At work weve got an 02 F250 Lariat CC, and the overhead console has gone out. I looked in the owner's manual, and there was no fuse listed for the overhead console. Is there anything that I can do to fix it, or should we just go out and buy a new one?


Thanks.

 

Apparently its a common problem for the chips inside to come loose. I read one member on here had removed the curcuit board and taken it to an electronics repair place to have it resoldered.

 

Thanks for the reply. How do I go about removing the console to get a better look inside? Is it held on by screws, or clamps, or both?


Thanks.

 

Here is the process to remove and repair the overhead console in your truck. Click on the red links for detailed photos.

First, you must remove the outer shell (colored to match the interior of your truck). There are five tension clips that hold the shell in place. Begin by pulling downward (I just use my fingers to prevent damage) on the front (toward windshield) of the shell. You must pull VERY hard - it feels like it will break, but has never happened to me, and I've done a few now.

Once the front two tension clips pop loose, you must release two "L" shaped tension clips that lock into the storage compartment. You can BARELY see the tips of the clips when looking inside the compartment. Use a flat head screwdriver or similar tool to push out on the clips until they release. I've also tried reaching above the outer shell to pull on these clips (rather than pushing from inside the storage compartment), but my hands are too big.

Once these two are released, there is one final tension clip on the rear that comes off fairly easily.

Next, you will see the black inner shell. First, unplug the wire harness on the passenger side of the unit. Next, you must again pull from the front (toward the windshield) with force to release two additional tension clips. Finally, tilt the unit downward to release the "L" bracket at the rear (the "L" shaped bracket slides into a hole in the roof - no pulling required).

Once you have the unit out, remove the circuit board from the inner shell by removing the three torx screws (I believe they are 8mm but I can't recall).

Once the circuit board is removed, locate the 7 chips on the circuit board behind the display. They are labeled 620 and 680. The two I most often find loose are the two in the center directly behind the display - but check them all. Once the loose chips are located, re-attach them using a soldering pen (DO NOT USE A SOLDERING GUN AS THEY ARE TOO HOT AND MAY DAMAGE THE CIRCUIT BOARD). If there is not sufficient solder already in place (often the case for me), add additional solder as needed.

Now test the display by plugging in just the board in your truck and turn the key. If all works, put the board back on the inner shell and then replace the inner shell and plug in the wire harness. Then snap the outer shell in place and enjoy!

Check out my gallery for additional photos. If you find the chips are not the problem and the board is actually dead, check out ebay or similar locations to find a better deal than the $500 the dealer wants. I've never had luck at scrap yards, but you might try those also. Finally, if you really can't find one, drop me a message and I'll see if I have any left from prior bulk purchases made prior to discovering the above repair procedure.

Let me know if you have additional questions and good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply....I'll look at the truck tomorrow.

 

Well, after some time, I got the console down, and jiggled on the power cord, and the display came on. The only problem now is that whenever I start the truck, the display stays off until i disconnect and reconnect the power cord. It did that for a while, then started to work normally. I did notice that the circuit board was extemely cold, so Im thinking that the cold weather might have something to do with it. I'll leave it in the truck for a few days, to see if it keeps working. If it is the cold weather, what would be a good way to insulate the circuit board?

Thanks.

 

Hmmmm . . . I would think that the cold would actually be a good thing for the circuit board (all the PC server rooms I've ever been inside are generally kept extremely cold - but maybe that is just to compensate for the heat output).


In any case, I would check the solder connections at the wire harness plug on the circuit board. If you don't find anything, you can also test the cold theory by taking the circuit board inside for the night and then plugging it in the next morning (or better still, if you have the option, park the truck in a heated garage for the night or a few hours and see what happens on start-up).

If all else fails, you may actually just have a bad circuit board - so head off to the local salvage yard or ebay and look for a used unit (probably around $200).

Good luck - keep us posted/.

 

Computer server rooms are temp and humidity control for computers and electronics that are already up to operating temprature and stay on constant. Electronics that are powered up from a electronic "cold state" in a cold temp enviroment like a vehicle in winter weather, can have problems.

