Hey all,

I haven't had many problems with my truck, luckily. But lately I've been having an issue with the odometer display. At random times, the little screen in the dash will go blank. The compass, temperature, and odometer are all gone, but the screen still has the green backlight. The first time it happened, I looked through the manual to see if there was a fuse just for this part of the dash, but couldn't find anything. Sometimes I will be driving, it goes out and a few minutes later it will come back. Other times after it goes out, it could take a couple days for it to come back. Anyone else had this problem?

I know most of you will probably say "take it to the dealer", which I probably will anyway since I'll have it there for that butyl pad issue, but they will more than likely need for the display to be out in order to troubleshoot it.

Any ideas?

 

Had the same problem with my '99 F-150 SCAB XLT. Didn't have a chance to get it fixed - I traded it in for an '05 F-150 SCAB XLT instead...

 

My '99 F-150 has the same issue - the odometer digital display goes dark.

I checked all the fuses. Anyone find out what is causing this?

 

I would dread the thought of the Ford dealership removing my instrument panel.I would be afraid it may never be right due to potential squeeks and rattles etc. that may be left behind from their repair.Do you think it could be a loose fuse or wire underneath dash?I would be sure to get it repaired while under warranty.Please keep us posted.Good Luck!

 

Check out the post by dakota_viking in the Expedition forum. All will be revealed.

He says we need to re-heat some cold solder spots inside the dash. dakota_viking has photos and all information needed. I am a newbie and the screening tools don't let me post the url. Search on "blackout" and "odometer".

Repair looks do-able.

 

If it's under warranty, take it to the dealer. Disassembly yourself may cause more harm than good.

 

As much as I hate to take it to the dealer, I'm going to agree. Take it in, and raise cain.

While the dealership that I bought from could screw up an anvil, it's worth the risk.

The good news is that they would truly have to work at screwing something up to make your IP rattle.
Simple to remove, the cowling and the kick plate are pretty idiot proof. As is the IP itself.
They would just be swapping it out, as the LCD is part of the IP itself.

Swapping is a twenty minute job for an amatuer.
Chris

 

Disassembly yourself could void warranty.Good Luck!

 

do you mean that if I take off my dash panels, to say install a switch for fog lights or something, I could possibly VOID my warranty?!?

 

IMO - If you disassemble your dash or other part of your truck, and then have problems. If those problems can be linked in anyway to the mod or your disassembly, then the repair will be on your dime. Dealers normally will warranty mods they install, not mods the customer installs.

 

In theory, if you change a fuse the dealer could claim that caused the failure of the PCM, because you bumped that fuse with your hand while changing the radio fuse.

In practice, they use the 'reasonable man' principle. Would a reasonable man believe what you did caused the problem?

So would a reasonable man assume you wrecked your IP by pulling a panel? No.

Would a reasonable man assume you wrecked your IP by soldering on the back of it? Yes.

Except if you have the bad luck to encounter a bad service writer, (about 1 in 3) who will play 'Horatio at the bridge', trying to save the dealership ten bucks and losing them 10,000 bucks on your next purchase.

Sticking to this particular problem, take it in make them fix it.
Chris

 

I guess I might have mentioned I did soldering for a living for a year, many moons ago, so I am comfortable giving this a try (and I have no warranty on my 99). If under warranty that is the way to go, particularly if you can find a dealer that will use a new replacement part instead of trying a repair.

Anyone who wants to do this themselves and has never soldered on a film-type circuit board may want to find a friend who is more experienced to do the work. Suggest you buy a new (fresh) solder tip for your very low wattage soldering pencil and buy a very thin roll of solder (we used solder about the thickness of pencil lead in a mechanical pencil). Obviously this calls for a trip to Radio Shack. By the way, soldering tips do a very effective job of burning skin after they have been plugged in for only one nano-second (I know). Mask off the parts of the circuit board you are not wanting to touch, with something fireproof and thick enough to insulate the film from any stray solder drips. Molten solder can jump off your tip at the worst times. A layer of cloth, topped with a couple layers of aluminum foil may work. Also take precautions against static electricity if that is a problem where you are.

We used a wet sponge sitting on the table to clean our hot tip in between each terminal. It hisses a little, but that is ok. Just give the tip a few seconds to recover its heat.

Done right, you will get a nice shiny solder joint in the shape of a pointed cone (see photos at the site referenced earlier in this thread). Good luck.

 

Craig789, nice post on how to low power solder.

I've had mixed results working on PCBs, too many years with Wellers to be good with a pencil, but with your background I sure you would do a pro job.

With a 99, I would say go for it. But with his truck under warrenty, I think I would let the three stooges at the local dealership handle it. But I am sure fileing that URL for future refrence.
Chris