2001 Sport Trac - gauge cluster lighting

[lesham]

I noticed that my interior lights in the gauge cluster are partially out. Any idea on how to fix this? I checked the fuses and all look well. Just about anything from 0mp-40mph are out as well as the lighting near the gear indicator.

Sometimes if i punch the dash hard enough it kicks back on.

 

[Joe Dirt]

This will get you in there to change them. They go through the back of the cluster.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46290

 

[lesham]

lol something about this tells me not to do it on a cold rainy day. appriciate the help man.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Nah- the hardest part is getting the bolts back through the hood release when you're done. It's tedious, not really that difficult...

 

[darkside1k]

im in the same boat. have to pull the cluster and fix em. for a while if i smacked the dash hard enough theyd work. now i have a big black gap between 40 and 60mph, and no idea how much fule i have at night.

 

[yellowcoupe]

Looks like a lot of work to fix one bulb!
But thanks for the info. Great pictures.

 

[LONO100]

there are youtube videos that show you very clearly how to get it all apart and change the bulbs. very useful. just search "explorer instrument cluster lights". my suggestion is that when you do it, make the investment and change all the bulbs to fresh bulbs. that way, youre not opening the whole thing back up in a few weeks when the next one burns out, not to mention all of the bulbs will be nice and bright. it will def freshen up your cabin to have fresh bulbs in there. change out the hvac control bulbs while youre at it too. its not hard at all, just tedious. good luck!

 

[interscope8]

I'll be doing this over winter break but will be putting in blue LEDs and scrapping off the green tint on the gauge face. step 1 of my plan to convert all my interior lights from green to blue!

 

[WidgetTrac]

I'll be doing this over winter break but will be putting in blue LEDs and scrapping off the green tint on the gauge face. step 1 of my plan to convert all my interior lights from green to blue!

I thought the green was dyed into a layer of clear (green tinted) plastic, and thus coild not be removed - ive been wanting to change to blue ever since my "CD-6" stereo died and got upgraded, so I'll be looking for your thread!

 

[interscope8]

From everything I read it's a green film. But I could be wrong. I've been looking at standard explorer threads. However, if I get n there and it is a dye, I'll be putting n white LEDs (supposedly they will make a light blue color with the green) and if that doesn't work I'll swap out my cluster completely.

 

[LONO100]

its a film thats a pain to get off. try not to knock around the needles while youre at it. that will be another headache getting those things to line up right.

 

[interscope8]

Thanks for the heads up lono! And ya I've heard it's a beeeach to get off. But I think it'll be worth it in the end!

 

[WidgetTrac]

Lono, have you done anything to yours? At first I really liked the green, but now...

...and not just for the 'trac - i'm really looking forward to the droid IceCreamSandwich update because the battery icon has blue filling instead of green