85 Cont. with a DDD?

[SofaKing]

Hi, first time here and love it already :rolleyes: Needing some help with my digital dash. I drove it home parked it. 10 minets later my wife got in and well no speedo, gas gauge nothing...What needs to be done??? :(

[ekooke]

It could just be a corroded/loose connection at the harness-to-instrument cluster plug-in, a weak electrical system output (battery/alternator/VR). The instruments do a self-diagnostic (instruments blank out) on startup, and if the diagnostic fails, the instruments won't re-light. Clean & tighten your battery terminals first, including ground to engine block, and check/clean alternator & VR connectors.
Does it light up when you first turn the key, without starting it, and then go out? The car is old, and something as simple as a weak ignition switch could cause the self-test to fail. I would replace this switch anyway, since the old ones have been known to cause ignition fires.

[82Continental]

Hello!

Same with my 82 Continental... it could be a bad/loose transistor (or voltage regulator...) that's screwed to the back of the display.

Take it out and unscrew the aluminum heatsink off, and move the wires going to the tansistor/ic around a little and see if that at least makes it light up intermittently. You have just enough space to do it with it plugged in the car. It'll probably go out after a while because the heat expands the connections.

With mine, the transistor (or it could be a voltage regulator...) has an internal break in the leads, and it disconnects after warming up. The part number starts with DF9, which appearantly is an OEM number that is hard to cross reference without blueprints from Ford.

I haven't had time to call Ford up yet... think the dealer would get the part number for me? smile.gif

Or... you can get a cluster from a junkyard... the 1987 and older Continentals and 1989 and earlier Town Cars with digital clusters should have replacement parts that work with yours. Maybe find one with a cracked display so you don't end with paying for a whole module (unless you don't want to mess around with it). The Mark VIIs with digital cluster should also have similar parts. Don't bother going to electronics stores because the semiconductor catalogs don't have those numbers.

Good luck! smile.gif

[SofaKing]

First I would Like to thank you guys for the help smile.gif .. So far I've found the plug into the VR corroded. All other connections under the hood are in good shape. I havent pulled the dash apart yet, but with your help today and all the other information you've provided in this forum I'm headed out to begin. I was hoping is was a fuse or relay that I over looked :rolleyes: ...I'm going to check the dash first, then replase the ingnishion and VR. wish me luck and thanks again. will get back with the results.

[SofaKing]

Hi its me again.. needing alittle more advice...Okay from the begaining again,when I first open the drivers door it use to light up for a minute then go out. it dosent now.Or light up when first turning key to on possion, without starting. I assume were including the message center in this as well because its out as well. I have the display out, and have not found the aluminum heatsink. Do I need to remove the circuit bourd from the plastic bake? Or do I need to go back to the ignition switch? :confused:

[ekooke]

SofaKing,
Check your fuses. On a '90 Mark VII (s/b similar) it's Fuses # 16 & 17. If fuses are OK, it's probably a bad common ground for the circuits protected by those fuses.

[SofaKing]

thanks again.. On my cluster the connection from harness is good. On it I have gear indacater, turn signals, and seat belts working. But on the back of cluster, or curcit bourds, The heatsink or transistor??? Thanks again Ekooke and 82Continental

[SofaKing]

:D :D thanks again, and I hope I can return the favor. Its working again...From a dumb founded Connie lover :rolleyes: