OK. Spring is here and hope to get the GT out soon here in the north country. Only problem is I know my Tach isn't working. Does anyone know if the problem will be fixed? Would like to replace with original style if possible. I can't believe Ford will sell us the same faulty original gauges. I would think their suppliers would have found the remedy by now since other (speed huts') are not having the same problem. I know it is a common problem but not much talk about it lately. Thanks for any input
Any news on gauge failures?
- Thread starter Gene Cassone
- Start date
tmcphail
GT Owner/Vendor
At this point I think anyone with a gauge failure, or a sleepless night worrying about one, should go to the Speedhut solution. As a permanent answer or a temporary fix you can't beat the cost, quality or simplicity of solving a problem with no other obvious solution. I had two bad gauges and am very satisfied with the Speedhut replacements.
GT35065
GT Owner
My tach quit functioning two years ago and I have the stock replacement but have been afraid to install. I'll probably put the speedhut cluster in and just save the stock guages. I have to admit I am still pissed about these guages. Clearly not a simple fix when after all these years, there is still no definitive answer. Good thing the car is so damn good on so many other aspects.
MAD IN NC
Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Takes less than 30 min to change the Tach. More time is spent blue taping than anything else..... If you got it -use it! Use the search function to find the threads.
With Rich and Dennis showing up in a month have them do it......
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texas mongrel
GT Owner
Hmmm
now that I have another toy, my GT has not been driven for about three weeks. Note that I don't use a battery tender. So, today I decided I needed to blow the cobwebs off the GT; got in, started up and both Tach and Speedo not functioning, plus check engine light illuminated. Cranking the engine over the starter motor sounded slightly slower than if I'd driven it the day before, but not much - the battery was by no means drained. Anyway, drove for about 15 miles and stopped. When I re-started everything was back to normal. I'm therefore assuming that the gauge problem is related to input voltage? Is there a correlation of permanently-defunct gauges with cars that aren't regularly driven? I don't know, but this experience is giving me the incentive to (A) drive it more often, or (B) start using the battery tender.
now that I have another toy, my GT has not been driven for about three weeks. Note that I don't use a battery tender. So, today I decided I needed to blow the cobwebs off the GT; got in, started up and both Tach and Speedo not functioning, plus check engine light illuminated. Cranking the engine over the starter motor sounded slightly slower than if I'd driven it the day before, but not much - the battery was by no means drained. Anyway, drove for about 15 miles and stopped. When I re-started everything was back to normal. I'm therefore assuming that the gauge problem is related to input voltage? Is there a correlation of permanently-defunct gauges with cars that aren't regularly driven? I don't know, but this experience is giving me the incentive to (A) drive it more often, or (B) start using the battery tender.
I always had a battery tender on when not using the car . Tach went And soon will start the car for the spring and would not be surprised if other gauges go!!. Dave was looking for a solution by taking some of the malfunctioning gauges to be tested but that was quite some time ago. If I know there is no solution well then fine and I will buy speed hut replacements for now and purchase a Ford tach for the future knowing the day I put it in will be the day I will sale the car (though I am not planning on it now, Love the car otherwise)
Sorry Gene, I put a call in today. I was told they'd see what the status was. I know they were working on it because I've seen the pictures of the gauges in the lab. Sorry, but that's all I have to report for now. I'll try and start harassing people tomorrow but it's an uphill battle.
Mongrel, I will say that when Camilo, Jeff Larson, Ralphie and Myself were at the GT Guys barn discussing the gauges, between the 4 of us, we'd driven nearly 200,000 miles in GTs and never had a bad gauge.
Mongrel, I will say that when Camilo, Jeff Larson, Ralphie and Myself were at the GT Guys barn discussing the gauges, between the 4 of us, we'd driven nearly 200,000 miles in GTs and never had a bad gauge.
texas mongrel
GT Owner
Wwabbit
GT Owner
Thanks Dave for your input. We may have something here! My tach went on the first day after a long winter storage last year!! (on a battery tender).
MTV8
GT Owner
jbyrnes
FORD GT OWNER
It could be helpful as owners and to Ford to get a count of the failures that the Forum members have experienced. Could a moderator set up a thread with "voting" buttons for each gage?
hollywoodstunts
GT Owner
Mongrel, I will say that when Camilo, Jeff Larson, Ralphie and Myself were at the GT Guys barn discussing the gauges, between the 4 of us, we'd driven nearly 200,000 miles in GTs and never had a bad gauge.[/QUOTE]
Not sure I understand the relevance of mentioning four people with no failures, when GT owners are in the middle of a gauge failure epidemic. The problem is so bad that an aftermarket company has started manufacturing replacement gauges.
The GT is an amazing car with gauges that suck. It would be great if the manufacturer would take the initiative and find a solution. But that's not going to happen as long as excuses like, "Well these four people haven't had any failures" are being tossed around.
