The roll out of module cloning services to our webstore has now begun! With that comes our first guide on how to find a replacement module for us to clone your original module into. Let's dive in!

Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Instrument Cluster Part Numbers Explained

Ford/Lincoln/Mercury(referred to just as "Ford" from this point forward) instrument cluster part numbers can seem pretty complicated to understand at a first, however with a few quick rules of thumb you can make sure that you're getting the correct parts for your vehicle every time. 

The first thing that you may notice is that Ford instrument clusters can either come with a 2 digit suffix, or a 3 digit suffix. We've come up with a pair of picture guides that help to break down each of these formats. Those guides are available for you below:

Year Code

This value tells us the model year of vehicle your instrument cluster was produced for. For example here are all of the year values for instrument clusters produced for model years between 2000-2026


1 - 2001
2 - 2002
3 - 2003
4 - 2004
5 - 2005
6 - 2006
7 - 2007
8 - 2008
9 - 2009
A - 2010
B - 2011
C - 2012
D - 2013
E - 2014
F - 2015
G - 2016
H - 2017
J - 2018
K - 2019
L - 2020
M - 2021
N - 2022
P - 2023
R - 2024
S - 2025

It's worth noting that there are some notable exceptions to year codes and their corresponding model years. You'll find these generally occur at the end of a model's life span right before it's updated. The most famous example of this is there are no 2007 year codes for instrument clusters for Ford F250/F350/F450/F550 pickup trucks. Instead all of the 2007 model year vehicles have instrument clusters with 2006 year codes on them.

Body Code

This value tells us which Ford vehicle this instrument cluster was produced for. Here are a list of most of the common body codes for Ford vehicles produced after 2000:

1E - Focus(2015-2018)
A1 - Nautilus
A8 - Flex
B5 - Explorer(2011-Present)
E8 - Fiesta
C2 - Econoline(E150/E250/E350/E450)
C3 - Superduty(F250/F350/F450/F550)/Excursion
C5 - Aviator
E5 - Fusion(2006-2012)
F2 - Freestar/Windstar
F9 - Freestyle/Taurus X
G1 - Taurus/Five Hundred
J5 - Escape(2013-2019)
J6 - Escape(2020-Present)
L1 - Expedition
L2 - Explorer(2001-2010)
L3 - F150
L7 - Navigator
L8 - Escape(2001-2012)
M5 - Focus(2000-2004, 2012-2014)
N1 - Ecosport
R3 - Mustang
S4 - Focus(2005-2011)
S7 - Fusion(2013-2020)
T4 - Edge

It's likely that the above list is far from exhaustive and is missing a few models. It should still serve as an example of the different body codes you may run into.

Factory Code

The factory code really only had a single notable digit. Otherwise any other value tells us it's the original instrument cluster as we can see:

Z - This instrument cluster was remanufactured by Ford in some capacity. It's worth noting that most Mustang SVT and Ford Raptor instrument clusters all have a Z for a Factory Code.

Module Code

The module code tells us what kind of module we're looking at. This is thankfully fairly simple as we're only looking at instrument clusters. However we've added a few other modules for sake of example:

10849 - Instrument Cluster
19C157 - Audio Control Module
12A650 - Powertrain Control Module
10A855 - Overhead Console Display
13D061 - Headlight Switch

Hardware Code

When we're looking to clone a module the Hardware Code is the most important piece of information we need. Hardware codes are randomly assigned each model year, meaning that you must first ensure that your year code is identical before looking at your hardware code. After we've ensured our year code is the same, matching our hardware code will ensure a compatible match for this instrument cluster in every case. 

You must be careful as the hardware code can either be 1 digit or 2 digits. In the case that the hardware code is 2 digits then both digits must match your original instrument cluster to ensure your replacement is compatible.

Software Code

Starting at A, this value is incremented each time there is a firmware update for this module. Often times modules that have been firmware updated after they've left the assembly line might not have a new sticker letting you know what the new software code is. Ideally matching the software code ensures you have identical firmware to your original unit. But in the majority of cases we're able to update the firmware of your replacement instrument cluster to match the firmware of your original instrument cluster.

FAQ:

Is it better to repair my original failed module or to seek to clone it into a replacement module?

Our technicians will always recommend repair except in extreme cases that neccesitate replacing your module. The reason for this is you'll often find that modules that fail will generally have the same common failure across all modules of that type. For example if you were to replace the instrument cluster on a 2005-2007 Ford F350 you can almost guarantee that the replacement instrument cluster will eventually experience the same failure that your original did. For this reason we always recommend repairing your original.

The reason that we offer module cloning services is we like to still give customers the option on how they want to proceed to get their vehicle fixed as cloning may work better than repair depending on the customer's unique situation.

Will you source the replacement module for me?

We only source replacement modules in the case that you've sent your module in for repair and it cannot be repaired for whatever reason. We won't source a module for cloning for you in any other case.

What if I found a replacement module that works in my vehicle but it isn't an exact part number?

This is an entirely possible scenario as ultimately sometimes Ford has allocated part numbers for instrument clusters based on purely aesthetic aspects such as the colour of your instrument cluster's trim pieces.

In this scenario we can generally still help to clone your module. You'll want to contact us and speak to one of our technicians to be on the safe side however.

Why are the cloning services different for different modules?

Modules are constructed in vastly different ways. This leads to modules having very different procedures that are required to be done in order to clone them. Rather than having a one size fits all price that would be higher as a result of us attempting to average out the cost of modules that had very involved disassembly steps, we instead chose to create pricing specifically for each module that reflected the difficulties of cloning that specific module. This option provides the best value for our customers and ensures they're paying a fair price for cloning services.

If my original instrument cluster doesn't work, are you still able to recover the data from it?

In 99.9999% of cases we're always able to recover the data from your original instrument cluster. We've recovered data from instrument cluster that have been on fire, have had catastrophic electrical failures that leave the circuit board burnt and blacked, have been pulled out of a swamp, and we've even recovered data from instrument clusters that have been shot by guns. More often than not we can recover your original instrument cluster's data. If you fall into the minority of cases where we are unable to recover your original data then our technicians will reach out to suggest a path forward to get you back on the road.

I've got a Ford(or any other make) of instrument cluster I want cloned but I don't see it on your website, can you still help me?

Yes we can! We're rolling out cloning services for modules that we most commonly see first. That means we likely have the capabilities to help you out but we just haven't got around to adding your module or instrument cluster yet. Please reach out and speak to our technicians to see if we can help you out.

I took my module to another place that does module cloning and they couldn't clone it. Would you still be able to help?

As we're one of the only companies in North America that not only offers module cloning but produces our own tools in house to perform module cloning we don't have the same limitations as other companies offering module cloning services. As we also repair modules we're often able to apply our vast knowledge of modules repairs to allow us to get past hardware faults that your original module may have experienced that are preventing the cloning of it.