2004 F-250 Cluster Issue...
 

Greetings all,

Noob diesel owner here. I picked up a 2004 F-250. The guy I got it from had all the head problems worked out. EGR delete was also done at the same time. The issue I have is this.

I get no response from the right side of the cluster at all. Tach, and both temp gauges are at 0. I have checked all fuses, and they are all clear. Also, I have pulled the battery cables, and left them off for a while and put them back on. When I do this, and start, all gauges sweep from 0-max, and go back to rest, and only the left side will work. Speedo, gas, and oil pressure. The others still sit at rest.

Truck has had no mods done to is besides the EGR delete. Nothing else that I know of.

The guy I got it from said there is a relay behind the cluster that I have to pull and replace. Before I go and rip the dash apart is there a relay there? Or was he blowing smoke up my A$$?

As I learn more about this truck, I will do my best to help out where ever possible.

Thanks for your time!
Cheers!!!:humm:

125 views, and nobody?

I would wonder if something is disconnected? It's not too difficult to remove cluster, maybe a salvage yard has one you can try?

There are 2 relays behind an 06 cluster...so the 04 probably has at least one of these relays.
They are called the power save relay and the interior power relay.
I had the dealer replace my cluster and I believe they also replaced these relays for me.
I had quite a few symptoms over a 4 year period before eventually doing this:
- Speedometer would not return to zero when stopped. For example, if speedo was showing 15 MPH while stopped, it would show 35 while going 20 MPH. Whenever this happened I just drove it and in a few days the symptom would go away.
- Security system would trigger spuriously for no reason (talk about having good neighbors; not a one of them complained about it).
- Dome light in cab would stay on. This happened when parked.
- Dome light would also come on while driving.
- Batteries gone bad in a little less than 2 years. Prior 2 set of batteries lasted 4 and 3 years. This was undoubtedly caused by the dome light staying on at night. Since I drove the truck every day it would not dis-charge so much that it wouldn't start. It would have trouble starting, but would just kick over. When I stopped driving the truck every day it would not start unless I charged the batteries.

Since installing the rebuilt cluster, all these symptoms have gone away; plus an added bonus, they replaced the clear plaster on the display, so it looks like a new cluster (mine was getting a little scratched from cleaning it over and over).
They charged me about $700 for parts and labor. I understand you can send yours into Auto Nation and they will rebuild it for a little over $300, but, if you have chipped keys you will need to send them your keys to do it.
Taking out the cluster is not fun unless you've done it before. I had mine partially out, but didn't finish for fear of breaking something or not being able to get it back in right.

Hey all. I picked up a replacement cluster online and tossed it in today. I double checked all the wires in the plugs and hooked it up.

Turned key and all gauges like before swept like they should. Cranked the engine and fired her up. Same problem. Tach, and both temps are at rest.

I am wondering if it is possible the guy before me just never took care of anything that would have went bad over the years and said to heck with it.

I'm thinking I'm going to pick up one of the 3 sensors and see if that fixes one of the issues. If so ill try the next. I just hate to pour money into it replacing sensors if it isn't them.

I'll report back with what I find. Trying to locate parts now.

Thanks for your input thusfar. I feel out of water not really knowing diesels but I think after this truck I might be a half-a$$ed amateur. Haha

Did you look/find the relay(s) behind the cluster?

The schematics actually show the relays on the same page as the cluster, in the 06 diagrams. If someone told you the relay(s) was behind the cluster on an 03, I would believe it. I hope you did look for it and replaced it...hate to have you go forward wondering whether that relay is bad.

I would also look at all the fuses. Pull them one by one and test them for continuity.

I'll look again busted. When I pulled the entire cluster I didn't see any relay back there. I'll have to try and find a diagram and try it.

I pulled each fuse and didn't find any that looked bad. I can test each one in the daylight with my meter.

I appreciate your help bud.

Stumped...

So today I pulled each fuse out and checked them to be sure they are good. Every one checked out ok. For the heck of it I pulled the fuse box out to see if something was disconnected behind for some weird reason. I am glad I did, because I found an entire plug was pulled and cut from the harness. I added a pic of a back side of a fuse block to show what one is missing. The pic is not of mine, but one I found online.

I am now trying to find out if I can buy this pigtail, or if I have to scour a boneyard to locate this. As of right now, I dont even know what it is called so I am shooting blind until I can figure it out.

It is the purple colored plug in the block. Any idea?

Thanks!