LED Instrument Cluster Problem 2003 Sport Trac

[aquabid]

My 194 bulb over my fuel gauge when out. One day I hit a major hole and it came back on for a few days and then when out again.

I purchased some LEDs for the instrument cluster since I thought it would need replacing. Replaced them all and the one over the fuel gauge still did not work. I swapped out with another LED working in another hole but it was not work.

I put in one of the working regular 194 bulbs that I just took out and it worked!

Try LED again and nothing. I have swapped LEDs. Turned the LEDs and still nothing.

Put the regular 194 bulb back in and it worked.

Thoughts? Will buy a new 194 bulb if anything.

 

[Sogsnakebite]

I had nothing but problems after Led swap had lights flickering and failing and replacing most of them twice I went back to old school bulbs

 

[bdmaash]

the contacts on the LED bulbs probably aren't fat enough to make good contact.

I ended up soldering the bulbs to the flex PCB/PWB to insure contact. They used to flicker or not work sometimes, haven't had a problem in years now since soldering them.

If you do decide to solder, make sure you have a decent soldering iron with good heat control, and you will need to expose the copper conductor in the flex PCB/PWB to solder wires from the exposed conductor to the LED bulbs.

 

[aquabid]

the contacts on the LED bulbs probably aren't fat enough to make good contact.

I ended up soldering the bulbs to the flex PCB/PWB to insure contact. They used to flicker or not work sometimes, haven't had a problem in years now since soldering them.

If you do decide to solder, make sure you have a decent soldering iron with good heat control, and you will need to expose the copper conductor in the flex PCB/PWB to solder wires from the exposed conductor to the LED bulbs.

As stated I moved working LED from one part of the cluster to this slot and they did not work. I moved a working holder too.

 

[bdmaash]

As stated I moved working LED from one part of the cluster to this slot and they did not work. I moved a working holder too.

ok, you proved the bulb worked
you refuse to believe the connection is faulty
- buy a new instrument cluster
- buy a new truck
problem solved

 

[aquabid]

ok, you proved the bulb worked
you refuse to believe the connection is faulty
- buy a new instrument cluster
- buy a new truck
problem solved

I put a regular bulb in the bulb holder (That makes the contact to the cluster), put it into the cluster, and it worked. So there is a connection from the holder to the cluster.

If I remove that holder and put the LED in, it did not work in that one slot. I can put it in another slot and it works so it's not a issue with the between the holder and the LED.

Tried each of the holders with an LED and they would not work in that slot but worked in the other slots.
Tried each of the holders with a regular bulb in that slot and they worked.