Instrument Panel Cluster

[Chris B 3]

About 2 weeks ago my trac wouldn't start. I noticed that when I turned the key the instrument panel did not even light up. The radio/GPS would come on, all the lights etc, but the truck wouldn't start. I had it towed to a Ford dealership thinking my warranty would cover it, of course it didn't. They gave me a over the phone quote that replacing the panel, plus labor would be about 600 bucks...which stinks cause I just bought the trac used a few months ago.



So now its been two weeks and I have yet to get my trac back. Last Friday they told me it was almost done they just had to work out an indeterminate short in the instrument panel that they replaced. Its now Tuesday, and I just got a call saying they took it for a road test before I was supposed to go pick it up and it is still malfunctioning.



Do these guys know what they are doing? Or could they have been wrong in the first place and the panel wasn't the root problem? Any ideas?

 

[Art Garcia]

if your truck isnt starting at all i dont think that problem would be the instrument panel.

sometimes the local shops mechanical experience is just as skilled as ford dealerships.

just wait for the bill? lets hope it doesnt blow you away. all this time is rackin up labor hours. now we all know those arent cheap at the dealership.

 

[Kevin Palmer]

If it is the cluster I will be truly AMAZED....



I would go back and insist on a guarantee from them. Meaning, that if it is NOT the problem, it cost you nothing..



Truthfully, I would simply go get my truck back and take it somewhere else. I just KNOW they are going to say,,,, "well, we changed out the cluster and it started but it wasn't right. So we did more digging and we found the discombobulator to be bad,,, That cost $499.72 more plus labor".....

 

[Dreman]

I became disillusioned about dealerships when I took a car in for an idle problem when warm. They said they hooked it up to their $30,000 machine and it said it was this $200 part on the injector rail, and it would be $325 to fix it. I was tired of looking for the problem, and said go ahead. $325 later, and IT WASN"T FIXED! As far as I could tell, it didn't change anything at all! I took it back, and the service manager came back in an hour later and said (and I quote) "We think it's this, now". I looked at him and said "You THINK it's that? Are you willing to guarantee that will fix the problem?" He wouldn't guarantee that it was the problem, so I said put it back together and I'll just live with it. I then went home and bought the part he said would fix it (from another dealer for $35 instead of the $60 he quoted) and it wasn't fixed! Finally found a mechanic that considered it a challenge. Found a temp sensor not in any of the books that Ford had apparently added, replaced it for $50, and it ran fine from then on.



Same dealer left tools under the hood when I went back for a warranty replacement battery for my 3 day old Mustang. Got some free tools, anyway! Never set foot in that dealership service bay again! Too bad, they really did give a good deal on a new car back then!

 

[EddieS'04]

When it comes to dealerships. I have always had a problem with, the name mechanic being changed to technician...



I also will will be amazed if the instrument cluster, caused a no start. IMO, whatever the short is. Is also causing instrument cluster failure. Find the break down in the harness and I bet the old cluster will work.

 

[Daniel Butler]

I drove my trac without the cluster panel for a couple days. started up fine and everything. Radio and dome lights didnt work but other than that it was fine. Glad your truck is fixed! :haveabeer:

 

[Chris B 3]

Thanks for your replies, I got a call back today from them saying that the the instrument panel works but it isn't communicating correctly with the on board computer. So as Eddie said something else probably caused the cluster to fail and is actually the root problem...which he suggested to be harness.



Thanks for everyone's help on this, I don't really have any mechanical knowledge, all my knowledge is tied up in computers and programming languages...haha...it doesn't help either that I am 4 hours away from my trusted family mechanic.

 

[scott degroot]

I guess what everyone doesn't know is that all the information for the PATS (anti-theft) is stored in the instrument cluster...if the cluster craps out the vehicle WILL NOT START. Hopefully your reapir facility knows that if the cluster is replaced than the pcm must also be reconfigured for the new cluster..actually a really simple procedure but does require the use of an IDS.