Not a typical instrument cluster problem. -2004 Sport Trac XLT RWD.

[eevox]

My problem with the instrument cluster doesn't occur while the ignition is on. It happens only with the ignition off. While the truck's ignition is on, the cluster performs normally.

But after the ignition is off, that changes. First, there is a noticeable shudder from the instrument cluster stepper motors. Then there is a beep, and every pixel in the odometer lights up. Different behaviors follow this. Sometimes the fuel gauge registers the fuel level, and the battery gauge registers the voltage level. Sometimes they go up and then come down to their resting position, and sometimes they continue to report their levels.

If I've not turned the dimmer switch completely off, as you would if you did not want your interior lights to come on when the door was opened, they come on briefly as well.

If I've not manually turned the radio off before turning the ignition off, it also comes on for a brief time and goes off.

The odometer then goes to what I can only describe as faint dots, and the message center gives me one of two messages. It either reports "Low Fuel" or "Check gauges."

Sometimes the truck will go quiet again, only to repeat this over and over again.

Before this glitching out of the instrument cluster, I observed a .65 amp parasitic draw at the battery. Once the fun begins, that jumps up as some relays are energized, and depending on whether or not I've not turned off the dimmer switch or radio. But with those off, the draw will briefly go as high as 1.5ish amps, although it just spikes and goes back to hovering around the .65 amp draw. As I said, I can hear various relays being activated.

I've gone through the fuses and relays in both F1 and F2. The only thing which stops this activity is pulling F2-25, which powers the instrument cluster and neutral tow switch. Which my ST being an RWD, I don't think it is a factor.

Pulling the PCM fuses or any of the other of the various fuses related to the instrument cluster does not stop the symptom. So, I can only assume this is instrument cluster-related. But not the typical instrument cluster failure, which typically is observed with the vehicle on.

Initially, I thought it might have something to do with the ignition switch. So I replaced it. Then I thought perhaps it might be the ignition key cylinder, so I replaced that.

I've experienced the typical cold-break solder joint failure with the instrument cluster before. A year or two ago, I had to replace my cluster. This current problem doesn't appear to be the same failure. Something is energizing the cluster with the ignition off.

The battery, while not new, is still showing a nominal charge and load; the alternator is performing normally.

I'm open to ideas. --thanks

PS: Just to be clear, when in operation all systems function normally. This only occurs when the truck is off.

 

[eevox]

The problem appears to be mechanical in nature. Just by chance, today, I jiggled the ignition with the key out of the ignition, and the malfunction seems to react to the jiggling.

Since I've already replaced the lock cylinder itself with a Motorcraft lock cylinder, and I've already replaced the ignition switch itself. I can only assume it might have something to do with the ignition actuator arms. Something is making contact that shouldn't, or something is misaligned or worn in the steering column.

Ideas?

 

[eevox]

I guess I'll pull the ignition switch, reconnect it, and see if I can eliminate the malfunction by manually moving the switch closed. If that eliminates the malfunction, then I'll know it is mechanical and has to do with the plastic ignition actuator arms. ...seems unlikely.

At the same time, I'll check all the plugs and wires again and make sure nothing is grounding out. I'll also remove the ignition key cylinder and check the contact points to see if that's it. ...seems logical that it is at least playing a role in this malfunction.

But again, I'm wide open for suggestions or past experiences. Thanks.

 

[eevox]

What is annoying about this malfunction is that it doesn't happen right away.

Sometimes it takes a long time after the ignition is off for the "glitch" to begin. I completely took apart the lower dash and the clamshell around the steering column to have easy access to all the plugs, switches, and wires; all the plugs look clean, I can find no broken wires.

I removed the instrument cluster, and I traced the wire from F2-25 as best I could to the instrument cluster, and it looked fine. The ignition cylinder sends a ground signal to the cluster.

I've gone in complete circles on this one. I can find absolutely no example of anyone experiencing this problem. Not on this forum, not on similar forums, and not on the internet. ...I've searched.

This is a real head-scratcher.

 

[eevox]

I removed the instrument cluster, Removing the light/dimmer switch in the process, checked every wire and plug. Disconnected the ignition switch. Removed the ignition lock mechanism. Removed the fuse for the PCM.

The instrument cluster still "glitches" when the truck is off, even without an ignition lock mechanism.

>It's not the dimmer/light switch
>It's not the PCM
>It's not the ignition switch
>It's not the ignition key cylinder
>It's not a relay in F1 (engine compartment) or the auxiliary relay in the auxiliary box above and to the right of the gas peddle.

When I connect the battery, the instrument cluster doesn't start to "glitch" instantly. But after it starts to glitch, it seems to continuously do so until fuse F1-25 is removed or the battery is disconnected, or the truck is started.

