Instrument Clunster died

[k1ll.coyne]

I was driving about a week ago and I noticed I was going 0 MPH and my voltage was negative, oil pressure was through the roof, and my coolant and feul gauges stopped working. Beforehand my tachometer was out. My grandfather said it never worked for him. He got it straight from the factory/ lot. I got my tachometer to work for roughly 30 seconds by turning on my engine with my lights on and smaking my dash 3 times. It looks like it lags almost. So my speedometer/odometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, voltage gauge, fuel gauge, and coolant temp. They all went out including my check engine light and parking brake light. I was trying to fix my tachometer and then this happened. My dumbass forgot to disconnect the battery and it started sparking and I stopped after it sparked. I'm looking at it right now completely pulled out and the mother board looks teared at the bottom plug spot.

I checked some fuses I thought that would be connected to the instrument cluster. Any help would be awesome. If I cant fix this instrument cluster I found a digital dash for 60 bucks that plugs into obd2 port. I'm not sure it will work but i can return if it doesn't work. If it doesn't I found some individual gauges I'd rather install than a new cluster itself. I'd rather do that since I dont want to gamble 200-260 dollars and it not work and not be able to return it.

 

[RonD]

Welcome to the forum

You can get your 1995 owners manual here: https://www.therangerstation.com/manuals/

It will have a fuse layout and what fuses are for what devices

For the cluster its fuses 11, 15 and 25 in the Cab Fuse Box

Unfortunately the 1995 cluster is a one of a kind(wiring in cluster)
1996 to 2003 Ranger clusters are interchangeable, and they will fit and work fine in a 1995 but there are a few wires that need to be changed, moved around, all the wires you need are there just in different locations on the plug-ins

 

[k1ll.coyne]

Unfortunately the 1995 cluster is a one of a kind(wiring in cluster)

Is that because ford didn't know what they were doing with OBD2, and it was the 1st or 2nd year it was mandated?

I ended up wiring my own gauges, Im gonna have to find a way to ground out all of the wires im not using since it killed my battery when i left the instrument cluster unplugged and out. very scawy time.