2000 Dodge Grand Caravan with 3.3 liter Flex-Fuel engine, no remote but electric locks, rear heater & AC, 180,000 relatively trouble-free miles. Suddenly, no gauges at all, and the rear wiper doesn't work. The 'Check Engine" and "ABS" idiot lights are on, the overhead trip computer only shows direction, temperature, and 'Drive To Empty' information (although that shows zero when the ABS light occasionally goes out). Borrowed a code reader which only came up with P1698 (No Chrysler Collistion Detection Message From Transmission Control Module). Read about the cluster connector as a possible issue, so disconnected battery, removed cluster and resoldered the connecting pins on the board, but no change except now there's no code (probably due to battery disconnect and less than 50 starts). Tried holding the 'Trip' and 'Reset' buttons, turning the key to 'On' and waiting 20 seconds, but nothing happened, no test sequence or anything on the gauges. Van runs and shifts just fine. Hate to get a TCM or a BCM if that's not it. Afraid to spend too much on it, though my wife and kids love it (we've had it for 10 years and 120,000 miles). Any suggestions on other things to test or try? Been using a GPS for speedometer, but that's a little awkward and the safety inspection is coming up in a couple of months - really want to have it working before then if possible. Thanks.

 

The 1698 can be the cause of all of it. The usual cause on 3rd gen vans is the cluster connection. Another less frequent cause is the HVAC control connector. It can melt, deform the contacts and open the data bus. It can also kill the cluster.

 

Thanks. Removed the connectors and checked them: they all looked clean and no indication of any heat/melting. But worth checking before spending the money on a TCM.

 

Did some more checking today. Does anyone have access to a wiring diagram for this vehicle they can share for the wiring harness from the gage cluster to the TCM? I found three wires that had good continuity between the two connectors, but one wire, the solid pink one (Pin 2 of J1 on the cluster connector) did not. Problem is, I'm not sure that it runs directly to the TCM connector; there were two solid pink wires on the TCM connector - one at pin 7 and another at pin 59. I don't want to try to run a jumper where there should not be any connection, as it is I felt I was kind of taking a chance checking things without a diagram to follow. Thanks.

 

Before you start spending any money, I want you to start unplugging modules. And see if the cluster comes back online. Start will the easy module, PCM,TCM and then the radio. Unplug then one at a time. I had a 1999 that radio had taken the bus down, causing no wipers, remote door locks and dead cluster.

 

I'll give it a shot. I probably should have noted before that the front wipers and washer do work; rear wiper and washer does not. Electric door locks work, so does the AC, heater controls (front and rear) and rear defroster. Radio and clock work, too (they're the original AM/FM/Cassette).

 

Pin 2 at the cluster is the B+ power feed from the junction block fuse panel via 10 amp fuse #28 in the PDC. Have you checked the fuse?

Want the WDs? Send me a private message with your email address included. A second look shows it could be fuse #15 or 28. Looks like a misprint.

Sorry. I should have been more specific when I said "cluster connection". It's not the wire harness connector connected to the cluster that's the problem. It's the connector on the cluster that is soldered to the circuit board in the cluster. Those solder joints crack, open circuits and give you anything from a erratic instruments to a dead cluster to cluster and starting problems and/or data bus issues. A very common problem on 3rd generation vans - yours. Smacking the dash above the cluster sometimes brings everything back to life but is not a sure fire troubleshooting tool. If you get no joy when you smack the dash you could still have cracked solder joints.

 

Ok, I feel pretty foolish. Neither fuse was blown, but I pushed on them while checking and one of them moved. Bingo, gauges are working again. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. Don't know why it was like that. I haven't been in the fuse block for months. But I sure am glad it's working now without buying a TCM.

 

Don't worry, I'm sure we all have been there. You know you can either contact cougar or myself.

 

Good news. Thanks for posting the fix. If it happens again reseat the fuse a few times to "clean" off any microscopic corrosion.