99 Grand Caravan Intermittent Dead Dashboard
#1
04-14-2009, 09:42 AM
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99 Grand Caravan Intermittent Dead Dashboard
I have a 1999 Grand Caravan Sport 3.3L with intermittently dead dashboard instruments. Speedo, tach, gas gauge, odometer, etc. will just occasionally quit working. Problem is now becoming more frequent. Sometimes a slap on the top of the dashboard will restore operation, and sometimes turning engine off and re-cranking will fix it. Are there any common points of failure such as intermittnet connections that might help me locate this problem?
Thanks,
Oscar
Thanks,
Oscar
#2
04-27-2009, 04:18 PM
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I had this problem on mine it ended up being a connection to the heater controls in the center console. The problem would go away as long as the A/C was on. I have no idea what the relation is or why the heater controls would have anything to do with the dash panel but the connector was fried.
#4
05-02-2009, 11:20 AM
had the same problem in mine. actually drove around with a dead dash for about nine months b4 i got around to fixing it (gps as speedometer and mileage 
). I had a loose connection at one of the connection pins on the back of the instrument cluster. A little solder later and the wife was happy.
). I had a loose connection at one of the connection pins on the back of the instrument cluster. A little solder later and the wife was happy.
#5
05-15-2009, 12:34 PM
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Thanks much for the replies to my problem, which is getting progressively more frequent (several times a day). I suspect it is a bad connection that would just need cleaning or re-soldering. Any good advice on how to get to the connection points? How do I go about disassembling the dashboard to get to the necessary places on the instrument cluster? Just general instructions would be fine.
Thanks again,
Oscar
Thanks again,
Oscar
#6
05-15-2009, 08:34 PM
You take out the instrument panel (IP) by taking out the several screws you can see around it. IIRC, you tilt the wheel down as far as it goes and the IP barely squeezes out between the dash and steering wheel. You need to disconnect the harness at the back of the IP before you can take it out (wires not very long), so small arms and hands are good.
Bad connections at the back of the IP can be the cause, as well as other connectors in the system. In my case, the problem was caused by a bad circuit board inside the IP so I had to get an IP from a junkyard. I only paid about $25 for it.
Bad connections at the back of the IP can be the cause, as well as other connectors in the system. In my case, the problem was caused by a bad circuit board inside the IP so I had to get an IP from a junkyard. I only paid about $25 for it.
#7
05-26-2009, 12:43 PM
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First, thanks for all the help here.
I had intermittent problems with my instrument cluster where it would go totally dead, and I could slap the top of the dashboard to the left of the instrument cluster, and it would come back to life for a while. It got increasingly more frequent, and a few days ago it died totally, and no amount of mechanical shock would restore it.
So I decided to remove the cluster and see if I could fix it. The instrument cluster has a connector soldered to the printed circuit board which the wiring harness plugs into. I found the solder joint on one of the pins on this connector was totally broken loose. I resoldered this pin, and for good measure, while I had the cluster out, I re-soldered all the connector pins as well as any other questionable connections on other parts of the board. This has fixed the problem for me, at least so far. For over a week, it has worked flawlessly, while previously it would go out several times a day.
Getting to the instrument cluster turned out to be not all that difficult. You have to remove several (3 as I recall) pieces of the dashboard panels starting from under the steering wheel. Look carefully to make sure you have removed all necessary screws for each panel. One the left side of one panel, there is a heater vent that has to be removed, It just snaps out, but you have to pull kind of hard. There are screws behind this vent.
There are also some wiring harness plugs to remove on one panel that go to the mirror adjustment switches and light switch. There is a small panel that covers the area between the steering wheel and the instrument cluster. This panel as well one other panel has screws and clips that hold it in place.
When you have exposed the instrument cluster, there are 4 screws, 2 on each side, that hold the cluster in place. Remove these screws, and pull the cluster forward. It is a tight fit, and you have to twist it slightly to get to the back side where you can unplug the wiring harness. There is a clip arrangement on the connector, so look it over to figure out how to release it.
