FML - Electrical issues

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rtk05

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Just bought the car, 2001 LS.

What doesnt work:
-Speedometer lights
-Steering wheel button back lights
-All door SWITCH back lights
-radio button backlights
-interior light dimmer doesnt work
-shifter lights
- 6-disk CD player wont play and it says that the cartridge is full

What does work:
-door lights
dome lights
-headlights
-power seats
-odometer
-climate control reader (the part that tell you the temp)
-gas MPG (the part that tell you how many miles until your empty)
-radio reader (tell you what radio station your on, volume, etc)
-power locks work (not the light switches, but it functions)

to top it off, the cd player makes noise like it is changing disks when i open my door, it does the same thing when i turn the headlights on or dim the dimmer switch,

Basically, everything functions and works, but the lights behind all the switches and the speedometer dont work. The cd player is weird (im gonna replace it anyway). And the airbag light is on,

The guy i bought it from just replaced the battery. I dont know if that has something to do with it and something needs to be reset or what. I looked at all the fuses under the hood and in the passenger kick panel, all were good. Do i have to have a relay in the passenger kick panel fuse box? I dont know what that does buts it missing.


I dont know if anyone here can help. if not, oh well. it felt good to rant, haha.

i am thinking this is a bad ground or bad wire.....

i might have to hire someone. I thought it could be bulbs, but I dont think its that because all the bulbs in the switches and speedometer wouldnt all go bad.
 
In the future, you might try using "display" instead of "reader."

The instrument cluster reads the headlight switch, as well as the light sensor for the auto-headlights. The cluster controls its own lights, so if the cluster lighting isn't working, the problem is with the light switch and/or the cluster itself and/or the wiring between the two. The cluster sends data commands to the FEM (Front Electronics Module). The FEM then drives the back-lights in switches in the doors and a few other places. The cluster also sends data commands to the DATC (climate control) and the radio to tell each when to turn the back-lights for their buttons on and off and how bright when on.

Very most likely, your lighting problem is the headlight switch assembly, the cluster, or the wiring between the two, probably in that order.
 
Hey, thanks for responding. Sorry. Ill use "display" from now on.

If I disconnect the headlight switch can the clusters work? Im asking because if the cluster lights can function without the headlight switch on then I can disconnect it to see if the clusters turn on....?

Would I need a new cluster or headlight switch?

Sorry, I'm not an expert in this area and I greatly appreciate your help.
 
If you disconnect the headlight switch, then the cluster will see it as off (I think), so the lights will be off. (Please note that the instrument lights on the LS only come on when the parking lights or headlights are on. The same is true for all other back-lighting.) Display lighting will be a full brightness with the parking and headlights off. With the parking or headlights on, then all the vacuum fluorescent displays should dim and brighten as you adjust the dimmer wheel.

Is your odometer display working?

Replacement of the cluster requires the dealer's scan tool because of the PATS security. Until the PCM and the cluster are "married" together, you will not be able to start the engine.

I can't say from here if you need a new cluster or switch or just some wiring repair. You will have to do the pin-point troubleshooting tests.
 
UPDATE- Door, window, and shifter back-lights are working.

Only thing I need to check now is the speedometer, but it still to light to see if its lighting up. The dimmer switch is working too.


The one thing that is driving me crazy is the 6-disk CD player. If i move the dimmer switch up or down the cd player makes a noise like it trying to playing or shuffle disks. The cd player wont play, eject, or shuffle, either.
 
rtk05 said:
...The one thing that is driving me crazy is the 6-disk CD player. If i move the dimmer switch up or down the cd player makes a noise like it trying to playing or shuffle disks. The cd player wont play, eject, or shuffle, either.
Click to expand...

The CD changer is famous for its unreliability. Take it out and shoot it now. Who uses CDs anymore anyway?
 
joegr said:
If you disconnect the headlight switch, then the cluster will see it as off (I think), so the lights will be off.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought it did. And that's what mine does. Except for one time, they turned on upon unplugging the switch. Maybe I hit the switch in the Auto direction before I got the plug out? But you would think it would still revert back to Off. Oh well.

joegr said:
Who uses CDs anymore anyway?
Click to expand...

