Replacing Instrument Cluster Light Bulbs

Graffix · 11-21-2006, 10:15 AM

Forum;

While I am new to this forum, I have personally found the forums to be beneficial with my Motorcycles..and other car.. so how about my 98 Ford Ranger Stepside XLT 5 speed...

Nearly all the light bulbs have burned out in the instrument cluster. The only one still burning is to the far right.. the battery.

The stealer wants $105 to install the bulbs.. plus the price of the bulbs.

Does anyone have some instructions on how to remove the instrument cluster.. so that I may do this myself? My direct email address is charlesj@digicove.com..

Thank-you...

Charles

rwenzing · 11-21-2006, 10:31 AM

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...threadid=46290

The cluster removal portion of this How-To should help. As long as you're in there, you should replace all six 194 bulbs on the back of the cluster. I would opt for the 194LL bulbs since they are supposed to last longer. Should cost less than $10 for the set.

Graffix · 11-21-2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwenzing

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...threadid=46290

The cluster removal portion of this How-To should help. As long as you're in there, you should replace all six 194 bulbs on the back of the cluster. I would opt for the 194LL bulbs since they are supposed to last longer. Should cost less than $10 for the set.

Rwenzing;

That is so cool... Thank-you so much for the info.. I now have a plan that I can follow... Let the Light shine in....

Charles

nova801428 · 11-21-2006, 04:38 PM

on my 86, I thought a bulb had burned out also, until oneday I was playing around with it and unexpectingly it started workin. Make sure all of your connections are still connected and in working condition. Good luck

Graffix · 11-22-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nova801428

on my 86, I thought a bulb had burned out also, until oneday I was playing around with it and unexpectingly it started workin. Make sure all of your connections are still connected and in working condition. Good luck

Nova:

Thanks for the excellent heads up..... While the lights have systematically burned out from the left to the right... with the last light for the battery meter...still working.
Everyone that I talked with thought it was interesting that with 135,000 miles on the Ranger...that all the dashlights but one are burned out.
I keep the vehicle in great shape -->with Graffix going down the entire side of the vehicle from the headlight to the tailight. The vehicle has not been wrecked - short of a small tree fell and damaged the right front fender a couple of years ago. What is interesting is it is just this year alone, most of the lights have stopped working except for the one...
So, I will be checking all of the connections as you mentioned....
Charles

mixellmaster · 07-16-2009, 08:57 PM

Wow! My 97 Ex lights went out around the same mileage as Graffix except they went right to left! It seamed like they all but one burned out within about 1000 miles. The oly one left is 0-45 mph. I was getting ready to ask if anyone knew if it was worth changing them cause I figure it's terrible to get to them. I was weighing just replacing the hole cluster till I found this thread.
Thanks

Sbyrne97 · 07-16-2009, 09:03 PM

Give the dash the a good ol smash a few times to see if they come back on...thats what I have done....if not the have fun removing the dash

wrnoutrnger95 · 07-17-2009, 12:23 PM

I have a '95 ranger, and I used a haynes manual to install my dashboard lights, and it was not that bad to take apart.

seekmocha · 01-07-2010, 07:08 PM

Can anybody confirm what size/model number are the warning light bulbs in the 2000 Ranger dash? I know the gerneral illumination bulbs are #194, but what about the warning light bulbs?

*Scott B.* · 01-08-2010, 10:43 AM

In my '93, all the bulbs behind the dash are 194s.

I assume all yours would be, too.

Doesn't the owner's manual specify the bulb numbers?

my pos mounty · 01-08-2010, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seekmocha

Can anybody confirm what size/model number are the warning light bulbs in the 2000 Ranger dash? I know the gerneral illumination bulbs are #194, but what about the warning light bulbs?

From the sylvania website:
2000 Ford Ranger

Parking light
194NA
194NALL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp
3157LL

Front turn signal
3157LL

Rear turn signal
3157LL

Tail light
3157LL

Stop light
3157LL

High mount stop light
912
912LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Fog/Driving light
9006
9006SU Silverstar ULTRA for Ultra Night Vision - The Whitest and Brightest Halogen
9006ST Silverstar High Performance Lighting: The Whiter and Brighter Halogen
9006EB EcoBright - Your Environmental Choice
9006XV XtraVision Halogen - The Brighter Light
9006CB Cool Blue Halogen - The Whiter Light

License plate
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Back up light
3156LL

Front sidemarker
3157LL

Ash tray
161
161LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Glove box
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Map light
904

