I have tried this fix twice...both about a year apart. The first time i only re-soldered the one connection. Lasted about a month and started flickering again. Took everything out again, this time re-soldered all of the points. This time it lasted a couple months and then back to the same problem. UGH! I must suck at soldering if no one else has had this issue.

Tony

 

Hey Gregg: Many thanks, I did the repair on my 2000 f150 this aftertnoon. I could not have done without your post. JLM

 

Greg, thanks for posting this fix. Your instructions were excellent. The only issue I had was removing the headlamp switch. For that, I found a link to help at http://www.svtlightnings.com/svt/how...s/foglamps.htm. The odometer is now working great.

 

Thx for this guide. I registered here for the sole reason of thanking you.

 

Guys I need help big time...I tried the odometer fix this afternoon. I am sure the odometer is probably fixed but now I cannot start the truck...the anti-theft light starts flashing rapidly...I disconnected the battery before I started and reconnected the battery when I was finished...the only reason I can think it would be doing this is because I tried to remove the ignition key cylinder to get the top part of the steering column off but I finally figured out I didn't need to take it off and I stopped fiddling with the ignition...but now I have tried everything I can think of to remedy the problem...I looked at the wiring and connector for the pats receiver and see no obvious dmg...I have tried pulling both the fuses and the diodes for the pcm and pats system, also disconnecting the battery for an hour or so...
Nothing has worked...tried both keys
I have to take this truck for a 2500 mile drive to move to houston next week...I am screwed if I can't get it fixed

If you know of anything I can do to fix this please let me know

 

I had intermittien problem , now it is just blank - would this fix, fix this problem on my 2005 F150?

thanks

 

Thanx's many! I'm surprised it works after my soldering attempt. I thought for sure I blew it up. I hesitated for 1 year, but couldn't pass inspection without the display, so I had to go for it and all I can say is - Thanx alot!!!

PS - Now I need to replace headlight ****. It was already loose from hitting it with my knee one day and this fix put it over the edge.

Still - odo works - woohoo!

 

My 1999 F-150 began to show an odometer defect (intermittent on/off) about 5 years ago, and gradually was off on longer periods. I new the last thing I wanted was a trip to Ford repair where I was imagining $400-600 charges. Thanks to finding Greg Upton's post "Intermittent Odometer - A Repair" 8/27/03 and girlwithtruck's "Headlight switch removal" 6/26/04 I have avoided that trip to Ford repair. I may add that the five associated electrical plugs (2 headlight switch, 2 behind instrument panel and the ribbon connector) are snapped in requiring opposite pressure against the holder. Thanks to all.

 

I had a similar problem after installing the factory cruise control kit on my 99. The small harness that goes to the ignition switch goes to the PATS system and if you touch it it is designed to break to prevent somebody trying to bypass the system. I had disconnected the connector to gain some room but it ended up costing me a tow and about $125 for the fix. The connector sits beside two others kinda behind/below the key switch on a metal bar. The tech told me, "If you touched it, it's broke." So it's mighty sensitive. Hope no one needs this info, but at least it's here.

 

Thanks for posting this repair! I did it and am loving being able to see the odo again! I also replaced the dash pad that had broken from me beating the dash to get the odo to work...

There is another possibility that probably should be checked while the cluster is out of the truck. The ribbon cable that connects where we are soldering can break inside the insulation. I had one wire broken and it just about drove me crazy! (Admittedly it's a short trip.) After I found it and soldered a length of wire in parallel using the original ends it 's been working great. When checking each wire with a OHM meter be sure to flex the harness a bit to make sure it's good. I used short parts of a wire paper clip to probe the connector ends - they are tiny!

 

I have had this issue for a few years now. I followed the instructions and sure enough with a magnifiying glass I found the issue. I repaired it and my odometer now works all the time. A few beers and almost 2 hours is all it cost me! Thank you soo much Greg Upton!

 

I finally got tired of the on again/off again odometer. It seemed to be off more than on now. I used this post and it seems solid now. Time will tell. Thanks Greg U. U rock man!

 

Mine has been doing it for years and the miles continue to increase at a reasonable rate so I believe it is just the display.

 

Has anyone tried this fix with a 2005+ year Ford F-150? Every forum I've read about the odometer blackout problem has been about 2001's and older.

If anyone has fixed a 2005+ year, please let me know.

 

Yes! I performed this repair on my 99 F-150 and it has not failed since. Just be sure to follow the tips about removing the headlight switch as you could break it if you do not release the **** properly. I used a soldering iron and touched the joints with the slightest bit of solder. Make sure the joints do not have solder touching them together when finished. Took about an hour total.