Ford routes the shifter wires poorly and this causes a short. The fuse for the gauges blows out.
This is how I fixed my F250 gauges:
Ford routed the wires against a sharp bracket, and bent the wires sharply. That is a dumb idea for wires that need to be flexed all the time
Inspect the wires that run into the shifter, and if they are not broken, insulate them. If they are broken, you will really have to replace them. To insulate my wires, I sliced some 3/4 inch heat shrink open lengthwise with a razor blade, and I slid it around the wires. I did not shrink the tubing, I just taped the heat shrink in place with a layer of good tape like Scotch 44.
Next, I made sure I tucked the wire under the other wires, instead of bending it sharply like Ford did.
You can unplug plugs to get the wire laid correctly like this:
Tape the cover bracket edges up where the wire might rub. This will help prevent cutting the wire where it rubs the bracket.
Fit the bracket back and make sure everything moves freely. The wire to the shifter should slide in and out as the shifter is moved, instead of bending the wire all at one spot. Try to make sure the wire does not rub on anything sharp.
If you get better pictures let me know! Type this in and email me:
