Can we bully Ford into improving gauge cluster?

[bronco100]

Or at least allow us to change/customize it.

Firstly, the tachometer being a vertical bar is really annoying for those of us that drive manual. Every race/sports car has it as a horizontal bar or some type of horizontal gauge going from left to right as RPM's increase. Every typical stick shift car has it as of course an analog gauge. Either of those would be fantastic.

The fact there is TWO huge speedometers is such a waste of space. I've never looked at either of them.

The amount of useful information that we can have displayed is quite minimal mainly due to the fact that the speedometers take up like 60% of the panel.

Why do they allow certain parameters to be displayed as gauges and others not to be? For example we can see oil temp but not oil pressure which is perhaps much more important. And we can't see exact coolant temp? The old 80's Bronco's had that even. We are going backwards here... Can't see air/fuel ratio either? I am certain that the car has all this info so why is it keeping it from us?

They've already shown that they can make a dash screen that seems to be MASSIVELY better, with the new Ford Bronco Raptor digital gauge cluster. At the very least, that has a radial tachometer.

Maybe Ford could put out an update to at least have the GOAT modes affect the display more. So that when I switch to SPORT mode, I get more useful gauge info, a horizontal tachometer with shifting lights, etc. Like how the new GR86 does. All the Bronco does is just change some colors to red which is useless.

If you look through this forum it's pretty universally agreed that the gauge cluster needs a lot of improvement. And most agree it doesn't need a better chip, faster performance, or a bunch more features. It just needs a way better UI/UX that actually displays the info we want for the thing we are trying to do, and doesn't display the things that we don't care to see.

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[CheekyOldMan]

Can think of a dozen more important things Ford should be bullied into fixing.

 

[DriveAllNight]

I think someone over at Ford was trying to be innovative and others bought into it, whatever the situation, yup it was a swing and a miss. Although they seem to have figured it out and fixed it with the Raptor, so the only question is, and I already know the answer is no, will they change it on all the Broncos?

My guess, since they already have the software, and the UI developed it should be relatively painless, but I'd rather not hold my breath.

 

[NC_Pinz]

The only items I pay attention to on the cluster are the digital speedo and the temps are on the right hand side.

I still don't get folks focusing on the tach when they drive a manual. I guess some of us learned to drive manuals by feel, so a tach is next to useless unless you are hovering near redline.

 

[bronco100]

The only items I pay attention to on the cluster are the digital speedo and the temps are on the right hand side.

I still don't get folks focusing on the tach when they drive a manual. I guess some of us learned to drive manuals by feel, so a tach is next to useless unless you are hovering near redline.

I just don’t think there’s a lot of feel with the Bronco. Maybe if I put in some polyurethane engine mounts it would help. As it is the 2.3 engine is fairly quiet and soft. The feel of it is dampened through the chassis. And it’s not like I focus on the tach, it’s more of a peripheral thing. Which is great when you have a tach that’s easily read in your peripheral without actually having to look at it. The Bronco tach is very low contrast and you have to actually read the number to see what RPM you’re at.

 

[Garemlin]

If you have been paying attention you would see that Ford does not listen to customer complaints and requests and change accordingly.

Want to see an auto manufacturer that listens to it's customers?? Watch the Dodge Speed Weeks videos on YouTube. Amazing some of the things they are doing based on customer and owner feedback.

 

[cyxpack]

Or at least allow us to change/customize it.

Firstly, the tachometer being a vertical bar is really annoying for those of us that drive manual. Every race/sports car has it as a horizontal bar or some type of horizontal gauge going from left to right as RPM's increase. Every typical stick shift car has it as of course an analog gauge. Either of those would be fantastic.

The fact there is TWO huge speedometers is such a waste of space. I've never looked at either of them.

The amount of useful information that we can have displayed is quite minimal mainly due to the fact that the speedometers take up like 60% of the panel.

Why do they allow certain parameters to be displayed as gauges and others not to be? For example we can see oil temp but not oil pressure which is perhaps much more important. And we can't see exact coolant temp? The old 80's Bronco's had that even. We are going backwards here... Can't see air/fuel ratio either? I am certain that the car has all this info so why is it keeping it from us?

They've already shown that they can make a dash screen that seems to be MASSIVELY better, with the new Ford Bronco Raptor digital gauge cluster. At the very least, that has a radial tachometer.

