splintrcel
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This works specifically for the 1st gen expeditions with digital readout odometers!
I have had a flickering odometer for several years now so I decided to go ahead and fix the darn thing. It seems really time consuming but its probably a 2 hour job from start to finish.
You will need:
-Set of Torx bits or torx drivers that are skinny
-Plastic pry tool (anything that wont scratch stuff easy)
-Soldering iron
-Solder(Small gauge)
-Hex Driver
-Metric sockets that fit the hex driver
-Possibly a socket extender
Step One:
Remove the headlight switch. There is a slot at the bottom of the black switch. Use a pry tool or if your careful, a flat head screw driver. It should pop right out.
IMG_0117-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
IMG_0119-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Remove the wires and place somewhere safe. The wires may be difficult to pry out so be patient and careful with them.
Step Two:
Remove the plastic piece that surrounds the base of the steering column as shown in this picture. It should pop out via clips so just be careful. It takes some work trying to get it out so try different angles until you can get the part out without bending it too much.
IMG_0120-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Three:
Remove the shroud that the headlight switch was connected too. It has three screws by the instrument cluster, one behind where hte head light switch, and maybe two more where the piece you removed from the previous step was. They are black screws with a hex head on them. Unplug the wires and remove the whole piece and set it somewhere safe.
IMG_0120-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Four:
Remove the instrument cluster. There are four gold looking screws in each corner. Be careful not to drop them into the abyss of the internals of the car. The instrument cluster does not come out easily after the screws are removed. Tilt it in any direction you can until you can get the two sets of wire plugs out the back. You may need someone with small hands for this. After you get the wires out twist and turn it until you can get it out of the dash. Also remove the gear selector indicator. This will just pop right out and you can leave it hang there. Handle the circuit board with care.
IMG_0122-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Five:
Remove the outer white plastic cover. This part is pretty easy. Just take your torx driver and remove the screws on the back of the cluster until the back cover is removed.
IMG_0123-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Five:
Detach the circuit board. The only thing holding the board on the rest of the assembly is a couple of large pin connectors for your gauges and a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable is the only one visible and has ten wires or so in it. Work it out with care. Take a plastic pry tool or something that wont scratch the circuit board and gently pry around the outer edge. It should come up fairly easily. Once the board is out set it on a towel or something to prevent damage.
IMG_0126-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Six:
Solder. There are 9 pins in a row on your circuit board. These are the cause of your trouble with the flickering. The solder becomes brittle with lots of heating and cooling thus losing its ability to conduct as well as it used to. You will need to plug in your soldering iron and let it warm up for awhile.
IMG_0129-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
IMG_0128-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
In order to solder this correctly, you will need to touch the end of your soldering iron to the tip of the pin and hold. While your doing that, take the solder with your free had and touch the base of pin. You should see some liquid solder flow around it. Use a very small amount of solder for this. You only just want to reheat and add a small amount of solder to each pin. Be very careful to not get solder anywhere else. This could end up making your odometer not work. Each pin must stay separate so solder can not touch the other pins together. Do this for each pin down the line.
Step Seven:
Reassemble! Just follow the other steps in reverse and you good to go!!!
There you have it, no more flickering odometer. It worked great for my expy so it was well worth the time!
Good luck, feel free to ask me any questions or ask for further detail.
I have had a flickering odometer for several years now so I decided to go ahead and fix the darn thing. It seems really time consuming but its probably a 2 hour job from start to finish.
You will need:
-Set of Torx bits or torx drivers that are skinny
-Plastic pry tool (anything that wont scratch stuff easy)
-Soldering iron
-Solder(Small gauge)
-Hex Driver
-Metric sockets that fit the hex driver
-Possibly a socket extender
Step One:
Remove the headlight switch. There is a slot at the bottom of the black switch. Use a pry tool or if your careful, a flat head screw driver. It should pop right out.
IMG_0117-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
IMG_0119-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Remove the wires and place somewhere safe. The wires may be difficult to pry out so be patient and careful with them.
Step Two:
Remove the plastic piece that surrounds the base of the steering column as shown in this picture. It should pop out via clips so just be careful. It takes some work trying to get it out so try different angles until you can get the part out without bending it too much.
IMG_0120-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Three:
Remove the shroud that the headlight switch was connected too. It has three screws by the instrument cluster, one behind where hte head light switch, and maybe two more where the piece you removed from the previous step was. They are black screws with a hex head on them. Unplug the wires and remove the whole piece and set it somewhere safe.
IMG_0120-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Four:
Remove the instrument cluster. There are four gold looking screws in each corner. Be careful not to drop them into the abyss of the internals of the car. The instrument cluster does not come out easily after the screws are removed. Tilt it in any direction you can until you can get the two sets of wire plugs out the back. You may need someone with small hands for this. After you get the wires out twist and turn it until you can get it out of the dash. Also remove the gear selector indicator. This will just pop right out and you can leave it hang there. Handle the circuit board with care.
IMG_0122-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Five:
Remove the outer white plastic cover. This part is pretty easy. Just take your torx driver and remove the screws on the back of the cluster until the back cover is removed.
IMG_0123-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Five:
Detach the circuit board. The only thing holding the board on the rest of the assembly is a couple of large pin connectors for your gauges and a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable is the only one visible and has ten wires or so in it. Work it out with care. Take a plastic pry tool or something that wont scratch the circuit board and gently pry around the outer edge. It should come up fairly easily. Once the board is out set it on a towel or something to prevent damage.
IMG_0126-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
Step Six:
Solder. There are 9 pins in a row on your circuit board. These are the cause of your trouble with the flickering. The solder becomes brittle with lots of heating and cooling thus losing its ability to conduct as well as it used to. You will need to plug in your soldering iron and let it warm up for awhile.
IMG_0129-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
IMG_0128-1.jpg picture by splintrcel - Photobucket
In order to solder this correctly, you will need to touch the end of your soldering iron to the tip of the pin and hold. While your doing that, take the solder with your free had and touch the base of pin. You should see some liquid solder flow around it. Use a very small amount of solder for this. You only just want to reheat and add a small amount of solder to each pin. Be very careful to not get solder anywhere else. This could end up making your odometer not work. Each pin must stay separate so solder can not touch the other pins together. Do this for each pin down the line.
Step Seven:
Reassemble! Just follow the other steps in reverse and you good to go!!!
There you have it, no more flickering odometer. It worked great for my expy so it was well worth the time!
Good luck, feel free to ask me any questions or ask for further detail.
