So i just bought my first Explorer today, well actually,my first Ford today. It is a 1999 Explorer Eddie Bauer edition. As far as i can tell it is a great vehicle. My only concern is the cd player display does not work and is just blank, along with the outsidetemperature and direction reading gauge. On the outside temperature gauge, I have pressed mode, but still nothing shows up. So can somebody please tell me what might be wrong or what i can do to fix it.. Thanks in advance.
Ryan

 

pretty common problem, ther is a circuit board integral to the radio that goes bad that controls the back lighting for the display, i'd take it to a radio repair place and they can repair it usually for under 300 bucks or just replace the radio with an aftermarket, personally i think its worth it to keep the stock radio if its a dual-media(cd and tape) and a factory sub, just cause it sounds better than most after market systems

 

I just had the same problem with my '99. To fix the radio I simply got my roomates radio out of his F-250 after he put in an aftermarket. To fix the digital compass, I just took it down and took it apart. There was a bad resistor and I just sautered on a new one and put it back. Worked like a charm.