a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

I Just got this Ford Windstar SEL yesterday. It has some minor electrical problems but it is still safe to drive and drives like a dream compared to the 97 Chry Town & country minivan that I traided in.

Anyways 1st the gauges. Sometimes the gauges (fuel, RPM, speed and temperature) bounce around, sometimes they don't work period, sometimes they slam the max peg hard and sometimes they work fine. The RPM gauge 1 time slammed the max peg so hard the indicator needle broke in half and a few times the temper gauge would be at normal range then suddenly slam the max peg. There would be no other signs of the motor boiling over.

There is a problem with the inside sliding power door controls. I have to hit the control many times before the door closes.

And lastly sometimes the car radio doesn't turn off when the key is off.

A bit of history on the minivan. I got the minivan From Big Toe used auto sales. The minivan has been sitting on Big Toe's dusty dirt lot for about 2 months. When the wind picks up out there the dust blows real bad.
Now I used to fix 2 way radios, tv's and vcr's for a living. My training and my gut feeling says there is dirty controls, dirty relays and corroded contacts from all that dust. I am assuming that that I am correct on the diagnose. Should I fix it or let Big Toe fix it.


Steve

What year and miles?
If you can get the selling place to correct it , have them do it or get it corrected. There is a possible problem with the dash instrument cluster itself which you might be able to find and possibly correct, but that could be a gamble. Your wallet too!

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

It is a 2000 Windstar SEL. As to the miles, who knows. If Big Toe won't fix instrument cluster then I should be able to find an instrument cluster at the junk yard and install it my self. I have been crawling under dash boards of cars, trucks, bus's and many more. Installing 2 way radios for many years. It isn't as easy this days now to twist and turn my self into place to run a power line through the firewall but I can still do it. It also mite be the ignition switch. When I pound the column just above ignition switch sometimes the gauges start working right, sometimes.

There is a good possibility the problem could be with a poor connection within the printed circuit in the inst. cluster, might be right up your alley !

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

Do you know were I can find a detail drawing as to how to take the instrument cluster out? And a wiring diagram of the instrument cluster.


Steve

Sent some info to your Reg. email..

I already talked to Big Toe. They are going to pull an other instrument cluster from an other Windstar on the lot and run it on there bench tester (they have a setup to simulate the instrument cluster been connected to a car) and they can make all the gauges do there thing and so on

Question. I sometimes have a problem getting the drivers side sliding door to open. I sometimes have to tug on the outside handle while pushing the remote button to get the door to open. Do I need to put something like 3 in 1 oil on the door rollers and the guide track since it sat in that dusty lot for at lease 2 months?

Steve

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

Hayapower, did you get my reply?

I did,, replied if about the programming..

Sorry about the delay. Was pickin up the new rig..

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

I pulled the instrument cluster and put the one in that I got from Big Toe and the van won't start. So I am going to fix the old instrument cluster.

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

Well I fixed the cold solder joint on the ribbon connector on the pc board in the instrument cluster. The instruments don't bounce around anymore. But I still have a problem. the gas gauge is pegged like I had just topped off the tank. There is just a bit under a 1/2 tank of gas left, the RPM is reading a bit under 4,000 RPM when the van is parked with the motor running, The speedometer is sitting at about 35mph when the van is parked with the motor running and the temperature gauge is pegged at boiling but the van isn't boiling over. I took a picture of the instrument cluster while sitting in my parking space tonight. I must have messed something up. The RPM and speed respond like they should when the van starts moving.



Steve

I found part of the problem. looking at the back of the instrument cluster, top pc board right side were the long ribbon cable is, last pin on the bottom that had the cold solder joint. I used a bit to much heat and separated the pin from the pc board. Can I swap boards from the other instrument cluster that I have or do I need to repair this one. I would need a wiring diagram of the instrument cluster before I could make a bridge so I know were that foil goes to.

Steve

Well I have done everything that I can do. All the gauges are now working except for the gas gauge. It still pegs as if the tank has been just topped off. I know from the amount of driving that I have done since the tank was filled on Aug 3rd that I have about 1/4th of a tank left. I fixed the foil break by making a solder bridge with a small peace of solid copper wire. I took the mechanical part of the gauges out of the other cluster and swapped all 4 of them out That fixed the RPM, speed and temperature gauges There is a place in West Richland (about a 25 minute drive) called "Cluster Fix". I guess That I am going to have to take it in and have them look at it.

Steve

Thanks for the update.

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

I think I found the problem with the gas gauge An other person on an other Windstar forum sent me the following in the quotes If this doesn't fix the gas gauge I have a book on order. It is the complete wiring diagram for a 2000 Windstar, including the diagram for the cluster. And I am just going to mount a simple generic electric gas gauge on the dash panel and cut the line from the sending unit and connect it to the new simple generic gas gauge. I am tired of pulling the dash apart, trying this, that or the other thing and getting a BIG FAT NOTHING?

QUOTE=Hayapower;103666]Thanks for the update.[/QUOTE]

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

I dbl posted last post so I del the exture post.

An update on the fuel gauge problem. The low fuel light came on today at the same time the computer display in the dash panel flashed "LOW FUEL" and the computer says, before I put in more gas, that I had "27 more miles to empty tank". Even though the fuel gauge still reads full. From what I have been reading online about this magnetic analog fuel gauges. I think a ground return line is open or corrosion.


