hi there

i have a 1998 durango, in my infinite foolishness, i connected a new battery opposite (red to black and so forth) than i should have. because the battery was poorly labeled, i did not notice my mistake but i wondered why i kept popping the 140 amp alternator fuse. i finally discovered my mistake, but only after accidentally bypassing the fuse with a screw that i dropped. after installing the battery correctly, i realized that all my intsruments on my panel would just go from 0 to about halfway back and forth and do not read correctly at all. also my stereo and horn have ceased to function. i have been driving like this for a few months now, and am planning on buying a used instrument cluster off ebay. before i do though. im wondering if there is some other control module that i could have destroyed or if the instrument cluster is the right thing to replace. if you have any information on this it would be very helpful seeing as the chilton repair manual is fairly worthless.

thankyou-remington

 

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I doubt the voltage caused anything that reached up to the console/instrument cluster. I wouldn't spend my money on a replacement just yet. With that said, it could and most likely damaged any number of components under the hood. I "think" the CTM or PCM may be controlling the gauges. Someone else will chime in with more info. My guess is that something there has been stricken.

Good luck.

IndyDurango

 

CTM strait up........

 

+2 on CTM possilby fried.

 

btw does anybody know if buying a refurbished one off of ebay is a good/ bad idea?

 

Well you could do it, but you have to take it to the factory to have your VIN# and such flashed into it. You might be able to find one that an be pre-flashed for you but I don't know about them. I know that you can order a pre-flashed PCM but known on the CTM.

I would insure that it works and you buy from a company or go to your local bone yard.