People with a factory LS radio with no aux/usb input but without the funds/motivation to go aftermarket? I dug my CDs out for the first year or so with the LS.
 
joegr said:
The CD changer is famous for its unreliability. Take it out and shoot it now. Who uses CDs anymore anyway?
Click to expand...

I just talked to an auto electrical repairman, he said the same thing. He said multi-disk cd players were just coming to the market and it was a headache. Told me to just replace it and it should be fine.

Im gonna replace it soon.
 
Right. I have other issues on the car. I posted here before under the name "Kirk Washer" a few days back, but for some reason I can log in with it so I had to make this new screen name.

I have rust issues underneath (rockers), and Im gonna paint it. I also need new wheels/rims. Those come before any audio work
 
UPDATE: The speedometer is not lighting up. Everything is working. Thanks guys. Saves me some $
 
joegr said:
If you disconnect the headlight switch, then the cluster will see it as off (I think), so the lights will be off. (Please note that the instrument lights on the LS only come on when the parking lights or headlights are on. The same is true for all other back-lighting.) Display lighting will be a full brightness with the parking and headlights off. With the parking or headlights on, then all the vacuum fluorescent displays should dim and brighten as you adjust the dimmer wheel.

Is your odometer display working?

Replacement of the cluster requires the dealer's scan tool because of the PATS security. Until the PCM and the cluster are "married" together, you will not be able to start the engine.

I can't say from here if you need a new cluster or switch or just some wiring repair. You will have to do the pin-point troubleshooting tests.
Click to expand...
I have a question for u my check engine light will not come on so i put another cluster and that light would not work so i put the original back in it still wont start i really need my car to have the check engine to come on also i put a o2 sensor on that was bad it started after i put that on but when i changed clusters it will not even spin over
 
the new cluster has to be "married" to the engines computer before the security system will allow the car to start.

did you try just replacing the "check engine" light bulb?
so you are saying that your CEL wont turn on for a couple of seconds as your starting the car?
 
Right it will not come on at all i have been told to replace the pcm the other cluster check engine light would not work either
 
rtk05 said:
UPDATE: The speedometer is not lighting up. Everything is working. Thanks guys. Saves me some $
Click to expand...

when you say that the speedometer is not lighting up, do you mean that every other gauge in the cluster lights up fine but that one gauge stays dark? *

or are you incorrectly calling the entire cluster a "speedometer"? if so please call it a cluster because those would be two different problems with likely 2 different solutions...






* if this is the case, take the cluster out, take the cluster apart, and then replace the bulb that is burned out.
 
rome1975 said:
Right it will not come on at all i have been told to replace the pcm the other cluster check engine light would not work either
Click to expand...

silly question, but you have verified that both clusters have a good working bulb right?



also, who is doing the telling and what did they do to come to that conclusion?
 
No before i changed the whole cluster the only light that didnt work was the check engine light everything else was fine just the check engine light
 
I would test the bulb, or make sure that there is even one in there, they do burn out from time to time and people have been known to pull a bulb out instead of fix a problem...
 
A cluster swap without having the right tool or being at a dealer was a bad idea. Now that you have the original cluster back it, turn the key to start and wait for the PATS light to stop flashing rapidly. When it does, it will flash out a two digit code. Post what that code is. Then we can tell if you didn't connect something, broke something, or if you now must remarry the old cluster. (Be aware also, that you must have at least two unique (non-cloned) keys for this procedure.)
 
rome1975 said:
Damm i only have the original key where code show up at or do i need a scanner
Click to expand...

You'll have to buy another key (if the cluster has to be remarried).
When the PATS light slows down, count the flashes. For example, flash, pause, flash, flash, flash, flash, flash, flash, repeat = code 16.
If you do have a Ford specific scanner, you can get the PATS code that way (note that most scan tools can't do this).
 
update: everything is lighting up now. No more issues. The CD player is still funky, but im getting a new one before spring. Thats my goal. To have the car ready by next spring.

You guys might laugh, but im not good with electrical and a fuse was missing in slot 33, which lights up the speedo. Pretty stupid of me. Oh well, im still learning.
 
LSFrank said:
People with a factory LS radio with no aux/usb input but without the funds/motivation to go aftermarket? I dug my CDs out for the first year or so with the LS.
Click to expand...

I dug my CDs out for the first month I owned the LS. That drove me nuts to the point I quickly replaced the DD.
 
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