Hi,
I just bought a 99 lightning. I've had it for about a month and then my backlighting on the instrument cluster went out. The PRNDl lighting and the odometer lighting still work. I took the dash out and checked for power, ground ect. Load tested the illumination circuit and everything checked out ok. So, i ordered a new dash from the dealer. I had a tech i know do it on the side, because it has to be reprogrammed. He plugged in the new dash and it still didn't work. Again, I rechecked everything. The problem is not in my truck wiring. I took the cluster apart and checked the printed circuit for continuity and checked the small fuse in the transformer circuit. All checked out ok. I think the transformer in my dash is bad, but i have no way of testing it. MY question is, is there anything else that you guys have run in to? It makes no sense to me that the new (remanufactured) dash did not light up, unless it was also bad.
Also, does anybody know what the resistance of the EL "element" is suppose to be. Mine reads open on my meter, but i'm not sure what it is suppose to be.
thanks for the help,
Tom

 

I can pull up ford's wire diagram, and troubleshooting information for this but i dont think it will be Lightning specific

 

i have the ford manual already, but thanks anyway.
thanks
tom

 

sent you an email with some repair instructions I had.
Hope it may help.

 

thanks for the email jayzap. I actually saw that post and checked that fuse last time it was out. Unfortunately, mine was not open. Thanks for the help anyway though.
thanks,
Tom