Warning: Upgrading Guage Cluster

[jfrayzier]

I will do whatever I can to get it installed.

 

[kevins05v-6]

excellent!! i wish you luck!! keep us posted as to your progress

 

[jlans]

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.

Sorry for the delay, last few vin #'s are 455198813. I never thought to look at what day it was built on. I used to work at a Ford plant and I know what Fridays were like . Hope you still get the chance to get the IUP installed.

 

[shooterm1]

how do we interpret the build date from the VIN?

 

[martimus]

how do we interpret the build date from the VIN?

Go here:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/vin_tools/default.asp

 

[texas_stang]

i was told by someone on a different forum that only the cars with traction control have the harness. i wanted to upgrade my stang to the my color, but i don't have the harness. i also don't have traction control. don't know if this helps you or not. keep us informed if you can install the harness..... i would like to have my color installed on my car.

 

[jfrayzier]

I don't know if anyone knows for sure if the traction control is the point at which the full harness is installed. I think it's speculation. However, it seems so far that most people who have been successful have the traction control.

I have seen the post you are referring to.

I am at the end of the line, I think. A parts manager friend of mine wrote to his Ford Rep to see if he could help.. unfortunately, he wasn't much help, either.

Here is the text of the email I got back from the Ford Rep.

Hi xxx,

Here's what I found. This customers mustang is a base model V6 that was not ordered with a message center which is why the harness does not have the appropriate connectors. Due to the vehicle being equipped with everything as ordered it cannot be considered a misbuilt unit. The reason for the replacement wiring harness having the connectors is its easier to have one single part number instead of multiple harnesses. The reason for other similarly equipped V6 mustangs having the extra connectors necessary for this swap is likely due to build date differences and part availability at the plant level.

Sorry I don't have better news, but there is no way to cover the harness under warranty. The vehicle was not misbuilt and everything functioned fine as ordered. If there was more I could do I would, but at this point the only resolution is to buy the harness.

Jxxx
Zone Manager
Ford Customer Service Division
xxx Region-Zone xx

Not that it will matter, but here is the last response that I sent back.

I appreciate your checking into it for me. I didn't really consider mine to be a base model. I would have thought the base model would have not included the Exterior Sport Appearance package, the Interior Sport Appearance Package, Shaker 500 and Active Anti-Theft system, all of which I have and are all optional.

I didn't figure I was getting a base model, since it was priced at nearly $4,000 above the price of a base model. But anyways, I guess I did.

I don't see ordering the loom as being an option for me as the labor would probably exceed $700-800 just to have the harness installed.

The problem here is that Ford considers the cluster to be a part, the stereo to be a part, the steering wheel to be a part. What they aren't considering is that some people consider other, more detailed parts of the vehicle, to be a part.

So yes, the parts that Ford considers to be parts, the air conditioner, the stereo, the steering wheel, the hazard lights, the seats... they all work. The part that I consider to be important, the C253 connector behind the dash, doesn't work... because it's not there.

It is not there because Ford did not see it as being necessary because they weren't hooking anything up to it. However, being on the technical documentation and being on other similarly equipped Mustangs would lead a reasonable person to conclude that if they bought that same vehicle, it would be on there. While Ford doesn't consider that to be a feature of the vehicle, I do... and it is missing.

Yes, according to the manual, and the sales brochures, the instrument cluster is optional. However, according to the technical documentation, the connector that makes them work, is not.

I appreciate all of your help.... tell Jxxx that while he wasn't able to help me, I do appreciate him looking into it.

 

[stanmckinney]

If this is the case, it looks like Ford blew it. The cluster is a desirable option many would probably buy after production but by not including the harness to save a buck or two Ford has lost many dollars because Mustang owners can no longer upgrade to the cluster.
Someone on the corporate level didn't think this one all the way through.
Many of us also could not get the cluster because of the suit over MyColor that had to be resolved and delayed production for awhile.
Saving a buck here can cost many down the road.
I could give other examples of ways Ford has cut costs and irritated its customers. Such as including front floor mats but not selling rear ones alone. Or no coat hooks in the rear of a new Escape Limited. The most expensive model has no place to hang your coat.
No key on the passenger side of our Mustangs. The list goes on and on.

 

[jfrayzier]

I could give other examples of ways Ford has cut costs and irritated its customers. Such as including front floor mats but not selling rear ones alone. Or no coat hooks in the rear of a new Escape Limited. The most expensive model has no place to hang your coat.
No key on the passenger side of our Mustangs. The list goes on and on.

I don't agree with it, either. I can say that my last car I bought new, a Honda Civic, didn't come with floormats at all. I had them throw them in, but they weren't included with the car. I've never heard of that before.

Also, the key on the passenger side not being there is more and more common nowadays with different cars.

Crazy thing about the clusters, though, is that the price of the entire IUP option is $450. People will likely spend more than that after the fact to get the cluster alone.

They would actually make more money off of the cars that DON'T have the IUP on them.

Very ridiculous. My only option now is to buy an entire harness (~$350) and pay for someone to put it in (several hours). Not worth the money.