White Face Instrument Cluster Install on a 99

[aldive]

Mine functions perfectly but is not very bright.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Al (and others) did you use the backing housing from your old cluster or the new one? Mine is very bright- just as it is in the pics... I think the clear plastic that the gauge faces mount on was different on the '95 and the '01- because the clear diffusers have to carry the light differently to the gauges maybe? I used the rear backing housing (casing) from the '95 and the white faces and clear things that they stick onto from the '01. May be something different in how the lights work and carry through.

I found my cluster at the junkyard...

The cluster wiring and light locations are different, you have to repin some of the wires- you'll have to look at the old cluster and see where the wire tape meets the connector, and relocate those wires to the new cluster locations.

 

[muhl5443]

i used everything that i got with mine at the junkyard.

 

[SVTmountianeer]

now knowing how simple the swap is im going to do it so it could match my nv aotumeters

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

I know this thread is kind of old, but I am planning on doing the white face gauges. Does anyone know if they just sell the white face so I don't have to deal with many wires and install a whole new set of gauges?

-Marc

 

[celly]

I know this thread is kind of old, but I am planning on doing the white face gauges. Does anyone know if they just sell the white face so I don't have to deal with many wires and install a whole new set of gauges?

-Marc

There are aftermarket options available, but quality and appearance vary wildly. I'd check eBay for those.

You won't find Ford OEM as white faced gauge overlays alone. They're of much higher quality that the aftermarket stuff, IMHO. Keep in mind that simply swapping out the overlays can be a bit of a project in itself because you've got to pull the needles off and then recalibrate them. Make sure you do your homework. It's not hard to do, but I found out the hard way as my tach and speed were off by a wide margin after the swap. They're perfect now, but it took a lot of trial and error to get them right.

 

[01EB5.0]

i just bought a new gauge cluster from the boneyard for $22. Will indstall today.

i used to have the Ebay gauge overlays I installed them without removing any needles but it took a lot of patience. Over the l;ast few years the overlay thats under my tach started to pucker up in the cold and now the tach hardly moves anymore. thats why i decided to just do it right...lol

 

[celly]

I installed them without removing any needles but it took a lot of patience.

How do you get them by the needles?

I popped off the needles with a salad fork (a tip I picked up off the forums) and re-calibrated using the speed and tach readings on my Scangauge. The other needles were eyeballed using a photo I took before the install.

The speed and tach are bank on compared to Scangauge and speed is also bank on vis a vis GPS. I know speed is right because a trooper in North Dakota got me doing 82 in a 70 recently and I was doing 82 as per my GPS as well.

 

[greg2427]

I have a 98 Ranger with no tach and got a cluster from a 97 Explorer with a tach but after installing the cluster in my Ranger it stopped charging. Where did I go wrong? What can I do to fix that??

 

[DrthTater]

Wow. Those all look great, guys. Perhaps that's something I'll do to mine.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Here is some info that might help.
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45192

 

[Buyford]

I want whiteface gauges for my 98 explorer and was looking at the instrument cluster of a 04 sportrac, its was perfect but i called the Ford dealer(parts) and he said that the wireing was different, so where now(e bay) and i live in Ontario. Thanks in advance.

Bill (Buyford)

 

[muhl5443]

i have the white gauges out of a 04 sport trac and dont have a problem with em in my 98 xlt

 

[Buyford]

Hey muhl, thanks, are the plugs/wiring the same 4 both the '04 and the 98?, the Ford dealer(parts) said that the wiring is different and wont work.

 

[mic98xlt]

I too have the white face gauges from a 2003 sport trac in my 98 xlt. There is no major wiring differences (minor ones) and it will work. They are not wired exactly identical but they work just fine. Don't worry about what the Ford dealer says, technically they are right but in reality it's works. This is a great upgrade mod. One of my best mods for my X.

 

[Buyford]

cool thanks mic98xlt, what do i have to do for wiring?..i love the whiteface gauges.

Thanks in advance Bill

 

[muhl5443]

the wirimg is alil different but they will work. as long as the back of the instrument cluster has 3 holes for wiring connectors and the harnesses in ur truck fit in them you will be fine.

 

[syn-]

Just a heads up I did a how to, on converting this cluster to 96 and below. Not sure how below (anything 2nd gen should be right). http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2252656#post2252656 I too enjoi them, wish they were brighter as day light is still present, but at night they make up for it.

 

[mic98xlt]

the wirimg is alil different but they will work. as long as the back of the instrument cluster has 3 holes for wiring connectors and the harnesses in ur truck fit in them you will be fine.

Muhl is 100 percent correct. They're just plug and play after the connectors fit. Your 98 X will work without rewiring.

 

[Buyford]

cool thanks guys