jfrayzier

(yesterday)

I purchased the guage cluster w/messaging center and the switch to install in my 2005 v6.

Should have been an easy install except that the wiring harness was missing everything having to do with the messaging center.

I'm going to attempt to contact Ford today but their computers are down. It is my opinion that the vehicle should have included the complete wiring harness that would be capable of supporting the factory options such as the upgraded guage cluster.

I have a manual transmission and they did include the wiring for the automatic transmission shifter... so why not for the cluster?

An easy way to tell if you have the wiring is to pop off the dummy buttons to the left of the power supply (which is to the left of the hazard light button) on the dash. If you have a connector attached to it, you're good to go.

I don't have it.

(update today)

Here is the latest information that I have...

I have spoken with parts managers at two different dealerships and both indicate that everything points to there being one single wiring harness for the Mustangs... both V6 and GT. The only difference being that the GT uses an additional harness to run the foglights from the fuse box under the hood to the front of the car.

The cluster and switch are said to be valid parts from 10/04-08/05. Basically, the entire life of the car.

The only difference with the wiring harness is that they changed harnesses on both the V6 and the GT on 4/19/05. My car was built on 4/15. However, both before and after that date on any given date, there was only one single harness for the vehicle and it supposedly supported the guage cluster with the messaging center.

My opinion, which is shared by both parts managers and my service manager, is that Ford should pay the bill to put the correct (or the rest of the) harness in my vehicle. But the service manager said he has to talk to his Ford representative first to see if they will do that. He said if they won't, and I still want the cluster bad enough, I'll have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

He said that since my vehicle didn't come with that cluster, the wiring is unnecessary. My opinion is that whether or not it is unnecessary is completely up to me, not them. If the parts catalog and the service manuals all indicate that the harness should be there, then I paid for it... whether it is used or not.

Just because I don't use cruise control doesn't mean that I don't have a right to have it fixed if it doesn't work, or even have it at all. I did pay for it.

My service manager did try to turn it around on me and make it look like I cost them a lot of money. He said that because they spent four hours on my car on Saturday that he had to work six people overtime and refund customers about $150 because their cars took so long.

I explained to him that the only reason it took so long is because their very own manuals and the guy on the Ford hotline indicated that the connector for the cluster should be there. Had their documentation matched the car, we would have been in and out of there, realizing that the connector wasn't there, in about 30 minutes. The only reason we took the dash apart, which is what took so much time, was because everything and everyone indicated that the connector must be there.... however, it was not.

I'll keep you all updated.

Martimus

Raising a fuss with Ford over this has several possible outcomes. There are likely many more outcomes than I can even conceive of. I'll include just a few that come to mind.

The first, and most acceptable for you, is that Ford will simply install the wiring harness in your ride and be done with it.

The second is that Ford could come back and say that retrofiting the IUP cluster is not appropriate and not supported. This would send the message to the dealers to effective stop ALL upgrades for all other customers. If Ford does this then its VERY possible that these actions could prevent anyone else from having their IUP cluster upgraded.

The third is that Ford could simply ignore the situation leaving you little option (if you want the cluster installed) but to retain a lawyer and file suit against them. Can you win this action against Ford? Maybe... but it'll take time and a LOT of money to do so.

jfrayzier

I doubt the second will happen. Ford makes money off of the upgrade and if the wiring is already there they have already spent money unnecessarily. I doubt that they will decide to stop all people from upgrading their clusters. If saving money is what they are out to do (read my next post below) then there is no way they'll do that.

jfrayzier

I got a call back from the service manager just before 9am this morning.

He said that he spoke with his Ford representative and that guy said that Ford stopped putting in certain parts of the harness based on the options that the car came with. He said it was a cost-saving idea.

He also suggested several times that if there were something wrong with my harness, that Ford would pay to have the full harness put into the car. Each time he made that suggestion, the service manager told him that there was nothing wrong with my harness. I guess all this nice guy from Ford can do is wink, but someone here has to take the bait. It seemed like he wanted to help.

Anyways, I have a meeting tomorrow morning with the Ford representative in person. I will let you all know how that goes.

teddybear1255

My car was built Feb 21.....still haven't heard a word from dealer about them installing cluster in mine. He was to check with Ford to see if it's possible.
Good luck with your adventure!!

jfrayzier

Well, I met with the representative from Ford today. It seemed like he had his mind made up before I even got there. I hate that I took an hour and a half off from work to even meet with him... the fact that I also spent half of a day over there on Saturday while they worked on something that wasn't the same as their documentation aggrivates me, too, but that's another story.

He said that adding the guage cluster to my vehicle is an unauthorized modification to the car and that he wasn't going to have any part of it.

At this point, the only way that I will get the wiring in my vehicle is if my harness goes bad, but I don't see how that would ever happen. However, if it did, I would get the full harness as a replacement.

Not sure what would be next. I guess I'll never get the instrument cluster.

jfrayzier

After some more digging, it looks like my wiring harness has a part number 4R3T-14401-BN. I'll bet those that have been successful in upgrading the guage cluster has part number 4R3T-14401-CN.

Realizing that it is a different harness by design certainly sheds some light on the situation. However, having been told by different sources and concluding from the wiring scematics that it is all there, it still does not change my opinion that it should be added to my vehicle.

WERKED 66

sound like you are not going to win this fight...now what do you do with the cluster that you purchased...if you could not upgrade the cluster then why would they allow you topurchase a upgraded clust does not make any sense..

sodaman

WEll all I know is that it has been recommended on here to check for the harness connector behind plug before ordering cluster. It had been stated that there are some that had attempted did not have cluster wiring after a certain date. I know 05stangkc had recommended this due to such a situation. good luck tho.

jfrayzier

Sodaman, I know what you're saying. Unfortunately, I never saw that post until a few days ago.

Not only did they allow me to purchase the cluster, it was my own parts department that purchased it for me. They also checked with the guys they order parts from and those guys said it would work.

Other than 05stangkc's post, everyone I talked to (at two different dealerships, online, and from reading technical scematics of the vehicle) indicated that it would work.

I had no problem getting the money back for the parts. I'm not out any money at this point, only a lot of time.

Badsnke98

Jack,

Too bad for you, reads like you handled it well. Oh well so did you inquire what it would cost to get the correct wires. Just curious, most likely an arm and leg.

teddybear1255

So sorry to hear of your troubles with the upgrade. Hope things will work out in your favor somehow.

jfrayzier

I hope so, too. The harness (the ONLY harness according to the parts system) is $352.80. The labor, at least a full day. UNLESS, I bought the harness and then just yanked apart the connector/wires that I need. That would be significantly less labor... but I still don't think it's my responsiblity to have to handle the harness at all. Just my opinion...

MrWick

I just looked behind the switch panel on my V6 because I wanted to have the new cluster put in and I don't have the correct wiring harness either,no wiring/plug.I bought my car last November so Ford has not been putting in a full harness in a long time.If you come up eith a resolution for your car let me know what it is.

Martimus

Actually thats not entirely correct Mr. Wick. My V-6 was built in November and it HAS the correct wiring harness though I've yet to take the time to get the IUP dash installed in it.

MrWick

Can I have your wiring harness if your not going to use it?Is it possible my cable is correct but the connector is hiding behind something.Has anyone found the tag on the harness that tells what the part number is.I did see in a note somewhere what the part numbers were but I may nose around under the dash to look for the tag.

jfrayzier

MrWick, it wouldn't be possible for him to give you his, even if he doesn't use it. The connector has wires that need to go all the way to the smart junction box as well as the back of the guage cluster connector. They are all part of one big wiring loom.

He would have to remove the entire loom from his vehicle and trade with you. However, if you are in the same boat as me, you're probably missing other parts of your loom, too.. which he will need on his vehicle.

It's a big mess if you ask me.

Trekkie

Bummer, I just got mine and I drove one with the upgraded dash and really was hoping I could do something to get the trip computer stuff in my V6. I'll have to pop off that area and look for some wires, but mine has 4/05 in the door so I'm guessing it was cost cut as well.

MrWick

I purchased the switch assembly last week in hopes of being able to figure out the wiring.I was going to use it as a switch panel to operate my fog lights,trunk release but the assembly isn't designed to do that.Has anyone purchased a car manual for the 05 yet or is there one even available.I would like to figure out what is missing from the harness on the V6's that can't install the new cluster.There are only 2 wires in the switch assembly that are available to operate the cluster.The 2 remaining wires in the assembly just power the leds that light up when the lights are turned on.I have to believe one of the available wires goes to the cluster and the other to the SJB.This is probably going to be a dumb statement How hard can that be to hook up if you had a wiring diagram.There has to be other stuff missing in the cost cutting cable harness.Oh well back to the drawing board.

jfrayzier

MrWick,

There are four wires coming from the C253 connector (the one that plugs into the Message Center switch). Two of them go to the guage cluster connector, one to the SJB, and one is to be grounded.