2000 Ex Limited. Message Center not working at all. The buttons light up when the head lights are on but thats about it.

Anyone care to share troubleshooting tips? Fuse? Loose wire? Easy fix?

Thanks!

 

Could be a fuse, also check the fuse to the cigarette lighter on the dash.

There's also a post on this site pertaining to "cold solder joints" in reguard to the message center.

 

after starting this thread I found the solder one...

 

Most likely its the solder that gave way.

 

so i checked the fuse and sure enough it was blown. i replaced it but the message center did not come to life

 

I'm sure you done this, but I will ask the question anyway. Did you turn the message center on with the motor running?

 

turn it on?

I started the car... hit each button individually two or three times, held both buttons down for 5 seconds, etc.

Is there another way to turn it on that i am not aware of?

 

This is a common problem. There are several resistors on the display panel's circuit board that have come loose or fallen off. The chips look like a flat silver bar about 3/8" long x 3/16" wide and have a 2-digit number like 60 or 70 on them.

You do have to remove the console completely to get at the circuit board but it is simple. It is only 2 screws in either the sunglasses or door opener compartment (It's been awhile). Once you remove the screws, you have to pop the rear off by pulling down on it. It feels as if you might break it but it's OK. Now pull rearward until the tabs at the front of the console are released and it is loose. Just detach the wiring harness near the front and you can take it inside to do the rest. Put it on a towel so you don't scratch it up.

WARNING! Watch out for a falling chip as you remove the console. One might have completely fallen off of the circuit board. They are very small and hard to find otherwise.

It took longer for my soldering iron to warm up than it did to remove the console and circuit board. Just make sure you use a lower wattage iron and you might as well re-do all the chips at once.

Here is a link to a thread with DETAILED instructions to an easy fix. See post #4.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/44...-gone-out.html

Good luck!

Stew

 

thanks thats the thread i read a bunch of times before i punked out figuring i would crack the plastic trying to remove it

 

Thanks for the help, I just had this same problem on my 05. One screw then the console pulled down. and then it was just a matter of resoidering those chips.

 

The only thing different then the linked instructions is that in the Excursion you can't just remove the message center unit. You need to pull down on the front of the whole Message Center/Temp Controls/Storage/Light console, unscrew the one screw that cudamank mentions, and then disconnect the three cables. You can then remove the small message center console and open it up. Just be careful when you open it because a chip might be loose and if you drop it it could be hard to find. Make sure you also get solder clean up tape (forget what we called it when I worked as an electronic tech), because the chips are so small you can end up with two much solder and cross connect two of the chips. Just finished it up and it WORKS! Thanks for all the help.

 

well i got my console down and opend up the display to find a chip missing. it is one of the 680. can u find them around of am i screwed? i can tell the console has been down b4 since one of the clips was broken. i know i was careful to watch for falling chips.....

 

If it is only a resistor as a few post mention then you should be able to find it fairly easily. The 680 may designate a certain level of resistance. It might even be something Radio Shack would have. If not a industrial electronic supply store should definitely have it. I would take your board with you because if 680 doesn't mean anything they could at least test the resistance across one of the other 680 chips to know what it is.