I asked some of this question before, but one more thing I need to know. I have a 98 expy that I'm about to change the guage cluster to the 99 and up style. I had very helpful information and have most of the parts I need to start the project. What I forgot to ask is....I know about PATS and the keys. I want to purchase my guage cluster from a gentleman on ebay that has the guage cluster in learn mode, but my question is will my 98 keys work with the 99 cluster/PATS. My keys look IDENTICAL to the 99 keys, so will they be able to be used, or will i need to get 99 and up keys? Or better yet, is there a way to disable PATS? This is the only thing that is keeping me from starting this project, because I only have a limited time at the garage, and I don't want to get all the wiring and cluster installed and not have my truck not run. Getting new keys is not a problem, but I just need to know if that is all necessary. I know there is a gentleman on here that turned his 97 F150 into a Lightning, so I know this is a question someone can help with....Thanks alot in advance

 

mikeyss,
I wish I could help you, but I don't know much about PATS. However, I am curious to know what all is involved in the swap. Can you tell me what I would need to do the swap and what procedures it involves?
Thanks

 

From what I've been told so far, you need the entire wiring harness for the dash, the GEM doesn't need to be changed, and the engine wiring harness and computer need changed out. So basically just the dash, radio, and engine wiring need to be changed, but not the wiring for the interior things like the power windows. They suggested that I find a wrecked 99 and up F150 or Expy and take the harness out of them. The guage cluster needs to be set in learn mode, or you'll have to have it re-programmed at the dealer, or the truck won't start.

 

From what I've been told so far, you need the entire wiring harness for the dash, the GEM doesn't need to be changed, and the engine wiring harness and computer need changed out. So basically just the dash, radio, and engine wiring need to be changed, but not the wiring for the interior things like the power windows. They suggested that I find a wrecked 99 and up F150 or Expy and take the harness out of them. The guage cluster needs to be set in learn mode, or you'll have to have it re-programmed at the dealer, or the truck won't start. There is a gentleman that has done this conversion, I regret to say I forget his user name, but he said it isn't too bad a conversion.

 

what's the benifit of the 99 model year gauge cluster over the 98 that is worth this much effort?

Tony

 

The 97-98 guage clusters have analog odometers, so we can't look at any engine vitals using the trip button like you guys can.

 

Fair enough, but for the cost of all the bits and pieces, would it not be cheaper and just as effective to purchase one of those chips that plug into the ODBII port and log all of the data or better yet the software that allows you to watch the data real time on a laptop or PDA?

Mods are mods and there's not justification for why someone would want to do it...so I'm not challenging anything here. Just a thought outta my head.

Good luck w/ the mod and thanks for edumakating me.

Tony

 

To me, its a matter of preference. I used to drive an 02' F150 and going back in years to old school guages drives me crazy. Everyone has their likes and dislikes...this is just one of those pet peeves. I can't run out and buy a 99' and up, so the modifications for me is well worth the work....and I love a good challenge.. Thanks for your input

 

AHH, I should have read this one first before reading your pats question. For the pats, im sure you already know this by now, you will need part of the steering column from a 99 and up F series, if not the whole column. I wasn't about to start changing out the dash harness, ecm and the such. But I did think about it. Make sure you have a damn good maintenance manual and diagrams. I suggest getting a ford DVD off of eBay, that covers from 97 to at least 02. From 01 to 04(herratige) they are all pretty much the same. The DVD contains not only well illistrated wiring diagram, removal and reinstallation procedures, conncctor diagrams and pin-out charts. If Haynes or chiltons tried to put all the info that is on one of these DVD's into one of there books, you would need a forklift to move it around. By the way, the pats is easy to program. The dealership costs about 80 bucks(all labor) but most of the better garages and locksmiths have the tools to do it too for a fraction of the cost of the dealer. And yes, you will need 99 and newer keys, but once you have at least 2 programed to the cluster, you can program more yourself. The keys look the same but the 97-98 dont have the transponder in them as these models dont have Pats.

Again, I hope this helps some.

 

.

 

This intrests me greatly. I have a Lightning, and the entire theme of it is blue. You know, that pretty blue that sows up a lot on LED colors. Well, I hate the green glow of everything Ford sticks in their trucks, and I already had a blue headunit, with some blue in the AC, speaker vents, dome lights, side door panels, lock/ unlock buttons, AC *****, dome lights, side door panel lights, and 3rd brake lights are blue. but theres there are these BIG FREAKIN GREEN GAUGES! I hate em. They set everything else on my truck off. So i was thinking of getting a 2002 Ford F150 gauge with a turb-gauge seperate bc F150s dont have the turbo.

Well I did eveyrthing, but the place that installed it copmletely blew me off, had me pay in cash, and didnt have me sign anything to keep it overnight. Well I should have noticed these tale tale signs of ABORT! PULL OUT! but i didnt. so they didnt do squat, and are saying they havent touched my car (since there are no records).

Needless to say, I don't have a working anyhting but gas gauge. I match speeds with the neighboing cars. Now I'm looking for something else. Because it'll cost $281 for a new guge panel to go back to the original green, or $581 if Ford sticks some goofy fee on it. Which I don't want to pay if it's just one step in the road to blue. I'd rather just get the blue now.

If these clusters can show blue, or white, or cutoms, then I will soooooo get me one. no matter the cost. I'm tired of failure. So please PLEASE let me know how this works out. Thanks

 

Dad's 97 has a blue cluster with all the other stuff blue too. But it is analog gauges for the milage.

Adrianspeeder

 

what are analog gauges and what are the other gauges?

 

I'm officially calling off this project of changing the guages. Not that I chickened out, but I've realized that I really don't want this big Expy anymore. I'm trading her in this summer for what I really want.....a Lightning. I have wanted one for the longest time, and I'm not going to let winter scare me off any longer....That is why I now own a 88 caprice ex police cruiser, if it snows I can use that car. So thanks all for your help.