Re: Instrument Panel Dead (gauges)

"Mhzjunkie" wrote in news:t0GAg.80$ snipped-for-privacy@fe03.lga:

My gauges have stopped working on my 94 Intrepid with 3.3 liter. The > tach, Speedometer, and heat gauge and fuel gauge all read zero, also > the shift indicator lights don't light up. The back lighting on the > cluster works, high-beam indicator works, as well as the turn signal > indicators. > Ok, so it seems to me that theirs a broken ground ?

Or a broken hot if it's common to all of the mentioned above....

What's > the common failure that causes these gauges to stop working on this > car ?

If all the mentioned above have a common hot.......the fuse?

> I've pulled the instrument panel out and looked it over, but the > circuit board is coved with a white plastic. Thought I'd ask here > before I pulled that plastic cover off and started soldering around on > it. Should I just go to the junk yard and buy a used cluster ? Or, is > it even in the cluster ? >

I would first take voltage checks to see if power is reaching the board.....and if not, then start tracing back.

Reply to
propman
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propman spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself

Power is, well I guess is, reaching the board. The fuse is the first thing I checked. It is good, and has 12 volts on it. That's why I was leaning toward a broken ground. I was hoping someone that has had this problem before would let me know what it was. It seems to be a common failure.

Reply to
Mhzjunkie

Its not a common failure, and did you check all related fuses including any under the hood?

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

maxpower spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself

No, and the wife's gone to work in the car now, so I'll check them all when she returns and let you know what I find. The only one I checked was fuse #

17 "Gauges PRNDL".

I found several people asking about the same problem on the net, but no solid answers as to what it might be, other than replace the instrument panel or the Body Control Module.

Reply to
Mhzjunkie

While I've never heard of this problem, it doesn't mean that it's not common. I've got the factory service manual for '94's, so here is pin-out information for the two connectors to the back of the unit. You should be able to figure out how the pins are numbered, by comparing the blank spaces as they are listed below... They may also be indicated on the connector, but I don't really know.

GREY CONNECTOR Pin# - Wire Color - Function

1 - Orange - Headlamp Switched Dimmable Lamp 2 - N/A - Blank 3 - Black - Body Ground 4 - Light Green - Left Front Turn Signal 5 - Grey - Low Oil Pressure Lamp 6 - Grey/Black Stripe - Brake Lamp 7 - N/A - Blank 8 - Red/Orange Stripe - High-Beam Lamp 9 - N/A - Blank 10 - Black/Tan Stripe - Airbag Lamp

BLACK CONNECTOR Pin# - Wire Color - Function

1 - Black/Light Green Stripe - Sensor Ground 2 - White/Black Stripe - Serial Bus Neg (CCD Bus) 3 - Violet/Brown Stripe - Serial Bus Pos (CCD Bus) 4 - N/A - Blank 5 - Tan - Right Front Turn Signal 6 - Red/White Stripe - Fused Ignition (5 amp) 7 - N/A - Blank 8 - Pink/Red Stripe - Headlamp Feed 9 - Light Blue - Decode-High Instrument Cluster 10 - Orange/Dark Blue Stripe - Decode-Low Instrument Cluster

Not sure what exactly those last two entries are. Can't find any info about the meaning or what exactly they do (decode)...

Reply to
FeMaster

Your probably reading about the Mini vans. NS RS body style

Reply to
maxpower

If you have a good ground, 12 volts and bus voltage on the plus and minus bus wires the cluster should work. both bus wires should be around 2.5 volts. If one of the bus wires is 2.2v the other should be 2.3v and so on.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

maxpower spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself

Thanks Glenn for your help. It turned out to be the instrument panel itself.

Reply to
Mhzjunkie

FeMaster spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself

Thank you for the diagram, it was the instrument panel that was the problem.

Reply to
Mhzjunkie

propman spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself

Thanks Mr. propman, for your help.

Reply to
Mhzjunkie

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