Maybe Ford could put out an update to at least have the GOAT modes affect the display more. So that when I switch to SPORT mode, I get more useful gauge info, a horizontal tachometer with shifting lights, etc. Like how the new GR86 does. All the Bronco does is just change some colors to red which is useless.

If you look through this forum it's pretty universally agreed that the gauge cluster needs a lot of improvement. And most agree it doesn't need a better chip, faster performance, or a bunch more features. It just needs a way better UI/UX that actually displays the info we want for the thing we are trying to do, and doesn't display the things that we don't care to see.

Fingers crossed, there is a chance … there should be a graphics change when Ford moves to its next version of sync, they are moving to Google Android Automotive for their operating system (Ford currently use Blackberry QNX) . That change is supposed to happen sometime in 2023, hopefully it is early 2023!

 

[Evergreen]

Mine is manual as well, I keep it on the "Calm Screen" all of the time and really enjoy that. I'll flip through to other info as needed.

Horizontal tach would be a neat party trick in sport mode I guess. With it being a truck and not a sports car I'm not really that focused on the tach too much. The feedback you get while driving is enough to tell me where I'm at and when to shift.

Personally I'd be happy if they'd either go full analog or digital instead of the weird large screen with a shoehorned speedo combo. Then again I'm very happy with my current build and it would take a lot more than a refreshed gauge cluster to get me into a newer model year lol

 

[BigFootie]

The only items I pay attention to on the cluster are the digital speedo and the temps are on the right hand side.

I still don't get folks focusing on the tach when they drive a manual. I guess some of us learned to drive manuals by feel, so a tach is next to useless unless you are hovering near redline.

Sounds more like people that haven’t driven a manual complaining. My motorcycle doesn’t have one, not an issue. Only time I ever looked at it in the Escape is when I couldn’t remember going from 4th to 5th. That’s more an issue with Alzheimer’s than my dash.
I would have preferred a single round guage like in the first Gen. Or something a little more normal. This just seems odd but as my grandson says, grandpa, you are speeding, aren’t you looking at your speedometer? Nope!

Similar to the comments saying you can’t wheel using a manual. Clearly people that have never driven a manual when wheeling.

 

[Drafting_Monkey]

I wish the tach was where the speedo is. I always look at the digital speedometer anyway. Silly to have two.

 

[RHeinz]

Everyone has their own different opinion on what should be included and where it should be located. An acceptable consensus from this forum could never be reached. I’d bet Ford even has a problem reaching a consensus on this issue.

 

[RHeinz]

BTW, I like the “gauge display page”. It’s missing the engine cooling water temperature however. IMO, one of the most important engine monitoring points. We are left with only a rough bar graph. Seems like an oversight.

 

[Lifeliberty]

No

But you can ask nicely
(The answer will still be no)

I don't know of any precedent for this

 

[Jazer]

I like the digital screen personally.. but space could be utilized better if they got rid of the analog speedo. It's redundant.

The tach doesn't bother me. I have an auto, but I've always had manuals and my first was an old pickup that didn't even have a tach. I don't understand the need to focus on them so hard when the engine tells you what it wants. They probably just tried to be innovative but people don't do so well with change, lol.

 

[Squatch]

Sounds more like people that haven’t driven a manual complaining. My motorcycle doesn’t have one, not an issue. Only time I ever looked at it in the Escape is when I couldn’t remember going from 4th to 5th. That’s more an issue with Alzheimer’s than my dash.
I would have preferred a single round guage like in the first Gen. Or something a little more normal. This just seems odd but as my grandson says, grandpa, you are speeding, aren’t you looking at your speedometer? Nope!

Similar to the comments saying you can’t wheel using a manual. Clearly people that have never driven a manual when wheeling.

I ride 1-1.5 hrs in traffic at a time frequently and although I rarely look at my tach I prefer having it available. It helps when there's loud ambient noise like wind noise combined with freeway traffic. Some people check their pulse and BP when they work out and some people just check whether they have a heart attack or not.

It's not a debate over whose way is better. The lack of a decent tachometer on anything with a manual transmission and a customizable electronic display is absurd. It's not like demanding Ford have dedicated 3D scanning for brake rotor wear.

Wheeling a manual off-road is probably my biggest concern for the use of a tach because the skinny pedal breaks things. Also, who doesn't like to push near red lining it every now and then?

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