How to: Overhead console display fix - 2nd Gen

[emberswzd]

Anyone know where I can get a replacement resistor. One of my 510's are completely missing HELP!!!!

 

[Rosandy]

Explorer overhead console Compass/Temp

Go to Radio Shack and get a 500 Ohm 3w ceramic resistor. If you lift off the original 510 resistor you can see the solder section on the PCB. Use a 25W solder iron (fine point if possible), run some solder (not much) over the strip where the old resistor used to be. Trim the wire on the new resistor so it's just slightly off the board and bend the ends so they run along where the old one came off. This will give you a good length to get a hold. Remember and 'tin' (run some solder over the ends of the wire on the new resistor). Hold iron top of the wire and there you are, you will get a good joint. Go easy on the solder, you don't want too much.
Best of luck, it'll save you a couple of hundred dollars!

 

[emberswzd]

Thank you. For some reason i read it was a 68 OHM, 1/4 watt. But I will take your advice and get the 500 OHM, 3 watt. I will go to Radio Shack on Monday and hopefully post success Monday afternoon. Thank you

 

[Popeye1959]

So what is it? 50 Ohm or 500 Ohm?

03SVTCobra posted 50 Ohm and Rosandy says 500 Ohm. Might make a bit of difference to other components down stream.

 

[emberswzd]

All I know I couldnt find any 500W, 3 OHM at radio shack so mine still doesnt work

 

[emberswzd]

Unless it was a mis print and he meant 50W

 

[Popeye1959]

Think I'm gonna lean towards the 50 Ohm as 03SVTCobra used that value quite a bit in his post.

 

[emberswzd]

I agree. Let me know how it works and I will do the same. I have had my console off for a while now. I am ready to start knowing the temp outside and the direction I am going LOL

 

[AngeloVan]

Popeye,

It looks like it is a 50 ohm surface mount resistor. See link:
http://www.marsport.org.uk/smd/res.htm

 

[AngeloVan]

Search 51 ohm smd resistor on Ebay, get 100 for 3.95 with free shipping.

 

[mustang6878]

I too was a bit skeptical about this easy fix, but I thought" eh, why not give it a try?"...besides it was another excuse to buy a new tool. ( in this case a $8.99 soldering iron at Radio Shack)

From start to finish? 21 mins...exactly. It went like clockwork...I too saw nothing wrong with the solder at the 510 resistors but put 4 dabs on anyway...plugged it in..it worked! Reassembled everything and I am now at 40 degrees in the garage facing north! I can't thank you enough...this forum is Boss...two DIY fixes for a total cost to me of 41 mins of my time and $8.99...Thanks again!

 

[03SVTCobra]

So what is it? 50 Ohm or 500 Ohm?

03SVTCobra posted 50 Ohm and Rosandy says 500 Ohm. Might make a bit of difference to other components down stream.

sorry haven't checked here in a bit.

yes it's a 50 Ohm resistor. i used 3 watt resistors from what i had here at work but it requires some skill w/ the soldering iron. you can re-flow the solder and add some more to reuse the ones that are on the board already, but you run the risk of having it happen again. the solder joint failed from heat cycle fatigue and that usually leads to damage to the resistor. so the best advice is to search for a 50 ohm, 1/2 watt (minimum) surface mount resistor. the higher the wattage rating, the better the resistor can dissipate heat.

 

[AngeloVan]

I'm not sure of the dimensions, see this site: website: http://www.interfacebus.com/resistor_table.html, but using the search "51 ohm smd resistor" on ebay will show a number of sellers, and very cheap. I think the size might be 2010 or 2512, measure dimensions of one of the resistors in mm and go to the interfacebus.com table for chip size and number.

 

[emberswzd]

Well since i have no electrical experience I guess I will just pay to have it fixed. So the final is: It is a 50 OHM, 3 watt resistor that replaces the 510

 

[MINERALGSVT]

Fixed my problem! Thanks for the great write up.

 

[Popeye1959]

The Radio Shack around here doesn't carry anything like this but they said try Chester's Electronics a few mile across the Wiscoland border. I picked up 2 47 ohm .3 watt resistors for a whopping $0.27 including tax. I looked at the 3 watt ones and there is no way something that big is gonna fit in there. Soldered them in and it works again. IT'S ALIVE!

 

[emberswzd]

OK, gonna locate a 47 OHM, .3 watt and give it a shot

 

[Popeye1959]

I found that when bending the leads 90 degrees they ended up nearly perfectly aligned to where the old ones were soldered in. I bent them 90 degrees and then about 1/4 down bent them about 30 degrees so the leads would lay flat on the board. Soldered the left one first (with the legs to the right) and then the right one (facing the same way). Almost perfect spacing. Suppose I could pull it out of the truck and snap a photo of the completed project.

 

[Electromech guru]

2nd gen. Over head console repair with out sun roof

I've found a way to fix the simple problem of the temp/compass display going out in the 2nd gen. explorers with OUT the sunroof. This circuit board has the LCD display connected to the main circuit board by a cable, not directly soldered to it like the ones with a sun roof. If you look in the corner of the circuit board you will see a 120uf capacitor, that is what I found needed to be replaced, which I replaced with a 220uf capacitor from radio shack for around a $1. It is a good amount larger than the original. when soldered it will need to be solder extremely close to the circuit board. the base touching is literally what's needed and it'll barely fit, at least on mine. Of course getting the direct replacement capacitor would be preferred which you should not have a problem getting the correct one from newark.com and if you do want to correctly replace the capacitor I would suggest getting the $1 one from radio shack and installing it to make sure that is the problem and if so then you can use the correct replacement. Also be careful with the display as you are repairing it, the electronics in it are fragile. And mine even had a big burnt up spot in the corner of the display which I figured was the problem but was not and it works fine now after simply replacing a capacitor.

 

[Electromech guru]

2nd gen explorer overhead console fix

Also before the LCD display completely stopped turning on completely it progressively took longer and longer to turn on as well. Sometimes taking more than 5 minutes. After replacing the capacitor I mentioned in my last post not only does it actually work it turns on with in 10 seconds of the vehicle being started. So this fix may also work if your display takes awhile to turn on.