Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Hey guys and gals just wondering if any of have had an issue of trying to get the polarity right on LED's for the instrument cluster on a 98 ford explorer. Presently I have a dark spot in the middle of the cluster and where the fuel gauge is . This btw has been the best turn out so far .
Well that is not the case with these for I have jockeyed these around in different ways. One attempt actually took out the entire dash cluster. So there is a certain way go about it correctly and haven't completely figured it out yet . As I stated earlier the center of cluster has a dark spot and fuel gauge is also dark.
Hey guys and gals just wondering if any of have had an issue of trying to get the polarity right on LED's for the instrument cluster on a 98 ford explorer. Presently I have a dark spot in the middle of the cluster and where the fuel gauge is . This btw has been the best turn out so far .
The leds have two wires and the original bulbs have 4 (just for better contact). If you are using the original sockets contact can be tricky. Had to take mine apart twice to get them to all light up. The vibration can move the wires and it goes dark. Polarity counts too. You can plug the cluster in and test before you reassemble. Some LEDS will not have even light like the old school bulbs. Small parts of the dash may be a bit darker, but not an entire area.
Well thank you 96eb96 that was some useful information. I find most my confusion now lies in why the gas gauge is in the dark while the other gauge that shares the same light looks just fine. I'm gonna go back in there and this time I'm going deep into the cluster and have a look at the prisms. There has to be and explanation for it. When I find out the reason I will share my findings.
You can do that by signing up with the Forum as “Elite” status. It costs $20/year. You get less advertising, I think. But mostly it just a way to support the great Forum.
I thank you all for the information given thus far . The question for myself remains that the actual cluster circuitry itself is a bit confusing as well. I haven't seen anything on Youtube or anywhere else that lays out a clear mapping of the clusters printed circuit. Put another way, if it was made obvious which of each side of the bulb socket was marked positive I would have little trouble solving the issues I'm facing getting this right . BTW how do you guys place the Avatar pictured in the empty box . I'm clueless on how to that as well LOL.
As I recall, there are six bulbs, and they run in three circuits- two bulbs in each circuit as follows...
1. 2. 3. (Top)
| | |
4. 5. 6. (Bottom)
1 and 4 are in a circuit, 2 and 5 are in a circuit, and 3 and 6 are the same circuit.
Polarity DOES matter, and the positive terminals are on the same side for each of the three circuits, but I do not recall the alignment. If either or both bulbs are out of polarity, neither bulb in the circuit will work.
Maybe that helps.
The Avatar is available for Elite membership status... and is set up under your “account” information.
I thank you all for the information given thus far . The question for myself remains that the actual cluster circuitry itself is a bit confusing as well. I haven't seen anything on Youtube or anywhere else that lays out a clear mapping of the clusters printed circuit. Put another way, if it was made obvious which of each side of the bulb socket was marked positive I would have little trouble solving the issues I'm facing getting this right . BTW how do you guys place the Avatar pictured in the empty box . I'm clueless on how to that as well LOL.
When you can have an avatar, hovering over your user name at the top will show a box/list of your options, the avatar being among that on the left. The userCP page is what I recall it being called before, I think it's the profile page now.
Setting up LED's is very tricky because of the issues mentioned already, plus the myriad kinds of LED's(brightness, color shade, and light projection). It takes a lot of patience and some good luck.
