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Gauges don’t work in my 1988 Dakota HELP

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Old Dec 21, 2017 | 03:40 PM
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88dak
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Default Gauges don’t work in my 1988 Dakota HELP

So I’m driving home and I look down and realized none of my gauges were working. Coolant temp moves when I turn my fan on, none of he others work, gas gauge was almost full and now it reads almost empty, none respond when I turn the key or start it. Have to drive to work. Need some help lol I have extensive mechanical experience, so nothing’s a problem. Think a fuse is blown but not entirely sure
 
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Old Dec 21, 2017 | 10:49 PM
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Well, duh.

Check ALL the fuses.

After they prove good (if they do), pull the lower dash panel (the one under the steering column), and remove/reinstall ALL the ground wires (since that's the ground point for the instrument cluster).

After that, it's time to crack open the wiring diagrams in the factory service manual and make sure that you have 12V into, and a ground out of, the instrument cluster.

Do the dash lights work or no?

RwP
 
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Old Dec 22, 2017 | 09:11 AM
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Default fuse was loose

Originally Posted by RalphP
Well, duh.

Check ALL the fuses.

After they prove good (if they do), pull the lower dash panel (the one under the steering column), and remove/reinstall ALL the ground wires (since that's the ground point for the instrument cluster).

After that, it's time to crack open the wiring diagrams in the factory service manual and make sure that you have 12V into, and a ground out of, the instrument cluster.

Do the dash lights work or no?

RwP
Thanks a bunch Ralph but It’s fine now, the very top left fuse was loose which controls all of the dash. Make a note of that all 87-96 dam owners, fuses get loose fairly easy on these models.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2017 | 12:30 PM
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Heh. That's not the location for all 1987-1996 owners ...

By 1995, it had moved to position 6. Hence my advice to a) check ALL fuses, and b) check the wiring diagrams in the factory service manual.

I would presume yours is a 1988 due to your handle? That's position 13; bottom left if you lay to where you can see the numbers, but upper left if you just lay underneath there.

RwP
 
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