Looking for some help.


My father has a 2000 F150 and when you turn the key the gages peg clear over to the right as if calibrating themselves and then return to normal.

I have a 99 and mine doesn't do this.

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Thanks!!

 

go buy a new battery, yours is taking a dump

 

Exactly, my 2k did the same thing. Pegged on startup and then ran fine. Over the course of the next few days, starting got tougher and tougher. Replace it now before you get stuck somewhere. You'll ba amazed once you get the new battery in there!

 

I'll 3rd the above. I had exact same symptoms and it was resolved by replacing the battery. 01 Expedition.

 

Thanks, guys!

I'll relay the message.

 

Thats the correct diagnosis, the Battery is dying..

 

I have a 2000 f-150,and my gauges sweep like that too,been doing it for as long as i can remember and my battery is fine,even in these pennsylvania winters!!!!??

 

My trucks gauges sweep as well at startup, it has done this since I bought it four years ago. I'm pretty sure it can't be a battery issue since I have replaced two of them now. I have to assume it to be normal.

 

I've had a '96 Bronco, '98 F150 and now have a '01 Expedition and a '04 F150 and have never seen this happen until about a month ago on the Expedition. Did some searching here. Load tested battery and it failed test but was starting truck fine. Replaced battery and haven't seen it happen again.

 

Called ford about that awhile back. They said it was normal operation. Also did a load test and it was good. battery is almost brand new. I believe this to be normal.

 

Did they give you any more details on this? Normal intermittently or should they be doing it every time? If it is normal why is it stopping for everyone that has replaced there battery due to this? The company I work for has a fleet of Ford trucks ranging from '97 to '07 and none of them do this. The only vehicles I've ever seen do this normally and everytime the vehicle is started has been International and Sterling, diesel engined large delivery trucks.

 

The gage sweep is in response to voltage that goes to low at crankover.
It dosn't alway have to be the battery.
If the starter is drawing excess current the battery voltage will go lower even if the battery is perfect.
If there is a circuit connection that has some resistance the voltage will be lower.
Could be the cables, the terminals, the fuse link connections, starter drag, starter brushes etc. Could be the alternator not putting a full charge back into a perfect battery or even a drain as the truck sits idle.
So you need to look further than just the battery if it is still a problem after a known good battery is in place.
The dash gets it's power thru the ignition switch and can only see what is offered to it at the time of cranking.
Sorry it's not alway a simple solution.

 

Bluegrass ............. thank you for more detail.

 

Check out what happens to mine from the video I posted on youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/v/h0jy2Apae9w

 

So not it is doing fine. No more needles jumping.