Fixing overhead console

[Pat in RI]

I've replaced the hood struts, the instrument cluster lights, the cruise control switches and decided to try and fix the temp and direction display. I found a video on YouTube and, with my shaky hands did a poor but serviceable job soldering the pair of 510 pancake resistors. It was easy to detach the console and the display is working properly. You need a 2 mm torx head to undo all of the screws behind the shroud. Here is a before and after

 

[dvdswan]

Nice work, but I think you need to get the soldering gun a little hotter. The globs that are not smooth are the give away. A little more heat and the glob will flow, has nothing to do with shaky hands, you did keep the solder with the resistors, so nice work.

 

[oknopa]

I've replaced the hood struts, the instrument cluster lights, the cruise control switches and decided to try and fix the temp and direction display. I found a video on YouTube and, with my shaky hands did a poor but serviceable job soldering the pair of 510 pancake resistors. It was easy to detach the console and the display is working properly. You need a 2 mm torx head to undo all of the screws behind the shroud. Here is a before and after

i will try this.

 

[Chucksos]

Hey Pat, good job. This is what I guess I need to do with my 2004 trac as it no longer works.
Thanks

 

[Pat in RI]

Hey Pat, good job. This is what I guess I need to do with my 2004 trac as it no longer works.
Thanks

Good luck. Apply a little flux to the ends of the510 resistors before you apply the rosin core solder. Take a pic if it works. Mine is still up and running. It's a fun truck to work on.

 

[Steve Brothers]

Chucksos, when you remove the console from the truck to repair it, be careful. When mine failed, one of the resistors had completely fallen off the board, and was loose in the enclosure. The resister is small enough to fall out of the plastic enclosure. When I repaired mine, when I opened up the enclosure, the resistor was gone. I got real lucky, found it on the garage floor. Real lucky!

 

[Chucksos]

Hey Steve, thanks for the advice. Now I just gotta remember it.
Thanks!!

 

[Todd Z]

Ive fixed a bunch.... Once you do it, its like riding a bike...

 

[Pat in RI]

Chucksos. What temp is it when you drive your ST to the NE. Did you fix it and then drive around in circles( to calibrate it, of course).
Hope you got it fixed.

 

[83Explorer!]

I went to open my console to see if the resistors were the problem since the display would not come on at all. I got the board out and sure enough one of the 510 resistors was hanging on and when I got the board out it broke off, it looked completely burnt anyway so I was going to have to replace it. But a bigger problem was the lightbulbs in the console had burned the receptacles, so I have to replace those as well. Anybody know where I can find upper console light connectors/receptacles?