HELP!!! I am too my witts ends trying to figure out why my fuel gage, speedometer, rpm and temperature gages stopped working. I have done the following.

1. Had the ECM checked and repaired

2. Installed new BCM

3. Purchased wiring guide and tested every wire leading to BCM, Instrument panel and mesage panel

4. Checked all fuses and relays

5. Removed instrument cluster and checked for damage to wires or saturing.


I am not sure what more I can do. The only things I can find is that when I remove the small ground wire from the battery terminal and let it sit a minute and reconnect it, it works for a short period of time.

I have traced that ground wire and find no signs of problems with the wire.

Please help before I lose my mind.

 

Until someone pipes in - you might read the following (similar - ground issues):

• 1991 Dodge Caravan Intermittent Instrument Cluster - 10-28-2009
  

• 2000 Solutions for Instrument Cluster Problems

It sure would make searching easier if you would let us know the model year!

 

There is a known bad solder joint on the back of the interment cluster.
Re-solder it, or replace the cluster with a junkyard piece.


EZ

 

depends on the year, EZ

 

I forgot to mention it is a 2001 Grand Caravan EX Model.

 

For what it's worth, here's my experience. 1998 Voyager--exact same problem. Checked all the wiring from the cluster--ok. Did the soldering job on the cluster board--that didn't work. Took the entire cluster into a speedo repair shop. $175 later and then it only did it intermittently. I was ready to put a few well placed bullets into it.

Then, on a fluke I noticed the negative battery terminal was pretty corroded. The factory terminal was the molded lead type. I had to cut it apart to replace it. Once inside I saw that one ground wire was totally corroded. Cleaned everything and installed a new terminal. Problem gone. That was 3 years ago. Cluster and gauges working fine ever since.

What have you got to lose at this point?

 

does the prndl work? Are any of the indicators illuminated, do they work?

 

The cracked solder joint isssue on the intrument cluster connection to the circuit board is is pretty much a 3rd generation issue but I have read it does happen on early 4th generation vans like yours on rare occassion.

To be honest I don't recall if this is primarily another 3rd gen issue but take a look at the contacts in the HVAC control panel connector. It can melt and open the data bus circcuit to the instrument cluster.

 

My PRNDL lights up occassionally, but when it does light up there are boxes on each of the letters. So you really do not know what gear you are in. None of my other warning lights work. Turn signals and hazards work. Just strange.

 

If the whole cluster is dead and boxes around the prndl, you most likely have a bus issue. The cluster can't communicate with the other modules and all the gauge information comes over the bus. So does the prndl information, so it boxes them all because it doesn't know. I'm not sure if a bus issue is a do it yourself project. I would start with unplugging some of the other modules. Usually it's a module taking the bus down, when you unplug the culprit, the bus comes up and everything starts to work.