Dome light
912
912LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Step/Courtesy light
212-2
906
906LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Trunk/Cargo area
906
906LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Under hood light
906
906LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Instrument-general
161
161LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp
1815
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Hi-beam indicator
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Brake warning
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Automatic transmission indicator
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

Directional signal indicator
194
194LL Long Life Upgrade: Up to twice the life of the standard lamp

McCormack · 01-08-2010, 11:17 AM

Nt

matis613 · 02-12-2010, 10:41 PM

hey wow thats exactly wat i need for my 97 mountaineer ive been looking for a list SWEET!!

imc · 09-15-2010, 06:50 AM

The bulb used in the Ford instrument panel is PC194. I got 10 of them on Ebay for $8 included shipping.

RedRocketRanger · 09-22-2010, 11:54 AM

x2 on replacing all of them if you pull the cluster. While straightforward, it's a PITA job (Pain In The A** for those who don't recognize the acronym...). It's definitely worth changing them all out once you have the dash pulled apart.

gapleb · 12-02-2011, 12:17 AM

want to put in T-194 LEDs; figure since gas gauge light is out, might as well replace all of them. Does anyone know how much room there is between the circuit board and the cluster? Some LEDs are bigger than the stock incandescents.

Sexploder · 06-17-2013, 05:03 PM

sorry to drag up this thread, but I felt that it would be better to add to this one rather than being redundant and starting a new one.

I have an odd problem with my instrument cluster and I suppose it may be the bulbs, but I question whether it may be an electrical issue instead.

All of the lights on my instrument cluster work except the tach and speedometer illumination when I have the lights turned on.

Simple fix right? Just replace the bulbs and ill be set! But I dont think that is the case...

Whenever I have the instrument cluster illumination on at night, and i turn on cruise control, the cruise control lights do not come on. Which is weird because they normally work during the day when the cluster isn't lit up.

My guess is that the cluster isn't getting enough power for the whole thing to illuminate. It seems more electrical too me rather than a simple burnt out bulb. Im not sure, I may be right or wrong. Let me know if you guys have had any problems similar to mine or if you know of anything I should look for in taking it apart.

I would hate to go out and buy new lightbulbs for the cluster that didn't need to be replaced. (Not that $10 bulbs are too expensive for me, just that I would just rather not spend money on something that didn't need replacing anytime soon

).

Thanks for the help guys

11-21-2006, 10:31 AM	#2
rwenzing Wannabe Elite Explorer Michigan 03 Ranger FX4 LII 5.0 S/C Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 964 Vehicle Specs	http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...threadid=46290 The cluster removal portion of this How-To should help. As long as you're in there, you should replace all six 194 bulbs on the back of the cluster. I would opt for the 194LL bulbs since they are supposed to last longer. Should cost less than $10 for the set. __________________ Bob 2003 Ranger FX4 Level II, 5.0L V8, 4R70W, BW4406 T/C, Aussie Locker front, Torsen rear Torque Monsters, Magnaflow, duals; Explorer EATC, steering wheel controls, consoles Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks, Cadillac/Mustang SVO rear discs, Duff traction bars CarDomain Ford owners' manuals ONLINE, then click on "Glovebox"

07-16-2009, 09:03 PM	#7
Sbyrne97 Wannabe Elite Explorer Mason Neck, Virginia 97' Mountaineer Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 540 Vehicle Specs	Give the dash the a good ol smash a few times to see if they come back on...thats what I have done....if not the have fun removing the dash __________________ 97 Mounty inherited from my Pop's Warrior 153, TT, Rancho 5000's, PA 853...BFG Mud Terrains KM 33x12.50x15 on Black Steelies/w 4" bs, power slot rotors and hawk pads, Mac intake w/K&N air filter...Stock 5.0!!! gotta love that 302..its getting there

01-08-2010, 10:43 AM	#10
Scott B. Elite Ranger GA '93 Ranger XLT, 06 FX4 L2 Join Date: Feb 1999 Posts: 2,480 Vehicle Specs	In my '93, all the bulbs behind the dash are 194s. I assume all yours would be, too. Doesn't the owner's manual specify the bulb numbers? __________________ Scott NRA Life Member EMT-I, UFWDA Chief Instructor 1993 Ranger XLT V8, Modified 2006 Ranger FX4 Level II, Modified

12-02-2011, 12:17 AM	#16
gapleb Wannabe Elite Explorer New Jersey 1996 Ford Explorer XLT Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 3 Vehicle Specs	Replacing instrument cluster lights 1995 ford explorer want to put in T-194 LEDs; figure since gas gauge light is out, might as well replace all of them. Does anyone know how much room there is between the circuit board and the cluster? Some LEDs are bigger than the stock incandescents.

