98 caravan wont start unless, flashing dash

cryglory · #1 09-27-2009, 10:12 PM

so i recently bought this 98 caravan se, i think it is a lemon... but my wife and i saved up for it and we have no other money.. which sucks... but here is the problem

the speedometer and other meters... like the gas gauge and the tacometer work some times.... they work one day of the week and then dont. the abs light and the check engine soon light is on. I pulled the black/negative battery cable to see if it would reset the meters but it didnt.

later that night my wife and i started the car first try no problem.... (that was last night) and today its not cranking or turning over, if i unplug the negative battery cable it allows me to start and drive... there are 4 dash lights (rear wipers and climate buttons) flashing simotanesouly. when i drive it... it starts perfect right when i turn it off, turn it back on... off on.... but if i wait for a while... it does this whole stuff again..

like i said... we have... 0 money to put in it and we need a vechile real real bad..... HELP!

thanks

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TJeepman · #2 10-01-2009, 03:19 PM

Sounds like power problems, most likely the battery or related to the battery (loose terminals, bad terminals, bad cables, etc). When the battery is down or not providing steady, clean current, the elecronics, relays, or whatever, don't function as they should and power (current) isn't properly controlled. The wipers could operate without the switch being on or the dash gages go beserk, for examples. The "haunted vehicle syndrome" has struck just in time for Halloween.
Could be something else, but this is an easy one to check. Do you have a good battery available from another vehicle to try and compare? If your battery is over 5 years old I would consider it "the smoking gun".

22dodge · #3 10-01-2009, 05:14 PM

the WHOLE problem is soooo common. the circuit board solder joints fail on the cluster. it's less than an hr job to remove, fix and install. or just go JY and get a used cluster.

do a search on Gen3 cluster problems... even on this board you'll find tons of postings.

TJeepman · #4 10-01-2009, 05:46 PM

If your battery and related terminals are fine, then the instrument cluster circuit board, as mentioned in the previous Post, is the likely cause. Some pound on the dash to wake the circuits up.

cryglory · #5 10-02-2009, 10:46 AM

would that turn on the abs and service engine soon light?

shelbydaytona · #6 10-02-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cryglory

would that turn on the abs and service engine soon light?

i went to tech school for auto mech and i really like to research prob. from what i can find on this subject from like iatn and minivan webs seems that it only effects the cluster since the cel and abs are on the dash and not in the cluster. seems solder joints are the issue i havnt seen this cuz im not actually working as a tech but thats what im finding in the minivan world