Dash lights flickering

HIAWATHA_MAN

MEMBER
2004 FORD F-150
4.2L
6 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
206,000 MILES

My issue has two parts. Part one: The issue I am having is my dash lights will start flickering and my gauges will stop working while I am driving down the road. They will start working ten to fifteen seconds later. Part two: when I go the start my truck the dash lights will flicker, gauges do not move, the truck will turn over but shuts off two seconds later. I know your thinking alternator or battery but the kicker is I can give the dash a hammer fist and it all starts working. What do you think the problem is? I have a video but it is too large to upload.

2 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
42,895 POSTS

On the dash lights and gauges it sounds like you have a bad connection at the instrument cluster. I would remove the cluster and unplug it, then plug it back in again, this should clean the connections and make it work again.

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken

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Wednesday, August 30th, 2017 AT 12:24 PM

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
12,967 POSTS

I would also check the fasteners used to secure the dash to the truck. Those are part of the ground circuit and if they are corroded/loose they will cause a lot of headaches. The easy way to test this is to find a piece of the metal in the dash and run a wire from it to a clean bare spot on the body or straight to battery negative. If the issue goes away it is a bad ground.

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Wednesday, August 30th, 2017 AT 3:13 PM