Hootbro

 

It is too late to edit my original post, so here is the whole thing again, but with a few clarifications as a result of questions and comments from other users. Hope this helps!

BEGIN REPAIR PROCEDURE:
Here is the process to remove and repair the overhead console in your truck. Click on the red links for detailed photos. The blue links are adds from FTE sponsors (check them out too for great stuff).

First, you must remove the outer shell (colored to match the interior of your truck). There are five tension clips that hold the shell in place. Begin by pulling downward (I just use my fingers to prevent damage) on the front (toward windshield) of the shell. You must pull VERY hard - it feels like it will break , but has never happened to me, and I've done a few now.

Once the front two tension clips pop loose, you must release two "L" shaped tension clips that lock into the storage compartment. You can BARELY see the tips of the clips when looking inside the compartment. Use a flat head screwdriver or similar tool to push out on the clips until they release. I've also tried reaching above the outer shell to pull on these clips (rather than pushing from inside the storage compartment), but my hands are too big.

Once these two are released, there is one final tension clip on the rear that comes off fairly easily.

Next, you will see the black inner shell. First, unplug the wire harness on the passenger side of the unit. Some people do not remove the large inner plastic housing – they just remove the display and small plastic display housing by removing the three 10mm torx screws. If you decide to remove the large inner plastic housing, you must again pull from the front (toward the windshield) with force to release two additional tension clips. Finally, tilt the unit downward to release the "L" bracket at the rear (the "L" shaped bracket slides into a hole in the roof - no pulling required).

Once you have the large inner plastic housing out (if you go this route), you must still remove the display and small plastic display housing (with the E/M and MODE buttons) from the inner shell by removing the three 10mm torx screws.

Whether you remove the large inner black plastic housing or not, once the small plastic display housing is removed via the three torx screws, you will find one more 10mm torx screw on the back side buried in the black foam padding. You do not need to remove the black foam padding, just insert your torx bit in the hole and turn the screw. The circuit board will now release from the black plastic display housing.


Once the circuit board is removed, locate the 7 chips on the circuit board behind the display. They are labeled 620 and 680. The two I most often find loose are the two in the center directly behind the display - but check them all. Once the loose chips are located, re-attach them using a soldering pen (DO NOT USE A SOLDERING GUN AS THEY ARE TOO HOT AND MAY DAMAGE THE CIRCUIT BOARD). If there is not sufficient solder already in place (often the case for me), add additional solder as needed.

I purchased a 15W Soldering Pen/iron from Radio Shack for about $7 (part 64-2051) and it worked fine. I also purchased some .015 silver solder for a dollar or two - very thin and easy to work with. I recommend you check and re-solder all the chips so you don't need to do this again next month!

Now test the display by plugging in just the board in your truck and turn the key. If all works, put the board back on the inner shell and then replace the inner shell and plug in the wire harness. Then snap the outer shell in place and enjoy!

Check out my gallery for additional photos. If you find the chips are not the problem and the board is actually dead, check out ebay or similar locations to find a better deal than the $500 the dealer wants. I've never had luck at scrap yards, but you might try those also. Finally, if you really can't find one, drop me a message and I'll see if I have any left from bulk purchases made prior to discovering the above repair procedure.

Let me know if you have additional questions and good luck!

 

Where is a good place to get a replacement (color matched) external console. I have managed to break all of the compartment doors on my 03 CC.

 

ebay has always worked best for me. I have several tan consoles, but they are the older style with a single opening - no doors.


Good luck!

 

I guess i should have specified overhead console!

Any 3rd party replacements out there?

 

I looked on my chip board and noticed that one of my chips is not there. No where to be found. Where can I get one of those, or can I?

 

Check out this link from a previous post, or you can also search "overhead console" to find more info. I used this link and fixed mine http://www.forgotton.net/diesel/tri...rfix/index.html Good Luck!!

 

Red, I read where a 620 chip is a 62 ohm resistor and a 680 chip is a 68 ohm. You can get these at radio shack although they will be cylindrical in shape rather than flat. They are bi-directional so no worries how you install them. I also recommend getting the 15watt soldering pen to perform this repair. check out the photo gallery by Miescha . Keep us posted.