How do I replace the dashboard lights on a 1990 Aerostar? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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How do I replace the dashboard lights on a 1990 Aerostar?

nopeda

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1990 Aerostar
Hi,

I have a 1990 Aerostar that needs the dashboard lights replaced. I learned to live without the speedometer lights. Then some other light or group went out and I learned to live with that. But now it's giving some sort of alarm and the light that indicated problems doesn't work any more so now it's time to change some bulbs. Can anyone tell me how to get the dashboard apart, and if there are any special tricks people need to know to do the job?

Thank you for any help!
David
 



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What type of alarm are you hearing (the SRS module or the door ajar/headlight on module)? You have to remove the trim screws to get to these lights, then remove the screws on the cluster. Most of these bulbs should be a regular 194 wedge base bulb. You could replace them with LEDs.
 






What type of alarm are you hearing (the SRS module or the door ajar/headlight on module)? You have to remove the trim screws to get to these lights, then remove the screws on the cluster. Most of these bulbs should be a regular 194 wedge base bulb. You could replace them with LEDs.
It's not the door/headlight alarm. It's the one that tells you when your alternator isn't working, which I have heard way too many times in the past and I'm afraid that's what it is again. I replaced or rebuilt the alternator in that thing four or five times by now.
 






remove all the plastic dash trim pieces until you get to the 4 bolts that secure the instruments Pod, remove those bolts, then pull the pod towards you and disconnect the 2 or 3 wiring plugs behind it, (some Aerostar have 3 plugs, all have 2).

all the bulbs are mounted to removable sockets, just twist the sockets counter-clockwise to remove. Be very careful handling the rear clear grounding sheet of the pod. Place the pod face down on a thick towel.
 






Did you bench test the alternator at an auto parts store? The brushes in the alternator are usually the first parts to fail. Check the charging system voltage with a voltmeter while it's running.
 






Did you bench test the alternator at an auto parts store? The brushes in the alternator are usually the first parts to fail. Check the charging system voltage with a voltmeter while it's running.
Haven't checked it yet. I wanted to use this to encourage me to finally tackle the dash lights. The last time I had the alternator re-built it only lasted a couple of weeks and then went bad again. When I took it back the guy asked if I had jumped anything off recently and I told him I jumped off my motorcycle (an '82 Goldwing). He said that's probably what ruined it again. I had thought such a small system could do any harm to the van, but he said it's just the opposite...for some reason a smaller system can cause more damage than a larger one. Also, from then on any time I've jumped anything off I've made sure to shut off the vehicle I'm jumping it with when attaching the cables, to make sure that won't happen again. He said sometimes the jumping vehicle won't start when you do that, but that's a better risk than ruining the alternator, imo.
 






remove all the plastic dash trim pieces until you get to the 4 bolts that secure the instruments Pod, remove those bolts, then pull the pod towards you and disconnect the 2 or 3 wiring plugs behind it, (some Aerostar have 3 plugs, all have 2).

all the bulbs are mounted to removable sockets, just twist the sockets counter-clockwise to remove. Be very careful handling the rear clear grounding sheet of the pod. Place the pod face down on a thick towel.
Thank You! It was a lot easier than I imagined. Any other dash I've taken apart or seen taken apart has been a real chore, but this we easy. There sure are a lot of bulbs in that thing though....
 






Did you use standard 194 incandescent bulbs? As far as jump starting, it depends upon the amount of current being drawn. I don't think the starter on a small motorcycle will draw more current than the starter on a van. It's not turning over a heavy engine.
 






Did you use standard 194 incandescent bulbs? As far as jump starting, it depends upon the amount of current being drawn. I don't think the starter on a small motorcycle will draw more current than the starter on a van. It's not turning over a heavy engine.
So far it still has the original bulbs in it which lasted for over 15 years, so I'll replace them with the same thing. If they need replacing again 15 years from now the price of LEDs will probably be less then for incandscent.

It wasn't the starter that hurt the vans alternator. It was whatever happened when I hooked up the jumper cables before trying to start the bike. It caused a surge that the tech guy said is sometimes larger with a small system than with a bigger one. I don't remember exactly how he explained that, but it seemed to make sense at the time. The damage happened because the van was running when I hooked up the cables. If it was not running then it couldn't do any harm to the alternator, so from now on I won't attach jumper cables with a vehicle running.
 






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