Overhead console display issues
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Tullahoma, TN
Overhead console display issues
I just bought a 99.5 F250, and the overhead display doesn't work. Is this a common problem. The guy I bought it from told me I'd just need to solder a few wires and that's it - he just hadn't had time.
Last night I took it apart "to see what I could see", and nothing really jumped out. Unless the actual clip where the loose wires come into and leave in a female fashion is bad, what he said didn't make sense. He would have to have been talking about cutting the wires and soldering them to the male pins inside the actual electronic display module's clip, and that just doesn't make sense to me.
Any thoughts you guys have for me as to where to start? How much do those displays cost if that's what is actually bad? Thanks. And by the way - everything looked stock up there. Quality electrical looking tape, and well routed wires and stuff - don't think he actually ghetto rigged something up there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Last night I took it apart "to see what I could see", and nothing really jumped out. Unless the actual clip where the loose wires come into and leave in a female fashion is bad, what he said didn't make sense. He would have to have been talking about cutting the wires and soldering them to the male pins inside the actual electronic display module's clip, and that just doesn't make sense to me.
Any thoughts you guys have for me as to where to start? How much do those displays cost if that's what is actually bad? Thanks. And by the way - everything looked stock up there. Quality electrical looking tape, and well routed wires and stuff - don't think he actually ghetto rigged something up there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Tullahoma, TN
Thanks, Rick - I posted this somewhere else, but I wanted to ask you to see if you knew too...
Could I get just a hair more description on the soldering process? It will be my first time working on something like this. Where do I apply the solder to? How do I know if any of the resistors are actually bad? Thanks again for the fast reply!
Could I get just a hair more description on the soldering process? It will be my first time working on something like this. Where do I apply the solder to? How do I know if any of the resistors are actually bad? Thanks again for the fast reply!
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 7,406
Likes: 52
From: Wheatland, Mo
HMMMM Subscribing to this one.
I just went through mine and 6 of the 7 chips were loose on one end. So I resoldered all of them. Still kinda dim. If I turn on my parking lights in the daytime I have to stick my face about 2 inches from the display and squint to see what it is showing. Any other ideas? I think I once saw a thread about modding it so it doesn't dim with your headlights on.
I just went through mine and 6 of the 7 chips were loose on one end. So I resoldered all of them. Still kinda dim. If I turn on my parking lights in the daytime I have to stick my face about 2 inches from the display and squint to see what it is showing. Any other ideas? I think I once saw a thread about modding it so it doesn't dim with your headlights on.
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Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
Likes: 4
From: Grand Lake, La.
HMMMM Subscribing to this one.
I just went through mine and 6 of the 7 chips were loose on one end. So I resoldered all of them. Still kinda dim. If I turn on my parking lights in the daytime I have to stick my face about 2 inches from the display and squint to see what it is showing. Any other ideas? I think I once saw a thread about modding it so it doesn't dim with your headlights on.
I just went through mine and 6 of the 7 chips were loose on one end. So I resoldered all of them. Still kinda dim. If I turn on my parking lights in the daytime I have to stick my face about 2 inches from the display and squint to see what it is showing. Any other ideas? I think I once saw a thread about modding it so it doesn't dim with your headlights on.
Have a look at this LINK
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Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
Likes: 4
From: Grand Lake, La.
I only use mine for the temp and direction. My MPG is showing 33.6 mpg right now. 
Trailering
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Metro Detroit
Guys, I just did this last night and have never soldered anything before in my life... I went to Radio Shack, bought the 15/30W soldering pen, bought some .015 solder, and went to work. The one thing I noticed was that at first, the solder stuck to the pen rather than the chips on the board, so I had to play with it a little bit.
My next option was to go see the GEEK SQUAD, and I could not go down in flames like that...
Miesha had a great tutorial and he deserves props.
Good luck!
My next option was to go see the GEEK SQUAD, and I could not go down in flames like that...
Miesha had a great tutorial and he deserves props.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Tullahoma, TN
It worked great! I did it Saturday night, and all went smoothly. Had a little bit of trouble getting the solder to fall off the pen tip too, but eventually I got it. Was scared I put a little too much solder at the beginning, but it worked fine apparently, and hopefully none of it will run into anything that may not need to be touched. Thanks again to all that helped! Wonderful resource!
Now I just need to do the mod to keep the displays from dimming when I turn my lights on.
Now I just need to do the mod to keep the displays from dimming when I turn my lights on.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,470
Likes: 3
From: Pea Ridge, AR
If you went to a radio shack or similar that sells electronic components, just get a standard 68 ohm resistor, that's all they are is 62 ohm and 68 ohm resistors but the ones from radio shack will likely be your standard looking resistor with color bands.
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