Odometer display dimming off/on

[Josh mcleod]

Lately I've notice the odometer display dimming flickering at night. Sometimes when I cycle the headlight switch between auto/off/on, the display will stay on normally. Could it be an issue with the light sensor or maybe my after market stereo? Any ideas you might have would be much appreciated.

 

[Yardsale]

Try cycling the dimmer wheel a bunch. The dimmer on yours is different on my '01, but mine gets dust in it and I have to fiddle with it to clean.



Might work and it's free.



Or this:



http://www.justanswer.com/ford/6xmq7-ford-explorer-sport-trac-own-2005-ford-explorer-sport.html

 

[Josh mcleod]

I've cleaned the switch and played with the dimmer quite a bit. The problem is likely the solder connections as described in the link you provided. Which means I need to replace it or try my luck at soldering it myself. I guess the worse case scenario is that I completely ruin it while trying to solder it myself and have to replace it anyways. It's not exactly at the top of my list first things to fix. Thanks for the link!

 

[scott degroot]

Look for a speedo shop in your area. You should be able to pull the cluster and have them repair it for a minimal charge. In my neck of the woods it is the actual display that burns out due to the summer time heat.

 

[Yardsale]

I agree - might as well try to repair yourself; you can always have it repaired or replaced if it doesn't go well. However, it's an easy repair.



If you have any old electrical component that you don't want, pull a circuit board from it and practice.



I have a Weller WLC100 soldering station that is perfect for small jobs like this (about $40.00 on Amazon).

 

[Josh mcleod]

I've been watching many videos about soldering on YouTube. I think I'm a pro now! :driving:

 

[Yardsale]

:supercool:

 

[Yardsale]

Today I saw a Velleman VTSS5 soldering station (50 v. 40 watts for the Weller) for 16.95 at a local electronics store and then checked Amazon - $10.65. The guy at the store said he'd used it and was impressed.



http://www.amazon.com/Velleman-VTSS5U-Low-Cost-Soldering-150-480%C2%B0C/dp/B000I40HFQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1395903284&sr=1-1&keywords=velleman+soldering+station



Here's another:

http://www.amazon.com/VELLEMAN-VTSS4NU-ADJUSTABLE-SOLDERING-STATION/dp/B00FKGMOY4/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1395903284&sr=1-2&keywords=velleman+soldering+station