Sorry if this is a repeat post, but i'm not paying 700 to Dodge for their mechanics to fix something.
Woke up the other morning and my instrument panel was not working, no speed, oil, gas, temp, no tach nothing..took the truck to AAA car care center and they said that it was probably the circuit boards and they couldn't fix it because the new ones would have to be calibrated to my truck.

What can I do to fix this problem myself...just replace the instrument panel and get some shop to calibrate the gauges or do i have to suck it up and head to the Dodge Dealer?

Thanks Dan
2000Dodge Ram 1500 Sport 5.2

 

No bus refers to the data communication between the pcm and several other modules behind the dash including the cluster control. It could be the pcm, any of the other modules, or just a loose wiring harness. The best thing to do if you are trying to save a buck is to try and get your hands on the service manual and refer to that section. It will show you the locations of the different modules so you can check connections and data transfer. The manualwas no longer linked from this site last time I checked. You could try pm'ing Steve05Ram360 and see if he can get it to you.

You can also go to an auto parts store that has a scanner or code reader. If you can plug it in to the obd2 port and get something, that will atleast tell you that you have data coming out of the pcm.

 

a simple check for you to try...check all your grounds,,,these new vehicles are very touchy when they dont have grounds...i cleaned mine up after my dash went haywire and cleaned and tightend all my grounds and it is good to go!

 

Jeep Wranglers had a similiar problem and there was a TSB on it. The bus pin connectors were getting loose and also had corrosion building up on them. The TSB had you clean the corrosion on the pin side and replace the connector. However you could get away with just cleaning the pin and put a slight twist on the pin so that it would make better contact. I don't know if Dodge trucks suffered from the same thing,