FuzzFace2 Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Yep, that looks like the one. X2 Pull the wire and check with a test light it should blink if the wiring back to the gauge is good. If you ground it, not long as you canhurt the gauge, the gauge should move if all is good like above. If both above tests check good the sender is bad and needs to be replaced. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 Yep, that looks like the one. X2 Pull the wire and check with a test light it should blink if the wiring back to the gauge is good. If you ground it, not long as you canhurt the gauge, the gauge should move if all is good like above. If both above tests check good the sender is bad and needs to be replaced. Dave ---- Thanks again Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted November 23, 2023 Author Share Posted November 23, 2023 Thanks again Dave! I replaced the sender as I was doin' other engine work. Gauge didn't work. Grounded wire, gauge didn't work. I have traced the wiring back to the firewall and didn't find any issues. I found a post in another forum that said there should be 5 volts in the wire. I used a safety pin to puncture the wire and checked wire in several placed. no voltage. I assume my next step is to remove the dash and check the printed circuit? Found this article on here: gage cluster printed circuit repair/fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I replaced the sender as I was doin' other engine work. Gauge didn't work. Grounded wire, gauge didn't work. I have traced the wiring back to the firewall and didn't find any issues. I found a post in another forum that said there should be 5 volts in the wire. I used a safety pin to puncture the wire and checked wire in several placed. no voltage. I assume my next step is to remove the dash and check the printed circuit? Found this article on here: gage cluster printed circuit repair/fix. Ford instruments of this era go back to the day of 6V systems, essentially unchanged. That would be Fuel, Coolant temp and Oil pressure. The Instrument Cluster Voltage Regulator (ICVR) 'chops up' battery voltage and leves you with a ~5V average. Gary was going to build one from scratch but found and implemented a solid state solution (SWAD-J) If it's only the water temp instrument then you'll find the problem on the flex, or more likely in the plugs on the back of the cluster. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted November 23, 2023 Author Share Posted November 23, 2023 Ford instruments of this era go back to the day of 6V systems, essentially unchanged. That would be Fuel, Coolant temp and Oil pressure. The Instrument Cluster Voltage Regulator (ICVR) 'chops up' battery voltage and leves you with a ~5V average. Gary was going to build one from scratch but found and implemented a solid state solution (SWAD-J) If it's only the water temp instrument then you'll find the problem on the flex, or more likely in the plugs on the back of the cluster. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday! Thanks for the schoolin' Jim. Happy Turkey Day to you & yours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted November 25, 2023 Share Posted November 25, 2023 Thanks for the schoolin' Jim. Happy Turkey Day to you & yours! As Jim said power (12v) comes in to the cluster going to the IVR then out to the 3 gauges (gas / temp / oil) and then out to each sender. You have tested back to the firewall for power with no luck so you have to move on to the cluster. As said look at the main plug as the copper strip on the printed board can come off and not make contact with the plug. It can also be dirty I used some vary fine sand paper like 1200 grit. I used it on all contacts for gauges, light sockets and the main plug. If you use jumper wires and a 12 volt power you can bench test the cluster with a test light. Power into the IVR and you should see the test light blink output of the IVR. Following it more to each gauge you should have blinking light in and out of each gauge. On the temp gauge if you have power in but none out of the gauge it would be bad in my book and need replacing. If the temp gauge blinks on the output side follow it to the plug and see if you have power there. At that point if the temp gauge has power (blinking) all the way back to the main plug you will need to check the temp wire from the plug back out to the sender to see where the fault is and repair it. Short of doing it for you that is what needs to be done. It could be once you have the cluster out and looking at the printed board you can see a bad spot and will need fining or me replacing it. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 It can also be dirty I used some vary fine sand paper like 1200 grit. I used it on all contacts for gauges, light sockets and the main plug. I've always used an ink/pen eraser, rubberized mild abrasive (similar to Craytex or Peco, the toy train track cleaner) We used to be able to get the slip on ones that fit a pen like a pencil eraser but I don't know if they still exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 It can also be dirty I used some vary fine sand paper like 1200 grit. I used it on all contacts for gauges, light sockets and the main plug. I've always used an ink/pen eraser, rubberized mild abrasive (similar to Craytex or Peco, the toy train track cleaner) We used to be able to get the slip on ones that fit a pen like a pencil eraser but I don't know if they still exist. Yep, I use an eraser as well. But stay away from the end of the trace as you might snag it and peel the copper off the flex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 Yep, I use an eraser as well. But stay away from the end of the trace as you might snag it and peel the copper off the flex. All the erasers I have are dried out and hard as a rock but yes eraser would work I just happen to have the 1200 grit paper. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDLong Posted November 27, 2023 Author Share Posted November 27, 2023 It can also be dirty I used some vary fine sand paper like 1200 grit. I used it on all contacts for gauges, light sockets and the main plug. I've always used an ink/pen eraser, rubberized mild abrasive (similar to Craytex or Peco, the toy train track cleaner) We used to be able to get the slip on ones that fit a pen like a pencil eraser but I don't know if they still exist. Thanks Jim. Had to put up Christmas decorations this weekend so I'll go back to Big Red today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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