Instrument cluster energizes when truck is off. Odometer comes alive, as does the message center, radio, and interior lights when truck is off.

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Evox

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I should have posted this thread here. It's an electrical problem.

https://sporttrac.org/threads/truck...ink-its-the-actual-instrument-cluster.122932/
After reading through that thread, any ideas? My concern is the cluster and electrical problems don't exist when driving the truck. All the gauges work, no intermittent failures. pulling F2-25 (fuse 25 inside the driver's side interior fuse box) kills the gauge and stops the problem. No other fuse or relay stops it.

I've experienced instrument cluster failure, and this isn't the same thing. Ideas?
 
Just wrapping up loose ends for posterity. As it turns out, this was an instrument cluster short. Meaning the instrument cluster was actually causing a parasitic draw, and somewhere on the board, something was shorting out. Causing a constant 0.6 amp draw, spiking to 1.5ish amps while it glitched out with the truck ignition off. (read the referenced thread)

So, not your typical instrument cluster failure. One for the books.
 
I have seen this same behavior with my truck. Usually happens just as the ignition is shut off. I think I finally got it tracked tracked down to a loose battery cable. For now I think that I got it stopped, has not done this for a while. Blew-up the Ken-wood radio !

But your not the only one to see this behavior.
My mechanic thought I was crazy.

Sid.
 
I have seen this same behavior with my truck. Usually happens just as the ignition is shut off. I think I finally got it tracked tracked down to a loose battery cable. For now I think that I got it stopped, has not done this for a while. Blew-up the Ken-wood radio !

But your not the only one to see this behavior.
My mechanic thought I was crazy.

Sid.

I think it's silver migration bridging a connection to the ground on the circuit board. I can't confirm it. But that's what I think it is. If I can find it, I could fix it with a pencil eraser. It's just a type of metal corrosion where the metal on trace is drawn to a positive current. Over time the metal atoms actually form a bridge to the connection.

So if you can find it and get rid of the bridge, you can fix the problem. F2-25 is an always hot lead to the instrument cluster. If I had a diagram of the instrument cluster, I could probably find it. Of course, it could also be under a switch on the board, making it difficult to find.
 
Just wrapping up loose ends for posterity. As it turns out, this was an instrument cluster short. Meaning the instrument cluster was actually causing a parasitic draw, and somewhere on the board, something was shorting out. Causing a constant 0.6 amp draw, spiking to 1.5ish amps while it glitched out with the truck ignition off. (read the referenced thread)

So, not your typical instrument cluster failure. One for the books.
Well, Glad you found it....
 
I think it's silver migration bridging a connection to the ground on the circuit board. I can't confirm it. But that's what I think it is. If I can find it, I could fix it with a pencil eraser. It's just a type of metal corrosion where the metal on trace is drawn to a positive current. Over time the metal atoms actually form a bridge to the connection.

So if you can find it and get rid of the bridge, you can fix the problem. F2-25 is an always hot lead to the instrument cluster. If I had a diagram of the instrument cluster, I could probably find it. Of course, it could also be under a switch on the board, making it difficult to find.
Actually, this is the one I meant to respond to in this thread.
 

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