Dash gauges, windows and radio randomly stop working.

[Dawson1970]

I have been reading so many posts about electrical issues. There are some that are similar but I really don't have any answers to help me with mine. First, I am not car repair savvy, when my husband was living, he handled everything.

I have a 2005 Ford Sport Trac 4x4, Last year I was on the road and out of the blue, all the gauges started going to zero and then they would come back on and be fine for a few seconds and then go out again. I noticed that this happened more after reaching about 60mph. It doesn't just affect the gauges, it affects the radio, which goes out and comes back on with the needles, and also the windows are affected, they won't go up or down when the dash is out. Also, if it’s dark the head lights dim when this happens. The battery indicator starts to flash just before everything goes haywire and I notice that the volt meter goes high just before it all goes too. It seems to run normally with plenty of acceleration and all. I find this now happens even at lower spends especially under heavy acceleration.

I have had it checked so many times the mechanics think I'm nuts because they keep telling me there isn't any diagnostic problem they can find and somehow, it never happens when they "test drive" it. I have had the battery replaced, the battery terminals checked, the alternator has been tested....everything "checks" out fine, but it’s not.

I have read on here that it could be as simple as replacing fuse #17 or an ignition switch or even a new gauge cluster. (Side question about clusters, will it show the mileage it had on it or the mileage of my vehicle) I have googled all these things so I know what they are but I don't want to replace all these things and have it still not fix the problem. Besides, the ignition switch looks like a booger to replace just because of the location so I’m sure that won’t be cheap.
Anyone have a solution or suggestion? I can’t keep chasing this gremlin with $$$$ I don't have.

 

[mustang6878]

Wow...my first thought was voltage regulator, alternator or a bad chassis ground. I would be looking in the yellow pages or online for a shop that specializes in automobile electrical problems.

 

[roamer37]

Check all your grounds at the engine and the chassis

 

[410Fortune]

2005 sport trac instrument cluster is part of the vehicle controls, believe it or not the instrument cluster controls the battery saver relay, the window safety relay, and the interior lamp relay. There are more circuits powered on these same relay power wires as well,
Radio is one of them

I know this question is from 2014
But I am dealing with a 2005 sport trax now in 2023
The 05 sport trac instrument cluster is a one year unit 04 is different, there was no trac in 06 and the 07 is based on a whole new explorer platform

The microprocessor inside the 05 cluster controls these relays by sending a ground down their i relay control wires
The 05 cluster takes place of the previous gem module found in 01-04 sport tracs which would have performed these functions

 

[lincolnlocker]

I have been reading so many posts about electrical issues. There are some that are similar but I really don't have any answers to help me with mine. First, I am not car repair savvy, when my husband was living, he handled everything.

I have a 2005 Ford Sport Trac 4x4, Last year I was on the road and out of the blue, all the gauges started going to zero and then they would come back on and be fine for a few seconds and then go out again. I noticed that this happened more after reaching about 60mph. It doesn't just affect the gauges, it affects the radio, which goes out and comes back on with the needles, and also the windows are affected, they won't go up or down when the dash is out. Also, if it’s dark the head lights dim when this happens. The battery indicator starts to flash just before everything goes haywire and I notice that the volt meter goes high just before it all goes too. It seems to run normally with plenty of acceleration and all. I find this now happens even at lower spends especially under heavy acceleration.

I have had it checked so many times the mechanics think I'm nuts because they keep telling me there isn't any diagnostic problem they can find and somehow, it never happens when they "test drive" it. I have had the battery replaced, the battery terminals checked, the alternator has been tested....everything "checks" out fine, but it’s not.

I have read on here that it could be as simple as replacing fuse #17 or an ignition switch or even a new gauge cluster. (Side question about clusters, will it show the mileage it had on it or the mileage of my vehicle) I have googled all these things so I know what they are but I don't want to replace all these things and have it still not fix the problem mobile welder atlanta. Besides, the ignition switch looks like a booger to replace just because of the location so I’m sure that won’t be cheap.
Anyone have a solution or suggestion? I can’t keep chasing this gremlin with $$$$ I don't have.

As I'm driving, my dash lights with the message center, the gauges, power windows, the radio, and the rear power sliding window will stop working. I'm not sure if there are other things but I can still set and use cruise and the truck still runs as it did before this happens. Then, out of nowhere, all these things will start working again.

I thought perhaps it was an add on fuse tapped into the fuse box because as I was messing with one of them (there are a few), it all of a sudden made a click noise which indicates they are working and everything was working again. But, unfortunately, when this has happened multiple times now and I have messed with that fuse tap as well as the others, nothing changes.

I have tried wiggling some of the wiring under the dash area by the fuse box and up towards the dash as much as I could reach and still no change one way or the other. I have wiggled the ignition switch wires and also tried giving the key a turn as if you were trying to start it while the vehicle was running to see if there would be a change. I tried this multiple times with nothing. I'm sure doing that wasn't the best idea but apparently, the starter must be disengaged after the engine is running even if you do this because the starter did not try to engage and give that all too lovely shreaking noise when you did that with older vehicles. (Fun right?)

Anyway, I'm assuming this is a main harness going to some main module or power distribution block or tap somewhere since it's not just the dash lights and is quite a few different things.

When I got the vehicle, I had the truck quit on me a few times when it was started and driving for maybe only a minute after starting it. But the first time it died, the batteries were dead after a few cranks so I figured the batteries were shot and when I went to have them tested at O'Reilly's, they tested bad. The second time it died after leaving 1 minute after starting it, I was able to get it to restart after about 6 to 8 seconds of cranking I believe. It was either that or I tried it once and it didn't start and then tried it again and it started and that was that. I ended up putting two new batteries in after the second time it died. Since those two times, I have done my best to let it warm up for at least a few minutes and usually at least 10 to 15 in the morning (it's cold where I live in South Dakota right now) and it's been fine with no dying since replacing the batteries a few days after I got it.

When everything starts working again, there's no particular reason why. I used to bang on the dash a few times and it seemed like that was doing something because everything would work after a few bangs. Sometimes it would take a few more bangs than others. But the last 10 or so times it's done it in the last few days, banging on the dash has changed nothing. And whether I hit a bump or not, that doesn't seem to change anything. I thought a couple times that things would start working when I turned the steering wheel at a certain time but now, I'm thinking that was just coincidence that everything started working while I was driving. So, now I'm not so sure it's inside the cab or outside and under the hood (assuming those would be the two most likely spots unless there's something crazy I'm missing under the vehicle).

Scratching my head. I tried to wiggle some of the wires by the PCM and other wiring on the driver's side under the hood but no luck.