Hi. I have just bought a 2013 Mondeo Business edition 1.6 TDci. Cracking car, but with one small issue - the backlight on parts of the instrument cluster flickers, namely behind the fuel gauge and the top of the speedo around the 80mph mark. I've had a similar issue in the past with a 2004 Focus, which turned out to be PCB corrosion on the cluster, a quick cleanup with some isopropyl and all was well. That hasn't worked with this, I've stripped right back and cleaned up the PCB, although it looked immaculate anyway.

 

Am I just looking at a bad cluster, or could it be something else? The battery seems fine, stop/start works which I believe is the sign of decent battery health and I've checked the voltages and they seem ok.

 

Any help appreciated, I'd sooner not have to buy a second hand cluster and go through the hassle of programming the mileage back etc.

15 minutes ago, K3mpston said:

stop/start works

There's your problem right there. If stop/start is working then by default something else has to be broke !!  🤣

The real fault is probably the 'save the planet' lead free solder on the back of your instrument cluster. The solder joints will be starting to become dry and you are getting bad connections. All of the solder joints need to be reflowed with some decent solder and all should be good again (apart from stop/start which will then be broke)

  

1 hour ago, unofix said:

There's your problem right there. If stop/start is working then by default something else has to be broke !!  🤣

The real fault is probably the 'save the planet' lead free solder on the back of your instrument cluster. The solder joints will be starting to become dry and you are getting bad connections. All of the solder joints need to be reflowed with some decent solder and all should be good again (apart from stop/start which will then be broke)

 

Thanks. Is it worth buying a second hand cluster? I read I could update what I currently have to a Convers and it's basically plug and play, other than having to get the mileage set to the 81000 I currently have. How difficult would that be?

 

The type I have currently is below.

It will need mileage set as you say and the doner will have to have lower mileage. You will also need to programme the PATS security system, I'm not sure about anything else. You will need to buy the license for the ForScan software. 

Ah, I see. Is there no way of getting a cluster and reducing the mileage? I've yet to see one with less than 80k on the clock.

As a safe guard against "clocking" of vehicle mileage the processor that controls the mileage has been designed never to allow the mileage to be reduced.

Understandable, although I'm sure there are tricks/hacks to get around it.

 

I'll keep an eye out for a new unit or one that has less mileage then. Cheers.

Don't forget if you've got a diesel you'll need the replacement to be from a diesel too. The rev counter is different for petrol engines. 

Hi, I have the exact same issue with flickering light behind the fuel gauge but mine is a 2.0 diesel and I don’t have the stop start. If I get the panel out and re-solder the connections , will this correct it? Thanks in advance guys. 
stephen

Possibly and then again possibly not. How long is a piece of string ?

I have never tried this. I have only ever taken one modern Ford cluster apart and I can’t recall how many leds were in there nor what the solder connections are like on them. If it was mine I might be thinking of using some thin wire and soldering it from a led that is working right to the one that is flickering. Make sure you get plus and minus correct. I don’t know obvious it is which is plus and minus.   Or perhaps the led itself is faulty. I don’t know if the flickering could be that.