Hi All

I have a 2010 F-150 XLT with about 144k miles on it, 5.4L 4WD supercrew.

I've seen some posts about this, but my issue is a little different. During the day, I cannot see my speedo or tach. The cluster is in shadow and I have to strain to see it, especially on a cloudy day. None of the needles or dials are lit. However, as soon as the headlights come on, the cluster does light up. So I'm not sure if having the cluster refurbed will solve the problem. I checked the fuses, it seemed there were two it could have been, but those are in good shape. I guess I need to know the obvious question first... Are the cluster lights even supposed to come on when the headlights are not on? Appreciate any feedback.

 

My cluster/display (2020) has backlighting day and night. The backlight is stronger in the daytime and dims when the lights come on (auto setting) in the evening. The sensor in the center of the dash controls backlighting. Someone else here can fill in details.

 

After some more searching i found this here on the forum.
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/2010-d...ylight-260637/

Seems the only solution so far is to put tape over the dashboard sensor. I'd rather fix it, but looks like that may not be an option.

 

I used to have a Taurus and I wanted daytime headlights (for safety purposes) so I put tape over the sensor. By doing this, I got the headlights I wanted, but the dash backlighting was dimmed like it was nighttime. Ultimately, if I wanted front lights, I just turned them on for the trip.
Your problem might be the sensor or an issue with the Body Control Module (connection or ground). The Body Control Module (BCM) controllers can have issues due to moisture at the ground connection (by the module). The BCM is located behind the kick panel on the passenger side footwell area. I don't have any schematics to give you a true road map but you might reach out to @52merc , he knows a great deal about wiring and systems on these vehicles. Good luck.

 

Thanks @Totem76 I sent a PM to @52merc to see if he could drop a suggestion on this thread. I appreciate your replies.

 

I'm not very knowledgeable on the Gen-12 F150s so I can't help you out with this problem. I would contact @Livnitup who is very knowledgeable with clusters and has a business:

https://www.clustersbylivnitup.com/

 

Thx @52merc ... I went to his website and filled out a contact form. That would be awesome if his service can get that working correctly