Radio / Clock display problem 1998 and up Explorers ( blank / fade / blanks / fades )

[torqlox]

Successful Board Fix!!!

Okay guys, my board received a face-lift today! Here are a few pics with contexts describing work performed.

Back of display board and problem areas:

Work to be performed:

Most of these pictures were taken after the repairs. The solder joints were cracked/broken, the terminal areas had surface solder residue, and the grounding joint from the volume module was borderline severed, hence the wire mod. This soldered-in wire mod actually improves flexibility and break-prevention during installation. The display lighted right up when I plugged her in. Hurray!!! Hope this helped!

 

[Tavery1]

Heres a question for you guys, would it be easier to just got to the local "u-pull it" and get a working one or try to repair my current one?

 

[torqlox]

Heres a question for you guys, would it be easier to just got to the local "u-pull it" and get a working one or try to repair my current one?

Repair it. It's way too easy to justify getting a new one that will only develop the same issues over time.

 

[ericautopart]

Or just live w/o it..The problem w/ the U pull its..most of them aren't powered so you don't know if it's working until you get it home..

 

[CDW6212R]

Again, the display problem is in all of the Mach/Premium radios. They all need to be fixed, none of them have good display boards. It is a defect which needs to be repaired.

The cost was $60 total with shipping both ways a few years ago. The repair success rate by individuals is very poor, it seems like about half don't last long. Why spend all of that time and risk it not working? Find a business who replaces the whole display board with a proper new one. Send it and have it done right, then it will last forever.

 

[Vaughans97Neer]

Looks like I am going tomorrow to pick up a new board at speedometerservice.com being that they are 30 min from my house. If it werent for this sticky, I would be buying an aftermarket radio which is not what I was wanting to do.

 

[codestar7]

Does anyone know how to fix the volume control knob problem?
I fixed the display problem some time ago but still have the problem with the volume control. From what I've read you need to replace some cheap parts but I don't know which ones. And please don't post the link to the shareamemory site, there is no way in heck I would pay anyone 25 bucks just to tell me what I need to buy from RadioShack. The concept is in direct contrast to this entire web wite!

Thanks in advance;
Bob

Bob;
I'm an electronic tech of 30 years. I'd be glad to repair your volum control for you for the price of the shipping to me and back. I'd recommend you remove the radio from the car. Then, on a flat surface remove the small flat, black Philips head screw on either side of the face of the radio. Then carefully insert a small flat head screw driver blade or a pen knife blade under the 2 plastic tension clips on either side of the face. These clips are actually a molded part of the face. Work the face of slowly and carefully. Once the face is off you'll see it's connected to the PC board behind the face of the radio with a small ribbon cable and the push in multi-connector. Carefully with your fingers pull out the connector from the PC board attached to the face of the radio. Shipping is cheap just for the face. I can usually repair these with no parts and they last as long as they did the first time, about 6 to 10 years.
Just PM me for an addy Chris

 

[BobWiersema]

Bob;
I'm an electronic tech of 30 years. I'd be glad to repair your volum control for you for the price of the shipping to me and back. I'd recommend you remove the radio from the car. Then, on a flat surface remove the small flat, black Philips head screw on either side of the face of the radio. Then carefully insert a small flat head screw driver blade or a pen knife blade under the 2 plastic tension clips on either side of the face. These clips are actually a molded part of the face. Work the face of slowly and carefully. Once the face is off you'll see it's connected to the PC board behind the face of the radio with a small ribbon cable and the push in multi-connector. Carefully with your fingers pull out the connector from the PC board attached to the face of the radio. Shipping is cheap just for the face. I can usually repair these with no parts and they last as long as they did the first time, about 6 to 10 years.
Just PM me for an addy Chris

Thanks for the offer, I did repair most of this a while ago. I removed the display from the board (that took a while) cleaned the pc board and re-soldered it to the board, I also re-soldered everything on the display power board and raised the resistors as suggested earlier in this thread. That fixed the display problem, it no longer goes blank even in hot weather. The problem is it freezes up often while adjusting the volume. You will get a message on the display saying Speed Vol (something or nother) and its froze. To get it unfroze I turn the volume up and down a few times till it works. Half the time that just makes it shut off, to get it back on I push the On/Off Volume button while turning it clockwise and after a few tries it turns back on. The only thing I have not done is put that jumper on as shown in one of the pictures above. But I don't think that has anything to do with it.