Steve

Steve and Tom,
Thanks for sharing the info with us. For those of us that are willing to accept the challenge to get into some electronic repair info like this is great. Of course this is not for everyone, but just like anything we "Repair" , the satisfaction is worth it ,,when it works !! Developing some electronic background will become more and more essential as newer vehicles are released. Just as when you replaced a defective spark plug and the engine purrs again, so it is when you make a small electronic repair and everything works well again, nice work ! Thanks.

Up date. the cluster is giving me more problems. I wish that I could afford to order a new cluster from Ford and stick it in. That would solve everything. Now the silly beast won't start. The starter motor won't even turn over. Everything else lights up, electric locks work, electric sliding doors will open and close on power, the car radio works also.

I manage to get the starter motor working by cutting the ground side wire from the starter relay to the cluster and route that line directly to ground. I found the right wire to cut because I got the wiring diagram book from Ebay. But the motor still won't start. Some how the cluster is stopping the power from getting to the distributor > spark plugs. I have not verified it with a VOM yet. But I suspect the problem is in the cluster also. I just have not figured out how to bypass the cluster on this yet. I wish there was a detailed (component level) wiring diagram for this cluster that I have. It would make it easier to fix the gas gauge problem. I could ether fix the problem ground or bypass that ground and fix it that way. Anyone have any ideas.

Can someone please tell me were is the ignition coil is in this Windstar? I got the VOM out and the ignition switch is fine. All the voltages on the ignition switch are within proper limits and the right places.

A PS I finely found a Youtube video as to how to change out the ignition coil. It is going be a bear to get at, but it has to be done.

Steve, I have a 03 Windstar and I have over 692,000 miles on it. The instrument cluster gauges jumping around is a problem with these cars. It is repairable. We repaired my cluster and did same for two other customers of our shop. The cluster can be removed with screws just about the steering column. There are videos of this problem and the fix, on youtube. The main problem when you remove the cluster will be the big, thick cable that connects the two circuit boards inside. If you seperate those boards, and then re-solder the connectors points on one or both, you should correct the problem. It is a loss of the ground connection. Be careful not to push on or break the speedo or RPM needles. We did ours in under an hour, simple. Hope this helps. Dan.....

Steve, I just joined this forum so if I am late to advise, sorry. Yes, you can swap out the boards, IF.... they are the same boards. It would be better if you can repair the board you have. If you turn that board over, you should be able to trace the track (foil?) to another close by solder point. Just a short thin INSULATED wire jumper would do it. Good luck. Dan......

Ignition coil should be on firewall, just in front of the glovebox. It is a square box item with all plug wires coming into it. Mine got wet from water down the windshield and shorted out so I had to replace it. Made a world of difference. Dan.....

a problem with the gauges bouncing around
 

The Windstar is back at Big Toe in there junk yard. Even Big Toe's mechanic couldn't fix the Windstar. It is a design flaw in the instrument cluster. The passive anti-theft system thinks that the vehicle is been swiped when I installed the power to my Amateur Radio 2 way radios and the anti-theft sys killed the power to start the motor. I traided the Windstar in for a 2008 Pontiac Torrent all wheel drive SUV. It drives like a dream. And with the air conditioning on full blast in the summer it was like driving inside a rolling refigerator. hehehe

very common on these cluster to do this, really you just gotta send them out to be repaired. check out these companies. southernelectronics.com or myairbag.com

I have a 2003 Windstar bought used last summer, 105k miles. All sorts of little problems. My '95 Windstar had no problems and was much better quality. Anyway I started having gage issues. Found I could stop it by pounding on top of the dash. After doing this about 25 times, it fixed itself. Got lucky I guess, for awhile. Now I know how to fix it.
I've had to replace:
heater temp control unit
driver door lock actuator twice and whole lock mechanism once
clean mirror control switch so it would work right
Hook up vacuum hose to heater that was off behind engine. Cheap fix.
Rear axle and front engine cradle (recall from Ford). They offered me 2200 for it instead. I said no. The cradle alone is about 5k retail.
Inner tie rod ends
Still needs front suspension control arms I think. Has torque steer, wears tires.
Rear tires wear outside edges with new axle
one catalytic convertor and bellows joint
Need to fix cd player, won't take in cds.
Probably needs front struts. Rides worse than my '95 that had 265k miles.
Rough idle now- probably needs the seals in the inlet manifold replaced
Engine is noisier, sounds like something worn internally, sounds like the bearings for balance shaft is worn possibly
Uses 1qt oil per 1k miles. Far more than my old '95.
I think it's had poor maintenance. Maybe instrument panel has been replaced by one with lower miles too. Seems more like 315k miles on it. Does have a rebuilt trans and very good body.

However I like to tinker luckily. It's just the engine I'm worried about. Probably need to replace it.

(#$%^&*)!!!!!!!!!! This is the only way I can find to post anything. the FAQ only tells me how to FORMAT my post but NOT HOW TO POST!

If you want to post a new question, there is a button "new thread" at the top left area of the forum. But it is always good to search for an existing thread on what you're interested in first.

From any page your currently on.. click on the “Ford Forum /car image” on the left side of the page header. It will take you to the sites Forums lists. Click on any of the bold script/topics of your choosing.. Once the page opens, on the “top left” of the page “New Thread” tab If selected will open a new topic/thread to be created.. If you need help, PM me..