Warning: Upgrading Guage Cluster

[jfrayzier]

I purchased the guage cluster w/messaging center and the switch to install in my 2005 v6.

Should have been an easy install except that the wiring harness was missing everything having to do with the messaging center.

I'm going to attempt to contact Ford today but their computers are down. It is my opinion that the vehicle should have included the complete wiring harness that would be capable of supporting the factory options such as the upgraded guage cluster.

I have a manual transmission and they did include the wiring for the automatic transmission shifter... so why not for the cluster?

An easy way to tell if you have the wiring is to pop off the dummy buttons to the left of the power supply (which is to the left of the hazard light button) on the dash. If you have a connector attached to it, you're good to go.

I don't have it.

 

[martimus]

If I recall correctly that was the warning 05stangkc (the parts manager for a Ford store in Central Cali) provided in a post on another forum.

If I recall he indicated that after a certain date the cars did not include that particular wire bundle and that perspective upgraders should check for this before proceeding with an upgrade.

Sorry to hear yours did not have this!!

 

[jfrayzier]

Well, my own parts department ordered it for me and everyone I spoke with indicated that it would work.

I believe that they should have the bundle in there. When looking at wiring scematics from Oasis it all indicates that it is there and mentions nothing about certain vehicles not having that bundle.

 

[stanmckinney]

Mine was built in January. I upgraded to the cluster with no problems, except some scratches my dealer put on the parking brake and dash during the install.

 

[jfrayzier]

Here is the latest information that I have...

I have spoken with parts managers at two different dealerships and both indicate that everything points to there being one single wiring harness for the Mustangs... both V6 and GT. The only difference being that the GT uses an additional harness to run the foglights from the fuse box under the hood to the front of the car.

The cluster and switch are said to be valid parts from 10/04-08/05. Basically, the entire life of the car.

The only difference with the wiring harness is that they changed harnesses on both the V6 and the GT on 4/19/05. My car was built on 4/15. However, both before and after that date on any given date, there was only one single harness for the vehicle and it supposedly supported the guage cluster with the messaging center.

My opinion, which is shared by both parts managers and my service manager, is that Ford should pay the bill to put the correct (or the rest of the) harness in my vehicle. But the service manager said he has to talk to his Ford representative first to see if they will do that. He said if they won't, and I still want the cluster bad enough, I'll have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

He said that since my vehicle didn't come with that cluster, the wiring is unnecessary. My opinion is that whether or not it is unnecessary is completely up to me, not them. If the parts catalog and the service manuals all indicate that the harness should be there, then I paid for it... whether it is used or not.

Just because I don't use cruise control doesn't mean that I don't have a right to have it fixed if it doesn't work, or even have it at all. I did pay for it.

My service manager did try to turn it around on me and make it look like I cost them a lot of money. He said that because they spent four hours on my car on Saturday that he had to work six people overtime and refund customers about $150 because their cars took so long.

I explained to him that the only reason it took so long is because their very own manuals and the guy on the Ford hotline indicated that the connector for the cluster should be there. Had their documentation matched the car, we would have been in and out of there, realizing that the connector wasn't there, in about 30 minutes. The only reason we took the dash apart, which is what took so much time, was because everything and everyone indicated that the connector must be there.... however, it was not.

I'll keep you all updated.

 

[echo7]

I love Ford, everythings cheap, (but the engine) they always seem to run good/last. everything else thats plastic, will break, like my door handle that won't go in by itself, and sticks out like some 10 year old car....

 

[jfrayzier]

Update!

I got a call back from the service manager just before 9am this morning.

He said that he spoke with his Ford representative and that guy said that Ford stopped putting in certain parts of the harness based on the options that the car came with. He said it was a cost-saving idea.

He also suggested several times that if there were something wrong with my harness, that Ford would pay to have the full harness put into the car. Each time he made that suggestion, the service manager told him that there was nothing wrong with my harness. I guess all this nice guy from Ford can do is wink, but someone here has to take the bait. It seemed like he wanted to help.

Anyways, I have a meeting tomorrow morning with the Ford representative in person. I will let you all know how that goes.

