Instrument Cluster Bulbs

[Broosedamoose]

I tried asking this in the Interior and Exterior Lighting forum but I got 81 views but no answer! So. . . 2007 Ranger, 4WD, Auto, 4.0L: Are there two different sizes of the bulbs in the gauge cluster? I did a search on here for 2007 Ranger gauge cluster bulbs but got nothing. On Google I'm finding T5 and T10. The lower left side of my tach is out and my high beam indicator bulb is out. I'd like to swap them all to LED's but I'm not positive what size to get. I'm leaning towards the T5's but some listings show the exact same picture for T5 and T10! I did it on my 2003 but, what information I did find says they are different from 2004 up. One thread said it was a dealer only part but I find that hard to believe. Thanks!

 

[broncc]

Im pretty sure its just a regular 73 size bulb that presses into the plastic housing.

 

[DILLARD000]

Not sure about 2007, but the 2003+Earlier PreHEC InstrumentCluster Bulbs were as noted below.

BackLamps
~ LitBulbs T10mmWedg*23mmLong 12volt 3\4watt Sylvania# 161\194
~ Sockets T10mmWedg*13mmCircuitHoleMt FordMotorCraft# c80z-13711-b

DutyLamps
~ LitBulbs T5mmWedg*18mmLong 12volt 9\13watt Sylvania# 906\912
~ Sockets T5mmWedg*7mmCircuitHoleMt FordMotorCraft# f57z-13b765-ba

Do Not Use Higher Wattage Bulbs, They Will Melt Surrounding Plastic.
Not a fan here of replacing traditional Cluster bulbs with LEDs; they're more money+trouble than they're worth.
Hope this helps.

 

[Broosedamoose]

Not sure about 2007, but the 2003+Earlier PreHEC InstrumentCluster Bulbs were as noted below.

Yes, I found that info but on another thread it said they are different from 2004 and up. Like I said, I did my 2003 and it was like you said, just take out the old bulb from the plastic retainer and put in the new one. But my 2007 is going to be different! There is a ton of conflicting information out there! I think I've narrowed it down to the T5 but not 100%. I don't want to buy them, pull the cluster out and find they don't fit. It's not hard but it's a bitch getting the gear indicator cable back on! I'd rather just do it once!

 

[Broosedamoose]

Anyone? Someone's gotta know! RonD, gaz, Uncle Gump, anyone? I talked to my mechanic and he looked it up and said it's a dealer item. He thinks I have to replace the whole cluster because the lights are integrated into the circuit board! That's a whole lot of headache for a bad bulb! Why would they do such a thing? I guess I'll just order a set of both the T5 and T10 bulbs and hope one fits. Once I get it figured out I will post the information and maybe we can make it a "Sticky" so no one else has to go through this.

 

[DILLARD000]

...talked to my mechanic and he looked it up and said it's a dealer item. He thinks I have to replace the whole cluster
...we can make it a "Sticky" so no one else has to go through this.

An appropriate response to your mechanic & "StealerShip" is "BS".
"Sticky" would be good once you've taken Cluster out & confirmed correct Bulbs\LEDs.
Suspect someone else, if not several people, in these forums has already gone thru this.
Pic back side of 2007~2009 Cluster, shows removable bulb sockets.

 

[DILLARD000]

Click here for saga continuation & solution...

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Guys, this came up just a few days ago in another thread here. The later Rangers take 10 of the Toshiba V-2 bulb+socket assembly for the gauge lighting and the turn-signal and high-beam indicators. On the ones in the Ranger and the replacements, the bulbs were NOT separately replaceable. They are "grain of wheat" bulbs and not LEDs. I replaced all of mine last year myself. Get them from eBay if NAPA doesn't have them.

There's no need to replace the instrument cluster. You can replace these lamps.

 

[Broosedamoose]

I was in the area, well driving right by, the Ford dealership so I decided to stop in and ask. The 2721 bulbs are correct but not LED. The guy was nice enough to look it up for me and said it looks like the LED equivalent is T5. Some of the lights in the cluster are LED and are intergrated in the circuit board like the Tire Pressure Warning Light, which I wanted to remove. (LOL) The funny thing is, when I talked to someone at Superbright they said the only bulbs they carried for my interior were the Dome and Map lights which are the same. But, the guy at the dealership found these and these. So finally, problem solved. Someone should add this info to a sticky or tech thread.

 

[RonD]

Are the 2721 and 74 the same?

And T5 also the same as 2721?

Because you mention dome light as well as cluster lights

 

[Broosedamoose]

I don't know for sure about the T5 but the 74 and the 2721 appear to be the same in all the cross reference places I checked. They are the same dimensions and voltage. The only differences I found is the 74 bulb seems to be LED (not 100% sure) and is polarity specific. This site, Diode Dynamics, has a "Fitment" section that lists the 2721. I will know for sure once they come in and I try them. I will post the results.

 

[Broosedamoose]

So the LED 74 Bulbs I got from SuperBright.com fit perfect! I opted for the 3 LED bulb because they were actually cheaper and they look great! Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about the annoying Tire Pressure indicator. The whole cluster would need to be disassembled to get to it and it doesn't bother me enough to go through that hassle! So if someone wants to add this information to a tech bulletin or a sticky that would be good. Save some others the headache of searching for them.

 

[DILLARD000]

It appears
Sylvania#74 or Sylvania#906 or Sylvania#912 or Sylvania#2721
are all approx 18mmLong x 5mmWidth & all fit in a T5 WedgeBaseSocket;
difference between 74\906\912\2721 IncanBulbs is Wattage\Brightness or how HOT they burn, not their physical size.
An OhmMeter can be used to differentiat; HigherWatt Bulbs will have relatively lower Ohms across the filament.
Recommend using lowest watt IncanBulb that will do the job; the HiWatt bulbs will melt Sockets & surrounding plastics.
Each can be purchased as traditional IncanBulbs or 74LED\906LED\912LED\2721LED versions.
Be aware, some lamp circuits work properly with Bulbs, but will cause an LED to glow dim when it should be fully off.
And that some LEDs tend to flicker when dimmed.

 

[Broosedamoose]

It appears
Sylvania#74 or Sylvania#906 or Sylvania#912 or Sylvania#2721
are all approx 18mmLong x 5mmWidth & all fit in a T5 WedgeBaseSocket;
difference between 74\906\912\2721 IncanBulbs is Wattage\Brightness or how HOT they burn, not their physical size.
An OhmMeter can be used to differentiat; HigherWatt Bulbs will have relatively lower Ohms across the filament.
Recommend using lowest watt IncanBulb that will do the job; the HiWatt bulbs will melt Sockets & surrounding plastics.
Each can be purchased as traditional IncanBulbs or 74LED\906LED\912LED\2721LED versions.
Be aware, some lamp circuits work properly with Bulbs, but will cause an LED to glow dim when it should be fully off.
And that some LEDs tend to flicker when dimmed.

I can't confirm any other bulbs, but I can confirm that these work fine.

• Current Draw: 0.01 Amps (10mA)
• Operating Voltage: 10-16 VDC
• Operating Watts: 0.4

They do dim but not as much as the incandescent bulbs do. But they are not overly bright so there really isn't a need to dim them unless you prefer them to be darker. I plan on doing the HVAC panel next so it all matches my head unit. Then I'd like to add some vanity lights at some point also.