The gear shift lever will have to be moved out of park and down toward drive to get the room needed to get to the cluster. One of the dashboard panels also needed to have the gear shift lever moved in order to twist it up and out of the way.
There are several screws that hold the printed circuit board to the back of the instrument cluster. Remove these screws and one ribbon cable connector that connects this board to another board that is farther forward. Remove the pc board to gain acccess to the back side where the solder connections are located.
This is a frustrating problem, but in my case at least, I was able to fix it in about an hour and 30 minutes start to finish.
I had intermittent problems with my instrument cluster where it would go totally dead, and I could slap the top of the dashboard to the left of the instrument cluster, and it would come back to life for a while. It got increasingly more frequent, and a few days ago it died totally, and no amount of mechanical shock would restore it.
So I decided to remove the cluster and see if I could fix it. The instrument cluster has a connector soldered to the printed circuit board which the wiring harness plugs into. I found the solder joint on one of the pins on this connector was totally broken loose. I resoldered this pin, and for good measure, while I had the cluster out, I re-soldered all the connector pins as well as any other questionable connections on other parts of the board. This has fixed the problem for me, at least so far. For over a week, it has worked flawlessly, while previously it would go out several times a day.
Getting to the instrument cluster turned out to be not all that difficult. You have to remove several (3 as I recall) pieces of the dashboard panels starting from under the steering wheel. Look carefully to make sure you have removed all necessary screws for each panel. One the left side of one panel, there is a heater vent that has to be removed, It just snaps out, but you have to pull kind of hard. There are screws behind this vent.
There are also some wiring harness plugs to remove on one panel that go to the mirror adjustment switches and light switch. There is a small panel that covers the area between the steering wheel and the instrument cluster. This panel as well one other panel has screws and clips that hold it in place.
When you have exposed the instrument cluster, there are 4 screws, 2 on each side, that hold the cluster in place. Remove these screws, and pull the cluster forward. It is a tight fit, and you have to twist it slightly to get to the back side where you can unplug the wiring harness. There is a clip arrangement on the connector, so look it over to figure out how to release it.
The gear shift lever will have to be moved out of park and down toward drive to get the room needed to get to the cluster. One of the dashboard panels also needed to have the gear shift lever moved in order to twist it up and out of the way.
There are several screws that hold the printed circuit board to the back of the instrument cluster. Remove these screws and one ribbon cable connector that connects this board to another board that is farther forward. Remove the pc board to gain acccess to the back side where the solder connections are located.
This is a frustrating problem, but in my case at least, I was able to fix it in about an hour and 30 minutes start to finish.
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#8
07-10-2009, 05:33 PM
#9
08-02-2009, 09:24 PM
I had the same problem except when my guages went dead my ABS lite came on too. So I took the above advice and tore the IP apart. Couldn't find any obvious problem- broken pins, loose solder joints etc so I cleaned all the contacts, applied silicon dielectric grease and reinstalled. Worked fine for about a week and then the guages went dead again. ABS lite back on too.
It occurred to me that when this happened previously and this week too after the van was left outside and a rainstorm occurred. After it sat in the garage for a day the guages came back on and they were fine today.
Is there an electrical block somewhere that might be getting doused with water and causing a malfunction? Perhaps an ABS sensor? Is there a chance that a drainage tube for the windshield is blocked and this water is overflowing into a connector.
If so where is this drain tube on the firewall. I couldn't see one.
Thanks for any advice
John
It occurred to me that when this happened previously and this week too after the van was left outside and a rainstorm occurred. After it sat in the garage for a day the guages came back on and they were fine today.
Is there an electrical block somewhere that might be getting doused with water and causing a malfunction? Perhaps an ABS sensor? Is there a chance that a drainage tube for the windshield is blocked and this water is overflowing into a connector.
If so where is this drain tube on the firewall. I couldn't see one.
Thanks for any advice
John
#10
08-05-2009, 12:29 PM