 

[stanmckinney]

Looks like your guys could read between the lines on that. The dealer gets paid by Ford if the rep approves it. Why would they hesitate? Your dealer can get virtually anything approved if he's willing to do so.

 

[jfrayzier]

Spoke with Ford Rep

Well, I met with the representative from Ford today. It seemed like he had his mind made up before I even got there. I hate that I took an hour and a half off from work to even meet with him... the fact that I also spent half of a day over there on Saturday while they worked on something that wasn't the same as their documentation aggrivates me, too, but that's another story.

He said that adding the guage cluster to my vehicle is an unauthorized modification to the car and that he wasn't going to have any part of it.

At this point, the only way that I will get the wiring in my vehicle is if my harness goes bad, but I don't see how that would ever happen. However, if it did, I would get the full harness as a replacement.

Not sure what would be next. I guess I'll never get the instrument cluster.

 

[kevins05v-6]

thats lame! very very lame, maybe you could try contacting Kevin at Clevenger Ford in California and see if he can pull some strings for you or something.
It can be done dont give up!!!

 

[jfrayzier]

After some more digging, it looks like my wiring harness has a part number 4R3T-14401-BN. I'll bet those that have been successful in upgrading the guage cluster has part number 4R3T-14401-CN.

Realizing that it is a different harness by design certainly sheds some light on the situation. However, having been told by different sources and concluding from the wiring scematics that it is all there, it still does not change my opinion that it should be added to my vehicle.

 

[wht-v6-vert]

Sorry to hear about all of your problems. What was the cost of the parts to do the instrument cluster?

 

[jfrayzier]

What was the cost of the parts to do the instrument cluster?

I paid $266.xx for the cluster and switch. Getting a refund for the parts is not a problem at all for me. In fact, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I will probably never get the upgraded cluster in my vehicle. However, at this point, it is a matter of principle.

 

[kevins05v-6]

wait what did you buy?? I thought there was a "core" charge for the odomoter??
did you purchase "My Color"?? as well?

 

[jfrayzier]

wait what did you buy?? I thought there was a "core" charge for the odomoter??
did you purchase "My Color"?? as well?

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot get the six-guage cluster without MyColor. Yes, there was a core charge, but since it was ordered through my parts department and sent directly to them, I did not have to cover the core. I never took possession of the cluster myself.

 

[afixer]

kev as you can see the cluster is everthing gauges tach spedo thier are small difs v8 or v6 the dif is speedo on v8 is 145 mph and v6 is 120 mph not sure if you could put a v8 in a v6. would think you might be able to an recalibrate spedo. other difs are KPH vs MPH for us vs european.

 

[jlans]

I had my cluster changed about three weeks ago and had no problems as i did have the harness. I checked what I think was my build date on the price sticker and I think mine was also built on 4/15. Not really sure if the date on the bottom of the sticker is the build date or not. I feel for you not being able to do this upgrade as I am really glad I did.

 

[jfrayzier]

not sure if you could put a v8 in a v6. would think you might be able to an recalibrate spedo.

I don't think you can. I *think* I remember reading somewhere that it's not the speedo that whacks out, but the taco. I would think that the smart info being fed into the cluster would indicate where to put the needles, and the cluster would do its own thinking... but I guess not.

i.e. plain English message from car to cluster: "Put speed at 34 mph"... cluster would do that. Oh well... who really knows.

 

[jfrayzier]

I had my cluster changed about three weeks ago and had no problems as i did have the harness. I checked what I think was my build date on the price sticker and I think mine was also built on 4/15. Not really sure if the date on the bottom of the sticker is the build date or not. I feel for you not being able to do this upgrade as I am really glad I did.

Mine was built on 4/15 (a Friday, yuck). What are the last few digits of your vin? You can PM me if you don't want to post it.

 

[kevins05v-6]

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot get the six-guage cluster without MyColor. Yes, there was a core charge, but since it was ordered through my parts department and sent directly to them, I did not have to cover the core. I never took possession of the cluster myself.

thanks i got confused, i am used to seeing people post the price with the core charge and install.
do you think you are going to pursue having it installed still?