It's almost like something has to "heat" once the battery is reconnected—kind of like a bad relay. When I connect the battery, a click sound comes from the firewall area, below the fuse relay box in the engine compartment. It sounds like a relay click. But it's not coming from the F1 relays.

Maybe it is the instrument cluster. But if it is, this is the first time I've heard of this kind of instrument cluster failure: one that works fine when the truck is running but "glitches" when the truck is off.

 

[eevox]

I actually reached out to a guy who fixes circuit boards and instrument clusters yesterday. He responded this morning.

His name is Jeff, and he has a YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/jeffescortlx/videos. He seems to be very competent at what he does. He has some ideas about what might be going on but is booked for 2 weeks. I'm going to the beach in a couple of weeks, so maybe it'll work out.

Whatever I find out, I'll finish off this thread for "posterity," maybe it will help someone down the road in some way. I hate it when I come across dead-end threads with no resolution.

If I were a young man who wanted to go into automotive repair, I'd go into electronics and programming. I think that's the future of cars. It's amazing how hard it is to find someone who is really competent in that area. Compared to the cars and trucks today, the '04 ST is simple.

 

[eevox]

(Circuit Board Medics - Automotive & Appliance Circuit Repair replied that they had no way of testing an instrument cluster that was malfunctioning when the truck is off. Therefore they could not guarantee the repair. If I had just sent them the instrument cluster, they'd have found nothing wrong with it and most likely just sent it back as operational. I applaud them for their honesty. It saved me time and money.)

I bought a junked cluster and installed it today. I can confirm that something on the instrument cluster was shorting out.

Why was this not a typical instrument cluster failure?

Because typically, the stepper motors wear out, they have plastic gears in them, and over time they wear out. That, or the circuit board develops cold breaks that cause various cluster operations to malfunction while the vehicle is running. Not when the truck is off.

When you have one of these typical malfunctions, all the repair services will do is put new stepper motors on the board and perhaps resolder some of the cold breaks, reestablishing the broken connections. It's pretty easy to do what they do. If your willing to learn a little bit about soldering and maybe do a little practice on some broken pieces of electronics around your house. Stepper motors are cheap and easy to come by.

But if some other component goes on your instrument cluster's circuit board, the repair folks really can't fix it. They want the stuff that they can fix in 15 minutes and net $100.

So if anyone in the future comes across this thread in their search, let me save you a lot of frustration. Once you isolate the short to your instrument cluster, you're pretty much going to have to do what I did and find a junked part, or you're going to have to find a good electronics expert who knows what he's doing. The cluster repair places aren't going to be able to help you. You'll waste time and money sending them your instrument cluster.

Good luck.

PS the test procedure is to do a parasitic draw test at the battery with the truck off. If you get a parasitic draw that is only stopped by pulling the fuse F2-25 (F2 in the fuse box inside your driver's door 25 is the fuse position); your instrument cluster is actually shorting out.

F2-25 is always hot (always drawing a little power) from your battery.

 

[Dan308]

(Circuit Board Medics - Automotive & Appliance Circuit Repair replied that they had no way of testing an instrument cluster that was malfunctioning when the truck is off. Therefore they could not guarantee the repair. If I had just sent them the instrument cluster, they'd have found nothing wrong with it and most likely just sent it back as operational. I applaud them for their honesty. It saved me time and money.)

I bought a junked cluster and installed it today. I can confirm that something on the instrument cluster was shorting out.

Why was this not a typical instrument cluster failure?

Because typically, the stepper motors wear out, they have plastic gears in them, and over time they wear out. That, or the circuit board develops cold breaks that cause various cluster operations to malfunction while the vehicle is running. Not when the truck is off.

When you have one of these typical malfunctions, all the repair services will do is put new stepper motors on the board and perhaps resolder some of the cold breaks, reestablishing the broken connections. It's pretty easy to do what they do. If your willing to learn a little bit about soldering and maybe do a little practice on some broken pieces of electronics around your house. Stepper motors are cheap and easy to come by.

But if some other component goes on your instrument cluster's circuit board, the repair folks really can't fix it. They want the stuff that they can fix in 15 minutes and net $100.

So if anyone in the future comes across this thread in their search, let me save you a lot of frustration. Once you isolate the short to your instrument cluster, you're pretty much going to have to do what I did and find a junked part, or you're going to have to find a good electronics expert who knows what he's doing. The cluster repair places aren't going to be able to help you. You'll waste time and money sending them your instrument cluster.

Good luck.

PS the test procedure is to do a parasitic draw test at the battery with the truck off. If you get a parasitic draw that is only stopped by pulling the fuse F2-25 (F2 in the fuse box inside your driver's door 25 is the fuse position); your instrument cluster is actually shorting out.

F2-25 is always hot (always drawing a little power) from your battery.

I have almost the same problem with a 2005 Sport Trac Adrenalin. When truck is running, everything is fine. When you turn the ignition off and take the key out, the "check gauges" light comes on and the ABS light too. The radio will come on. All this with the key out.

