Light keeps going out, tap and it comes on, sometimes. Don't suppose I'm lucky enough for a Ford recall.

 

Cold solder joints
Common problem
Easy fix
1 hr
Google
Youtube

 

Thank you, will try that.

 

Yea, just re-heat your pre-existing joints. Add a little to the joints that seem to be lacking. Cracked joints are common with cluster boards. Can't really visually see a cracked joint (I haven't been able to anyway). However, often just a re-heat or re-flow will do the trick.

 

Unless you got some precise equip and real fine solder, i would just try reheat.

Tiny attachments can be bridged easily, creating problems

A local electronic repair could do it too

Heat can also oxidize exist solder so dont stick without flux, if overdo it

 

Good to know, don't think I want to tackle. Will find an electronic repair. Thanks very much.

 

Never just heat a solder joint! You HAVE TO add a little solder to it, solder NEEDS the flux to adhere to the dissimmular metals and there will be very little to no flux left on the board after it is run through the wave solder machine in the production process. The pins that need soldering for the odemeter are quite large with quite large pitch (spacing) you need an iron that gets to at least 600-700 degrees F to make a good joint.
FWIW: I'm an Electronic Tech and solder everything from .01 pitch (tiny surface mount components) to 00 size wire all day

 

You better stick to what you do best. I've been fixing PCB's since I was a teenager and I've fixed these.

OP, disregard this guys post, you can repair this yourself with a good Iron. He's apparently ate up with his specific job. You can also You Tube this repair. It's been done for over a decade.

 

I fixed my mom's odometer in her 2001 Expedition. It's really simple. I could actually see which joint was cracked (magnifying glass). Just work on the ones for the odometer (they're easy to figure out) and leave everything else alone. These are also fairly large, just heat a little, and maybe add a tiny amount. I tinned my iron and then heated the joint which flowed some onto it. Still works perfect a few years later.

 

You've seen the actual crack. I've seen were they have cracked via carbon traces. Even after cleaning I've never been able to see the actual crack lol. Probably my eyes or I don't try hard enough. Right it's the larger plugs that crack and are at times, lacking. The small traces are usually fine. As long as the capture pads are in good shape (haven't separated), you can re-flow. The OD PCB's have a fairly thick plane layer, fairly heavy boards.

Although on this site, wasen't too long ago, recently a guy fried one of his chip capacitors on that board, board showed signs of significant heat around the area. First time I've seen that happen with one of these. He was able to order the chip and fix it himself. Yea , it was here and in this forum, not too long ago. Took a little bit of talent, but he got it.