90 problems

[rdcjg27]

Just bought a 90 Festiva and here our my problems, that i need help with,
i have no turn signals, but hazard lights work, no dash lights and only thing that works on the cluster is my speedO, no tac, no water temp,no fuel guage, so any help would be appriectated, i checkd regular fuses and they seemd to be good.
thanx foir any help

[TominMO]

There are two round electrical connectors on the back of the instrument cluster, one black and one white. Sounds like they are not connected, since the only thing that works is non-electrical (the speedo). Pull the cover (5 screws), then the cluster (4 screws). To unhook the speedo cable, you can reach up under the dash to access it. It has a white plastic piece that holds it in place on the speedo; push down on the rear of it to make it release. Once you get it off, the cluster will come right out.

There is only one way to put the electrical connectors on; you'll see why. They have a release thingy in the middle for if you ever have to remove them from the cluster.

Oh yeah, please put your location in your profile.

[Pu241]

Welcome rdcjg27
It will help us, help you, if you can add your location to your profile:

Go to User CP (top of the Page in the blue bar)
Control Panel(left side of screen)
Edit Profile-scroll to bottom of page to location.

Someone maybe close and can drop by and give you a hand.

First thing is to replace the fusible links, located behind the battery on the driver side strut tower (three insulated wires 2 red 1 brown) with these:
Note 10 Amp fuse is not required.


Makes sure the cartridge fuses are the "long legged" version, the "short legged" one will not fit. Give me a second to see if I can find a pic or the correct one.

[TominMO]

John, do you (or anyone else can chime in) know exactly what those three links control? That would be nice to know.

[rdcjg27]

ok
i removed dash and the round plug on the left side was unplugged, i plugged it up and dash lights came on but when i turn headlights on the buzzer goes off...but still no fuel gauge or tach workin? the speed O was the little round plug correct?

[GenevaDirt]

To unhook the speedo cable, you can reach up under the dash to access it. It has a white plastic piece that holds it in place on the speedo; push down on the rear of it to make it release. Once you get it off, the cluster will come right out.

much easier to disconnect the cable at the tranny and then pull the cluster forward and unhook.

[doylerl]

ok
i removed dash and the round plug on the left side was unplugged, i plugged it up and dash lights came on but when i turn headlights on the buzzer goes off...but still no fuel gauge or tach workin? the speed O was the little round plug correct?

Yes, the small one is the speedo. Was the other plug on tight? Obviously the cluster has been removed before if the plug was not on. When I removed one of my clusters, it got caught on the way out and cracked the board in the back. If this happened, it could possibly explain your problem.

[rdcjg27]

k well running out of time gotta goto work now, gonna tackle again tommorrow, there is a guy right up the road who has a instrument cluster might get it and try it? will it matter if it doesnt have a tach, even though mine did?

[ejp2fast]

wow!!! you have 90 problems with your car?? i don't think i've had that many..


sorry, just had to say that... oh, and WELCOME!

[doylerl]

Yes, it should work, tach or not. Many of us on here have changed from non-tach to tach clusters, the wires are the same.

[TominMO]

ok
i removed dash and the round plug on the left side was unplugged, i plugged it up and dash lights came on but when i turn headlights on the buzzer goes off...but still no fuel gauge or tach workin? the speed O was the little round plug correct?

The buzzer on the tach cluster goes off when the door is open, and you have the lights on. Did you have the door open when you were working on this? The non-tach cluster does not have a buzzer, BTW. And you should also know, if you don't, that Festivas don't have a warning light for low fuel, so keep an eye on the gauge. And yes the speedo is the little round plug.

[Pu241]

John, do you (or anyone else can chime in) know exactly what those three links control? That would be nice to know.

Tom, don't have my electrical diagrams with me, but I know if the middle one is toast the fuel pump doesn't work. Another thing, if you let the battery die (ie leave lights on) and you manage to get it started DO NOT drive it immediately as the ALT will try and feed more AMPs to the battery than that link/fuse can take. When that fuse blows the engine shuts down.

[JPT]

If the center one pops on my car ('90 L), nothing on the dash works, can't start it and no auto seat belts.

My car doesn't have a tach, but it does have a loud and annoying buzzer.

[mechanicaldj]

Tom, don't have my electrical diagrams with me, but I know if the middle one is toast the fuel pump doesn't work. Another thing, if you let the battery die (ie leave lights on) and you manage to get it started DO NOT drive it immediately as the ALT will try and feed more AMPs to the battery than that link/fuse can take. When that fuse blows the engine shuts down.

does anyone even look at the stickies at the top of this forum????

[mechanicaldj]

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20127