06-17-2013, 05:03 PM	#17
Sexploder Wannabe Elite Explorer Lafayette, California 1996 Ford Explorer XLT Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 50 Vehicle Specs	weird lights sorry to drag up this thread, but I felt that it would be better to add to this one rather than being redundant and starting a new one. I have an odd problem with my instrument cluster and I suppose it may be the bulbs, but I question whether it may be an electrical issue instead. All of the lights on my instrument cluster work except the tach and speedometer illumination when I have the lights turned on. Simple fix right? Just replace the bulbs and ill be set! But I dont think that is the case... Whenever I have the instrument cluster illumination on at night, and i turn on cruise control, the cruise control lights do not come on. Which is weird because they normally work during the day when the cluster isn't lit up. My guess is that the cluster isn't getting enough power for the whole thing to illuminate. It seems more electrical too me rather than a simple burnt out bulb. Im not sure, I may be right or wrong. Let me know if you guys have had any problems similar to mine or if you know of anything I should look for in taking it apart. I would hate to go out and buy new lightbulbs for the cluster that didn't need to be replaced. (Not that $10 bulbs are too expensive for me, just that I would just rather not spend money on something that didn't need replacing anytime soon ). Thanks for the help guys

11-21-2006, 10:15 AM	#1
Graffix Wannabe Elite Explorer Henryville, IN 98 Ranger XLT Stepside Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	Replacing Instrument Cluster Light Bulbs Forum; While I am new to this forum, I have personally found the forums to be beneficial with my Motorcycles..and other car.. so how about my 98 Ford Ranger Stepside XLT 5 speed... Nearly all the light bulbs have burned out in the instrument cluster. The only one still burning is to the far right.. the battery. The stealer wants $105 to install the bulbs.. plus the price of the bulbs. Does anyone have some instructions on how to remove the instrument cluster.. so that I may do this myself? My direct email address is charlesj@digicove.com.. Thank-you... Charles

11-21-2006, 04:38 PM	#4
nova801428 Wannabe Elite Explorer Oregon 86 Ford Ranger Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 141 Vehicle Specs	on my 86, I thought a bulb had burned out also, until oneday I was playing around with it and unexpectingly it started workin. Make sure all of your connections are still connected and in working condition. Good luck

07-16-2009, 08:57 PM	#6
mixellmaster Wannabe Elite Explorer Saint Thomas, PA 97 XLT AWD 5.0 Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 23 Vehicle Specs	Wow! My 97 Ex lights went out around the same mileage as Graffix except they went right to left! It seamed like they all but one burned out within about 1000 miles. The oly one left is 0-45 mph. I was getting ready to ask if anyone knew if it was worth changing them cause I figure it's terrible to get to them. I was weighing just replacing the hole cluster till I found this thread. Thanks

07-17-2009, 12:23 PM	#8
wrnoutrnger95 Wannabe Elite Explorer Snellville, GA '95 ranger Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Vehicle Specs	I have a '95 ranger, and I used a haynes manual to install my dashboard lights, and it was not that bad to take apart.

01-07-2010, 07:08 PM	#9
seekmocha Wannabe Elite Explorer Carlsbad, CA 2000 Ranger XLT 4x4 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1 Vehicle Specs	Can anybody confirm what size/model number are the warning light bulbs in the 2000 Ranger dash? I know the gerneral illumination bulbs are #194, but what about the warning light bulbs?

01-08-2010, 11:17 AM	#12
McCormack Wannabe Elite Explorer S.E. WI 2000 Ranger Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 109 Vehicle Specs	Nt

02-12-2010, 10:41 PM	#13
matis613 Wannabe Elite Explorer Newton, MA 97 merc mount Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3 Vehicle Specs	hey wow thats exactly wat i need for my 97 mountaineer ive been looking for a list SWEET!!

09-15-2010, 06:50 AM	#14
imc Wannabe Elite Explorer CA Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 Vehicle Specs	The bulb used in the Ford instrument panel is PC194. I got 10 of them on Ebay for $8 included shipping.

09-22-2010, 11:54 AM	#15
RedRocketRanger Wannabe Elite Explorer Sacramento, CA '02 4.0L Ranger Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs	x2 on replacing all of them if you pull the cluster. While straightforward, it's a PITA job (Pain In The A** for those who don't recognize the acronym...). It's definitely worth changing them all out once you have the dash pulled apart.