Odometer in 2011 Ranger

[airbourneranger]

I'm looking at a white faced gauge cluster to replaced my blackface. It's listed as having 123,000 miles on it. If I remember right the mileage is stored in the computer in the truck not the gauge cluster. So this should show my mileage not the mileage on the truck it came out of -------------- right??

 

[Dirtman]

Nope. You cannot replace the gauge cluster. The gauge cluster and PCM are "married". Meaning the cluster is digitally coded and the PCM must see that specific code in order for the truck to start. The only way to replace a gauge cluster in a 2004-2011 ranger is to have the old cluster and new cluster sent to Fords factory for them to re-code the new cluster to match the old one. And they won't do it...

 

[Shran]

I imagine it's the same on Rangers... my '07 F250 has a junkyard cluster that currently reads around 133k. The towing company I got the truck from said it was replaced because the gas gauge in the old one did not work. The guy who works there said the truck had 170k actual miles, the title said 217k... I have no clue how many miles are actually on it. I was told that a dealership can reprogram the gauge cluster to match what is stored in the PCM.

 

[Dirtman]

I imagine it's the same on Rangers... my '07 F250 has a junkyard cluster that currently reads around 133k. The towing company I got the truck from said it was replaced because the gas gauge in the old one did not work. The guy who works there said the truck had 170k actual miles, the title said 217k... I have no clue how many miles are actually on it. I was told that a dealership can reprogram the gauge cluster to match what is stored in the PCM.

Unless they swapped the PCM with it... that didn't happen.

 

[airbourneranger]

Go ahead and rain on my parade.

 

[Dirtman]

Go ahead and rain on my parade.

It's my job.

There are white face "kits" available. I've never done one because the work seems insanely tedious as you have to take the cluster apart, remove the needles and carefully lay on decals over the old gauges. Try searching the site, I'm fairly sure I've seen a couple people do it.


But in all honesty I would take the truck to the dealer and demand they replace your blackface guages. Blackface is not socially acceptable in this day and age and ford needs to make this right.

 

[Curious Hound]

It's my job.

There are white face "kits" available. I've never done one because the work seems insanely tedious as you have to take the cluster apart, remove the needles and carefully lay on decals over the old gauges. Try searching the site, I'm fairly sure I've seen a couple people do it.


But in all honesty I would take the truck to the dealer and demand they replace your blackface guages. Blackface is not socially acceptable in this day and age and ford needs to make this right.

I hate working on clusters. I replaced the cluster in my Yukon then replaced stepper motors several times on the replacement. Mid-2000’s GM clusters really stink.

 

[Shran]

Unless they swapped the PCM with it... that didn't happen.

I can't say for sure that they didn't, I just don't know. It's totally possible. The guy I got the truck from is a nice guy but is very, very low functioning.

I do know 100% for sure that I have never read that this is necessary. I read a whole bunch of threads over on ford-trucks.com a while back about this topic (I had a TBC Fault message constantly popping up on my dash) and never, never, never did I see anything about swapping the PCM as well. A lot of guys say they have bought clusters from eBay or junkyard or whatever as "upgrades" for base model trucks and just popped them and and went on with life although there may be functional issues with certain features that the truck didn't come with.

 

[Dirtman]

I can't say for sure that they didn't, I just don't know. It's totally possible. The guy I got the truck from is a nice guy but is very, very low functioning.

I do know 100% for sure that I have never read that this is necessary. I read a whole bunch of threads over on ford-trucks.com a while back about this topic (I had a TBC Fault message constantly popping up on my dash) and never, never, never did I see anything about swapping the PCM as well. A lot of guys say they have bought clusters from eBay or junkyard or whatever as "upgrades" for base model trucks and just popped them and and went on with life although there may be functional issues with certain features that the truck didn't come with.

If it's a diesel truck its possible they didn't marry the clusters. Ford gave no give a crap about security to the diesel line. But I know for a fact the rangers with HEC clusters (digital odometer) were always married to the PCM and swaps are near impossible with few exceptions. Replace the cluster with the donor PCM and go through all the hassle of using the donor trucks keys. Or have ford do the work. Ford was sued hard over odometer fraud on their trucks so they made it insanely hard to do. I'm in no way calling you a liar, but whoever did the swap on your f250 must have done more than a simple junkyard swap (again if its diesel, maybe it's just that easy). But like I said I know for a fact rangers are simply not that easy. 2004+ rangers had the married clusters, PATS was all integrated and it's a nightmare to screw with either the PCM or cluster without ford getting involved and not at a dealer level, at a factory level. Even a dealer wont help you with any of that.

@adsm08 is a dealer guy, he could probably give more insight on the legality and ability a dealership has to perform such a task.

I know forscan cant do it and I don't even think ford dealer computers can do it. Adsm08 would know the details. There is also tuners who can fully delete the Pat's system but not sure that is enough to get the truck to start with the wrong cluster.

 

[Shran]

Interesting. For what it's worth it's a V10 truck and definitely has a gas engine gauge cluster and digital odometer (think 05-07 all did.) I wish I was a fly on the wall when they were working on it, just 'cuz I'm curious.

Looks like you can get reman gauge clusters from a variety of sources, at least for my F250 anyway. Says they need VIN, current mileage, trim level etc so the programming tools must be available to aftermarket suppliers somewhere.

I will have to send mine in eventually to get fixed, the stupid timer chip in the cluster freaks out and the radio, power windows and all gauges just go dead for a while.

 

[G8orFord]

It's all about PATS. An '07 F250 diesel didn't have it. So the cluster could be swapped. Alternately, an '01 F150 gasser did have PATS and requires the cluster and PCM to be swapped together or be reprogrammed. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[adsm08]

Nope. You cannot replace the gauge cluster. The gauge cluster and PCM are "married". Meaning the cluster is digitally coded and the PCM must see that specific code in order for the truck to start. The only way to replace a gauge cluster in a 2004-2011 ranger is to have the old cluster and new cluster sent to Fords factory for them to re-code the new cluster to match the old one. And they won't do it...

You keep saying this, and it is always wrong.

A 2011 Ranger's instrument cluster should not be VIID locked, and should be able to be reprorgrammed into a new truck. Also, if he gets a blank cluster, never used, it can be plugged in, programmed, and the PATS reset and the PCM will accept the new cluster without question.

I also know on the earlier Rangers, closer to 04, FORScan can edit the odometer.

The Ford scanner (and probably FORScan, but I don't know) can do what's called an "inhale" where it pulls all the data off a still communicating module, including the odometer reading, and then load it onto a new (or used) one, including over-writing the Odometer block.

 

[Dirtman]

Ok so then slap in clusters willy nilly! Wooooooo!

 

[airbourneranger]

It's my job.

There are white face "kits" available. I've never done one because the work seems insanely tedious as you have to take the cluster apart, remove the needles and carefully lay on decals over the old gauges. Try searching the site, I'm fairly sure I've seen a couple people do it.


But in all honesty I would take the truck to the dealer and demand they replace your blackface guages. Blackface is not socially acceptable in this day and age and ford needs to make this right.

Hey dirtman that is probably closer to the truth than you think, as upside down as the world is right now.