hello:
my 1998 dodge ram 1500 guage clusters not working
truck starts/Runs

iv pulled the cluster and visually checked (No Noticeable damages)
reinstalled a couple of times
Iv Pulled and checked fuses (Cab And Engine compartment) No Issues

what should i check Next
anyone else have the total cluster fail and the truck still runs

thanks...Jason

 

Press and hold the trip reset button. Turn the ignition to On. When the cluster initiates it's self-test, you can let go of the button. Make sure everything does what it is supposed to.

 

the cluster is not working
No Odometer, tack,fuel,temp, any guages

it shows the park brake light and OD on/of if toggled

i just die-electric greased the PCM connectors X3

i checked the voltage and the voltage raises with the rev`s lick the voltage reg

strange that the truck runs fine (lights,turn signals,heater,raido)

thanks..Jason

 

If it wouldn't even do it's self-test.... It either isn't getting power, or the cluster has totally failed......

 

I had a problem with my '01 Ram about 6 or 7 years ago. Fault code was showing a problem with "the bus" or something like that. Instrument cluster guages weren't working. Data bus is a pair of wires (one is purple I think). I took apart the entire cable running inside engine compartment - the cable with the big connector at the fuse box and disconnected everthing at the other end. Something was shorting the purple data bus wire to ground. Last thing I disconnected was connector at the transmission, and that seemed to be the problem - but it wasn't. The problem was in the big connector at the fuse box. Somehow the purple bus wire was being shorted to ground inside that connector, but for the life of me I couldn't see how. I moved the blades around inside the connector and that solved the problem.

 

Hope you're making progress... You pulled and checked the fuses on the PDC in the engine compartment and on the Junction Block in the dash on the driver's side, right? Did you, by chance, check for voltage on both sides of the fuses?

Do any of the warning lights work, like seat belt, or just parking brake and O/D?

 

hello:
After cleanning engine grounds and replaceing PCM
I had removed and inspected the board from the Dash cluster and found a badly damaged trace(Circuit), after repairing with (Defogger Grid Paint)
I pulled the dash connectors out from the Holding clips
then reinstalled the Guage cluster (All Guages working, Tach,Speedo,Odometer)
Thats Fixed Now

But now my alternater isnt working correctly
It was a replacement from a wrecker yard
symtoms: 11.58 (Bat Voltage)at idle and 13+ at 1500rpm+
Im gona take it to a local shop for a rebuild

Thanks..Jason

 

Congratulations! Good to see you stick with it and come back to tell the rest of us how you fixed it.
Did you determine which circuit the bad circuit board trace was in, by chance?
Was the original PCM part of the problem?

I did find a link to download the manual for your truck last night, if you need it.

 

I had just finished replacing my evaporator and recharging my AC system when the instrument cluster problem popped up. I checked the PCM, checked the interior fuses, checked the grounding block under the driver's side kick panel, and then came back to the house to find this page. Closer inspection revealed that one of the male pins on the cluster was bent and not contacting the connector.

I thought I'd add this to the thread because until I found it I was already budgeting for the time and money to go to a junkyard and pull another cluster, and everything else I found by search turned up the dreaded "NO BUS" situation. But after reading these tips I was able to calm down and look at the problem with fresh eyes.

Thanks!