frusterated insterment cluster or something else

[jeanie]

Hi, I have a 2004 sport trac, i bought it used. when I bought it the lady said sometimes you have to bang on the dash to get the instrument panel to work, and that she never turned off the radio which was after market. Months went by and all of a sudden I had to start to do this. but everything would work. 5 months of that and now when I start the car only certain parts of instrument panel work, sometimes when I pull fuse 25 and reinsert it, it all works except now the speedometer sticks at certain speeds or doesnt work at all. I was told it is the Instrument cluster itself and have ordered one but I well not receive it for 5 weeks. Mean while I am searching to find if it could be anything else. The ford dealership suspects that it is the cluster, but can not say for sure and want more money to figure it out .... Very expensive!

Other issues related to this are radio cd player cuts off, inside dome lights go on by themselves after the car sits off for hours,lighted green lines in odometer, when car is off, trip meter doesnt work while driving. Note these are all at random times but at regular intervils. Please help it is my work truck and I need to drive it. Thank YOU!

 

[crankyjew]

Have your cluster rebuilt by RT Grimm in PA. he's a great guy to deal with, reasonable rates, and FAST turnaround.

I was having similar issues with my 04, a rebuild solved everything.

 

[Flounder]

Ditto. Us 04 and 05 owners seem to have hit the end of life of our clusters. RT Grimm can remedy for substantially less than a new cluster and programming.

 

[SoCal2V]

Ditto. Us 04 and 05 owners seem to have hit the end of life of our clusters. RT Grimm can remedy for substantially less than a new cluster and programming.

This. Keep in mind that if you swap clusters that the truck won't start until you either have PATS reprogrammed or disabled. PATS requires that the key, cluster and PCM all be matching.

So far as I am aware, with '99-'04 Mustangs the portion of the circuit board which encompasses the odometer display can be swapped into another cluster which averts the PATS issue but I am entirely unsure if the same can be done (or would be effective) on your ST.

 

[Flounder]

Actually, they will. At least in 04 and 05 STs, PATS is not in the cluster. I replaced my first cluster with an 05 cluster with about 3,000 more miles (to keep the DMV happy), which also had issues (but not as many).

 

[jeanie]

clairfy please

Actually, they will. At least in 04 and 05 STs, PATS is not in the cluster. I replaced my first cluster with an 05 cluster with about 3,000 more miles (to keep the DMV happy), which also had issues (but not as many).

So your saying if my mechanic puts in my new cluster, Ill be good to go and not need ford dealership to reprogram anything? my truck well start and I can drive away? Thanx

 

[Flounder]

I placed an 05 cluster in my 04 and everything worked (although the new cluster has developed problems like my old cluster).

In addition, my truck started without the cluster in it. I couldn't turn on the headlights because the switch and panel were out, but I could otherwise drive it. Of course, I don't recommend doing so.