Ford Odometer Dims intermittently

Odometer displays gets dim and dark on 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.

The problem is not constant,it occurs occasionally then all gets normal.

IS IT A FUSE OR BULB ISSUE?


NO,not at all.I've repaired multiple sets of these, a fuse WOULD NOT cause the intermittent issues you are experiencing, and the bulb is extremely unlikely to do so.

OK,THEN WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS PROBLEM?


Its a problem with Instrument cluster board.

The "proper" repair is to have the entire instrument cluster (the unit that holds all of the gauges and odometer behind the steering wheel) replaced. The reason this particular issue happens is usually due to a faulty solder joint on the instrument cluster.

IS REPLACING THE CLUSTER BOARD ONLY OPTION OR CAN I REPAIR THE PROBLEM?

If you go to ford dealership then for quick and easy solution.They will suggest you just get instrument cluster board replaced.
But as per my experience at our auto garage.I will say,these is jut the basic start of problem.
The problem can be repaired.

If you know how to use soldering iron and solder electric points on circuit board.Then you can repair this problem easily.

See the instrument cluster board image shown below:---
The solder points which mostly go loose are shown.





Only the odometer is affected by these solder joints
The eight solder connections in the top left of this picture are the ones that are most likely at fault, if you are comfortable with a solder gun and removing the instrument cluster, these are the solder joints that need to be repaired mostly.But if you notice any other additional solder points that seems loose then don't ignore that points. Re-solder that points too.

WHY ONLY ODOMETER IS AFFECTED AND ALL OTHER WORKS GOOD ON CLUTER BOARD?



The part of the board that has the bad solder connections gets hot and causes excessive resistance in the circuit for the L.E.D display to function constantly.The root cause of this problem is  "poor solder connections" during assembly.And its not uncommon.The solder points gets loose by age and needs re-soldering.
As per the present condition,the problem is not so worse that you need to replace the cluster board.You can get it repaired by re-soldering.


If you go to a Ford dealer, they will want you to replace the entire instrument cluster.They will not do these repair work for you.


These details will help.
Thanks.

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How to troubleshoot odometer ?

Odometer is the faithful mile counter on your dashboard that keeps you informed about the distance your car has covered.There is no way you can reset the mileage shown by the odometer, through this repair procedure or any other.

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The planetary gear which is most common reason for odometer not working.-----

Odometer repair is very delicate work and you need to be very careful while removing all of its connected parts and reassembling then together.

Before you begin to remove the odometer, disconnect the negative terminal of the car battery. First part is the removal of the speedometer gauge. Take hold of the flat head screwdriver and using it remove the gasket surrounding the circumference of the speedometer gauge.

Gently remove the entire speedometer gauge assembly out of the dashboard. You need to be slow in doing this, taking care of not disconnecting the wires connected to the gauge from behind. Look at the back side of the gauge and observe the wire connection made to it. Take a snapshot if you want before you go ahead and remove the wire connections. That way you will remember how to put them back.

The odometer stops working because the gear within the odometer has worn out. You'll need no special tools to do this, but you must know what to watch out for or you could permanently damage the speedometer that is housed in the same gauge as the odometer.

Disconnect the negative cable from your car's battery.

Using a flat head screwdriver, gently pry the gasket around the edge of the face of your speedometer gauge away from the dash and remove the gasket. Pull the entire speedometer gauge out of the dash; be careful not to disconnect the connecting electrical wires when doing this. Once you can reach behind the gauge, note how the wire connects to it and then disconnect it by grasping it near the connection and pulling it free.

Lay the gauge face down on your work surface and remove the screws from the back of the case with a regular-size Phillips head screwdriver. Once the screws are removed, lift the gauge out of its casing and turn it face up on your work surface.

Grasp the post that is used to reset the trip odometer and gently pull it from the gauge. Do this slowly; if you feel any resistance as you are pulling, place a finger under the dial of the gauge and press upward where the post passes through and connects into the motor casing. The motor casing will look like a small black plastic box attached to the reverse side of the dial, and will be separate from the metal housing of the gauge that contains the speedometer.

Remove the speedometer needle by pinching the round base of the needle and turning the needle clockwise until it stops, then pull up slowly and gently while rocking the needle back and forth slightly. It is very easy to bend the needle and it is essential that you take your time doing this step and do not force the needle off.

Unscrew and remove the two screws in the face of the gauge using one of the mini Phillips head screwdrivers from your computer repair kit. Once the screws are removed, pull the motor casing for the odometer out from the dial.

Pull the gear pod off the top of the motor casing. The gear pod is attached to the "lid" of the casing and will come off as such.

Pry the odometer planetary gear from the gear pod using a mini flat head screwdriver from your computer repair kit. Press your replacement gear into position and reassemble the gauge by reversing the steps you took to remove it.