I have used a test light and pulled every fuse and still there is a drain on the battery. I can pull the fuse and turn off the radio and cluster but the ABS light stays on and there is still a battery drain. Replaced ignition switch, didn't fix. I'm thinking about a cluster from a junk yard. The part # is 4L2T-10849-AD

 

[Dan308]

Got a new cluster and it didn't fix the problem. Sent the old cluster to be repaired. Got it back and it doesn't work either. HELP anyone.

 

[410Fortune]

Interesting thread! The 04-05 clusters seem to have this issue! Apparently the battery saver relay is built into the 04-05 sport trac cluster?

I have wiring books for 02’sport/ trac and 04 ranger and 05 ranger but I do not have 04/05’trac would need this book to look into the wiring deeper

 

[lincolnlocker]

My problem with the instrument cluster doesn't occur while the ignition is on. It happens only with the ignition off. While the truck's ignition is on, the cluster performs normally.

But after the ignition is off, that changes. First, there is a noticeable shudder from the instrument cluster stepper motors. Then there is a beep, and every pixel in the odometer lights up. Different behaviors follow this. Sometimes the fuel gauge registers the fuel level, and the battery gauge registers the voltage level. Sometimes they go up and then come down to their resting position, and sometimes they continue to report their levels.

If I've not turned the dimmer switch completely off, as you would if you did not want your interior lights to come on when the door was opened, they come on briefly as well.

If I've not manually turned the radio off before turning the ignition off, it also comes on for a brief time and goes off.

The odometer then goes to what I can only describe as faint dots, and the message center gives me one of two messages. It either reports "Low Fuel" or "Check gauges."

Sometimes the truck will go quiet again, only to repeat this over and over again.
Eolo sta Fallendo | La rete Eolo non funziona? - Eolospeedprova
Before this glitching out of the instrument cluster, I observed a .65 amp parasitic draw at the battery. Once the fun begins, that jumps up as some relays are energized, and depending on whether or not I've not turned off the dimmer switch or radio. But with those off, the draw will briefly go as high as 1.5ish amps, although it just spikes and goes back to hovering around the .65 amp draw. As I said, I can hear various relays being activated.

I've gone through the fuses and relays in both F1 and F2. The only thing which stops this activity is pulling F2-25, which powers the instrument cluster and neutral tow switch. Which my ST being an RWD, I don't think it is a factor.

Pulling the PCM fuses or any of the other of the various fuses related to the instrument cluster does not stop the symptom. So, I can only assume this is instrument cluster-related. But not the typical instrument cluster failure, which typically is observed with the vehicle on.

Initially, I thought it might have something to do with the ignition switch. So I replaced it. Then I thought perhaps it might be the ignition key cylinder, so I replaced that.

I've experienced the typical cold-break solder joint failure with the instrument cluster before. A year or two ago, I had to replace my cluster. This current problem doesn't appear to be the same failure. Something is energizing the cluster with the ignition off.

The battery, while not new, is still showing a nominal charge and load; the alternator is performing normally.

I'm open to ideas. --thanks

PS: Just to be clear, when in operation all systems function normally. This only occurs when the truck is off.

it seems that there may be an issue with the instrument cluster in your truck. Here are a few possible explanations and suggestions to consider:

1. Faulty instrument cluster: It's possible that there is a problem with the instrument cluster itself, such as a malfunctioning circuit or a loose connection. Even though you previously replaced the cluster, there may still be an underlying issue. Consider having the instrument cluster inspected or tested by a professional technician to determine if it requires further repair or replacement.
2. Electrical short or wiring issue: There could be an electrical short or wiring problem in the system, causing the instrument cluster to receive power when it shouldn't. This could be related to a damaged wire or a faulty relay. Inspect the wiring harnesses and connections associated with the instrument cluster to check for any signs of damage or loose connections. If necessary, consult a qualified mechanic to perform a thorough electrical diagnosis.
3. Dimmer switch or radio issue: Since you mentioned that the dimmer switch and radio can affect the behavior of the instrument cluster, it's worth investigating these components as well. Ensure that the dimmer switch is functioning correctly and not causing any unintended power supply fluctuations. Similarly, check the radio for any potential electrical issues that might be triggering the instrument cluster problem.
4. Other potential causes: While less likely, there could be other factors contributing to the issue. For example, a faulty ignition relay or a malfunctioning body control module (BCM) could potentially cause unexpected power delivery to the instrument cluster. If all else fails, it may be necessary to consult a dealership or an experienced automotive electrician who can use specialized diagnostic equipment to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem.

Remember, diagnosing and resolving complex electrical issues can be challenging without proper expertise and diagnostic tools. It's often recommended to seek assistance from a qualified mechanic or dealership who can provide a thorough diagnosis and accurate solution.