97 Ford Aerostar - instrument panel bulbs 1/2 are dead?

Question

97 Aerostar, analogue guages. The instrument cluster has lost its illumination (ie bulbs are dead?) from the centre to the right edge.

I pulled the cluster forward enough to get at the peanut bulbs and changed all 12 of them and put everything back together. NO change ie the right hand side of the cluster still has NO illumination. The fuse (5v) powers the entire dash illumination and has continuity...

so...anybody seen this one before?

BTW - I couldn't get the plastic knob off the headlight switch - there seems to be some type of spring loaded clip (visible thru the notch in the knob). How do I remove the headlight switch knob?

Thanks to any responders!

Jim Warman · Accepted Answer

For the cluster bulbs.... my first thought would be a bad printed circuit. Not a common problem, but it does happen. There is no satifactory method of repair that I know of.... replacement required.

The headlight knob... the litle tab you see through the notch needs to be "pulled" towards you as you pull the knob off the shaft.... I use an appropriately shaped seal pick BUT, if the pick slips, there is a real good chance that everyone in earshot will hear about it. Work carefully, it is easy to damage the knob where the clip fits in.... even though replacement knobs are cheap, many DIYers seem to practice the fine art of myopia and glue the things back on with cyanoacrylate.... never to be removed again...... ever.

97 Ford Aerostar - instrument panel bulbs 1/2 are dead?

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