Right now the radio is not high priority, but if I knew what the problem was, I would fix it when I get some spare time.

Bob

 

[codestar7]

Bob;
That's great! A work around for this is , if, your explorer has the rear seat controls on a day when the main circular potentiometer volume control is working turn it up all the way. Then just leave it and adjust your volume with the rocker switch on the rear seat control.
Chris

 

[graciebrother]

i went through the removal and soldering process but it didnt work for me. Lights never came back on. I went to the salvage yard today and picked up a newer version which may have come from either an f150 or windstar. although it doesn't have the cd & tape player combo like my original (like I use tapes anyhow!) it slotted right in and works like a charm. $40. well worth it to see it light up when I start the vehicle up. god it's been a long time sitting there with no display and me not knowing what the hell i was listening to! tomorrow, i'm installing a hidden hitch from the yard. i'm not much of a mechanic but enjoying the tinkering around.

 

[barneyhyphen]

Resoldered original cracked soldered joints on my daughter's radio this morning. Took a loupe to actually see the the cracks and a very sparpened iron to resolder but didn't take too long. Not very pretty but functional so far.

BH

 

[Tavery1]

Alright, I have money to burn so I'm probably gonna go to U-Pull($5) it and grab one and repair it, I don't wanna run the risk of breaking the one worse thats in my truck.



How low low watt and small solder are we talking? Like 20 watt? Thanks.

 

[scucci]

Alright, I have money to burn so I'm probably gonna go to U-Pull($5) it and grab one and repair it, I don't wanna run the risk of breaking the one worse thats in my truck.



How low low watt and small solder are we talking? Like 20 watt? Thanks.

an iron with the smallest tip you can find 15 to 30 watts. To remove the cage a larger iron or gun type is better. Radio shack silver bearing solder is very good .010-.025"

 

[barneyhyphen]

You may do well to work under a magnifying glass. I had to use a loupe to see the cracked solder kionts.

The resistors in question are extremely small (1mm x 1.5mm). I sharpened the copper tip of my 20w iron to a point a tinned it with a little solder. Then just barely "stroked" each side of each resistor. Don't need to leave the iron on there, just "brush" it over each broken joint.

BH

 

[byte55]

something I came accross and passing it on


My radio started acting up the same way. I went to
www.shareamemory.com/radio and got the "Save My Sanity" swap board and it
fixed my problem (and my wife's). I got detailed instructions with step by
step pictures on the process to replace the board and did not have to use
any special tools except for the removal tools (made out of stiff
hangers...see the details at the web site...actually taking the radio out of
the dash was the hardest part) and a philips screw driver and a pair of
needle nose pliers. No soldering required. I've been enjoying the radio
display now for almost a year now since doing the swap. Very enjoyable to
see the time and station.

 

[byte55]

Dumb blonde - here - I have the same issue of course with the stock-radio display - can't I just purchase a different brand radio and install it and this will solve my problem? or are what your saying is that the power supply board installed in these vehicles are needed for non-stock radio as well?

 

[99SportX]

If you change the radio you will solve your problem as well. The display board is inside the radio. I would stick with the factory radio unless you have a need for additional features available on aftermarket units.

 

[graciebrother]

I can understand why people want to fix the power board themselves, which I tried but didn't work. In the end it was easier and probably cheaper to head to the scrap yard and search through the ford and mazdas for a similar or in my case a better radio. It's so easy to pull one out and try it in your vehicle.

 

[Rick98]

Count me in too. i bought my EX with the problem already and I can across a web site called replacementradios.com and they do the resodering of the joints for 75 plus shipping. I haven't shipped it out yet I've just been pretty busy.

 

[CDW6212R]

Count me in too. i bought my EX with the problem already and I can across a web site called replacementradios.com and they do the resodering of the joints for 75 plus shipping. I haven't shipped it out yet I've just been pretty busy.

Hunt a little more. There used to be places that swapped the whole defective board for $60, including shipping.