i have searched but didnt find anything on a 1988 f150. i was wondering how much trouble it is to get the lights in the gauges out to replace. all i have found in the search was mid 90's models.

 

Pretty much the same thing, remove the cluster. Except yours has a speedo cable.

 

that ain't really a problem to unhook is it

 

If you unhook it from the transmission first you can get more slack out of it. I think you squeeze and pull or something, can't remember exactly.

 

ok ill have to try it this weekend maybe and c what i can find out. thanks alot

 

The steering colum surround comes off, screws facing down. The 2 pieces on the bottom, one on the left with the head light switch, windshield wiper switch, fuel tank select switch and the other on the right with a storage pocket come out. I'm sure that one of them overlays the other on the very bottom with the overlaid one being attached to the dash with a screw. The difficulty here is getting the ***** off, there is a release under each ****. Somebody epoxied my headlight ****, so I had to use the release button on the light switch itself behind the panel. Then the cluster surround which has the AC registers pops out. Once those are all out, it's pretty straight forward screws. Common sense here is to be gentle and not crack anything and don't be in a hurry, just work at it slowly with no ripping and tearing.

Once you get to the back of the cluster the bulbs are 194s that slide into little circular sockets that you turn to get in and out. I bought replacements at Oriellys but they were junk because the contact tangs didnt flex like the stock ones do so it made it hard to get them in without destroying the paper thin circuit panel. I ended up getting several handfuls at the junkyard, relamp them all then test each with a meter for the correct resistance then installing and testing on the truck. I didn't want to have to get in there and jack with it again.

 

LOL, that's how the headlight switch **** is on the older trucks.

 

I hear ya Sean, I wasn't sure , all I know is that when I pulled mine out, it had the indent and the locking device, but it was all glued in there. Then I had to really work at it to get it out of the switch itself.

 

My truck had an odd combination of ***** on the controls. I got a matching set at the junkyard.