I need a used (new is too pricey lol) instrument cluster and I seem to have that one Ranger year there's no clear cut info on after searching. I got it out of the truck, I guess I'm asking will PATS be an issue or am I'm good to install myself at the house and not need Ford and Nasa involved? I don't know if it helps, but it starts without it in. I just thought it might maybe mean it won't be an issue if it starts without the cluster, trying to give as much info. I'm honestly clueless on all this since I've never had to swap something like this.

 

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Assuming you've got the 1995~2003 "PreHEC" InstrumentCluster similar to the pics below?
If so, it's easily swapped, compared to a 2004+Later HybridElectronicCluster that are each uniquely "married" to each PCM & difficult to swap.
Get the sub-version that you need: With\wOut TachoMeter, With\wOut 4WHi+4WLo Indicators.
Google "2003 Ford Ranger Instrument Cluster": RockAuto, Amazon, Ebay,...
What's wrong with your old Cluster? They need Cleaning+Lube, Sockets tightened, & Bulbs changed every ~100k Miles; tedious but do-able.
Click here for more info.

 

Actually, my old one exactly looks like that one, but with the silver trim. So that's a big load off me. I thought this was gonna be a major pain in the butt haha. I had been eyeballing one that was like this one for an Explorer sport trac and close to the part numbers as possible on the gauges their selves and where applicable. What's wrong? I believe age is just getting to it and not displaying correct values due to aging circuitry/caps etc etc. Sometimes it reads right, sometimes it doesn't. They're lubed. though they might have been sticking, but nope.