I have replaced faulty gauges only to have the replacements fail. I want stock gauges that work. The aftermarket gauges look amazing, but I'm a stock guy. I like the stock look. Is a gauge that costs $1500 supposed to fail twice? No, it's not supposed to fail once. But I have three busted gauges.
As the saying goes, "Houston, we have a problem." The 1st step in finding a solution is acknowledging there's a problem. Sticking heads in sand only works for ostriches.
For the record, I have two failed tachometers and a failed fuel gauge.
Not sure I understand the relevance of mentioning four people with no failures, when GT owners are in the middle of a gauge failure epidemic. The problem is so bad that an aftermarket company has started manufacturing replacement gauges.
The GT is an amazing car with gauges that suck. It would be great if the manufacturer would take the initiative and find a solution. But that's not going to happen as long as excuses like, "Well these four people haven't had any failures" are being tossed around.
I have replaced faulty gauges only to have the replacements fail. I want stock gauges that work. The aftermarket gauges look amazing, but I'm a stock guy. I like the stock look. Is a gauge that costs $1500 supposed to fail twice? No, it's not supposed to fail once. But I have three busted gauges.
As the saying goes, "Houston, we have a problem." The 1st step in finding a solution is acknowledging there's a problem. Sticking heads in sand only works for ostriches.
For the record, I have two failed tachometers and a failed fuel gauge.
You don't understand the relevance because you took it out of context and in doing so completely missed the point. Let's see if I can clear it up for you.
Texas Mongrel said:
Here, Texas Mongrel wonders aloud if there is a correlation between bad gauges and cars that don't get driven regularly.
DBK said:
Here, I address Mongrel's hypothesis by showing where 4 people that have owned 6 high mileage GTs all had no bad gauges. The cars referenced had ~80,000, ~40,000, ~32,000, ~30,000, ~25,000 and ~22,000 miles. Maybe Texas Mongrel is correct and there is some correlation between cars that sit and gauges that go bad. It's at least worth investigating if there is a relationship between regular use and gauge reliability to determine the cause of why they are going bad.
Hopefully this clears up the relevance of mentioning the 4 people with no failures for you.
I've collected bad gauges every chance I get. I've taken them, by hand, to the SVT office in Allen Park. I've taken them, by hand, to the director of SVT's house. I've probably called, emailed and texted about it a couple hundred times. I've collected as much data as I can and given it to them. I've tried to suggest ways to SVT and FCSD on how they can address the situation. Considering I don't have any bad gauges, it should be pretty obvious what my motivation is. I guess this qualifies as "sticking heads in sand."
texas mongrel
GT Owner
Guys, my hypothesis comes strictly from personal experience: for the last three years I've driven the car pretty much every day and not had gauge issues of any kind. Then, when I leave it sitting for three weeks the car suddenly has a bad tach and speedo. Furthermore, when I drive it enough to put a good charge back into the car, the gauges spring to life. My conclusion therefore is simply that cars that don't get driven much are more likely to develop bad gauges. I don't know how to prove this (maybe the poll could include frequency of driving/ length of storage?) but in the words of Monty Python " this is my theory,....and its mine"
" My conclusion therefore is simply that cars that don't get driven much are more likely to develop bad gauges."
I think the above Quote is spot on!!
I have been very diligent about keeping my car on a battery tender, BUT the one time i didn't, and the car sat, i had a failure.
Now granted cars of all sorts seam to be able to sit without having to be so careful of the battery. But the Ford Gt, I will just have to keep driving it and
remember to keep the battery up to par.
I think the above Quote is spot on!!
I have been very diligent about keeping my car on a battery tender, BUT the one time i didn't, and the car sat, i had a failure.
Now granted cars of all sorts seam to be able to sit without having to be so careful of the battery. But the Ford Gt, I will just have to keep driving it and
remember to keep the battery up to par.
IMO it may be related to storage time and non driving. I have had two gauges go. My tach most recently. I had my first ever dead battery just weeks before the tach failed, and had to put my car on a charger for the fist time ever. The battery being dead did puzzle me as I just replaced the original last fall and I try and run the car at least once every four weeks through the winter.
It's a pain in the ass with this issue but cost of ownership is still way cheap!! Ford should just make sure the gauges are available and affordable.
It's a pain in the ass with this issue but cost of ownership is still way cheap!! Ford should just make sure the gauges are available and affordable.
I'm not sure about the others driving habits (Camillo, Jeff and Dave), but my car is usually stored from November 1 through May 31, albeit with one of Kendalls battery tenders.
My belief is that the there is a faulty reproductive process that was used in the manufacture, perhaps a vapor deposition circuit, that is failing in some of the gauges, whereas others received the desired processing.
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