb? Everything else (windows, locks, etc) does work when the light doesn't so I'm thinking it must be either a faulty bulb (as 87Crewdually suggested), maybe a bulb not snugged in all the way, or maybe even a ground. If it's a ground, it would have to be a separate and dedicated ground for that one bulb, so... Not sure if there would be a ground dedicated to the one bulb, but I'll look for it. It does act like a bad ground, however, but I'd imagine that all of the lights would be on the same ground so they should all be affected at the same time, I'd think. I guess we'll see eh? Thanks for the link to superbrite! I'll check it out.

 

Hmm, a thought. I suppose that if the bulb and socket/mount are an assembly, it could be the light assembly itself, where there is a bad contact within it. Hmmm.

 

I would order a new bulb. If the instrument panels has intermittent problems, it could be a bad ground from the harness. I am trying to figure how to check the ground from my harness.

I called Circuit Board Medics after reading instrument cluster problems on other forums. My intermittent problem is common. It has not happened for several weeks. When it happens again, I can check the window and door lock operations. If the door locks and windows fail, then the problem is the instrument cluster. I can have it repaired with a 2 year warranty.

 

For followup and documentation purposes, I think I fixed it and didn't have to change the bulbs. I pulled the two bulbs on the left side of the dash (where fuel and oil gauges are) and first just tried switching them. But while in the process of switching them I noticed that one of them seemed to fit in a little loose and wobbly after reinstalling. I twisted it back out and bent the two tangs on either side of the bulb fixture to where they would hold the bulb fixture in a little tighter once turned into the socket.

All seems to be working well now... So far. I'll post back up if the problem resurfaces, but so far I think it may have just been a loose fitting bulb, easily modified to fit more snugly by bending the side tangs slightly.

Pulling the dash out was a piece of cake, though I did use one of the tools from my plastic trim tool kit to get the trim started on the right side of the dash trim. I couldn't get it to start with my finger tips, as shown on the video. Oh, and watch the shifter indicator when you pull the cluster out as the wires are very short. The indicator popped out when I was trying to get the cluster out far enough to get my fat fingers in there behind to pinch and pull the indicator out. When putting everything back together, it did pop back in fine, however, so I apparently did't damage it when it got yanked out buy accentually pulling on the tight wires, though I would suppose that the clip could have been damaged if I wasn't as lucky as I was.

Thanks for all of the help guys.