Instrument Panel Dead (gauges)

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

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 ?

--
Mhzjunkie

"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in
:

> 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.

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

> "Mhzjunkie" > wrote in
> :
>
>> 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.

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.

--
Mhzjunkie

"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in message
...
> propman spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself
>
> > "Mhzjunkie" > wrote in
> > :
> >
> >> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> --
> Mhzjunkie
>
>
>
Its not a common failure, and did you check all related fuses including any
under the hood?

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

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

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.

--
Mhzjunkie

"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in message
...
> propman spewed out this bit, and i'll scatter a few bits myself
>
> > "Mhzjunkie" > wrote in
> > :
> >
> >> 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 ?
> >> What's
> >> the common failure that causes these gauges to stop working on this
> >> car ?
> >>
> >> 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.
>
> 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.
>

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)...

"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in message
...
> maxpower 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.
> >>
> >>
> > Its not a common failure, and did you check all related fuses
> > including any under the hood?
>
> 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.
>
> --
> Mhzjunkie
>
>
>
Your probably reading about the Mini vans. NS RS body style

"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in message
...
> maxpower 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.
> >>
> >>
> > Its not a common failure, and did you check all related fuses
> > including any under the hood?
>
> 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.
>
> --
> Mhzjunkie

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
>
>
>

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

Another thing to try... Go through your fusebox and pull each fuse out for
5-10 seconds, then put it back in. In my 92 Caravan, I had a problem 2 or 3
times (hasn't done it in a LONG time now...?) where the dash was completely
dead - no speedo, no tach, no odometer running, etc. Someone suggested
pulling all the fuses and when I put them back in, it was working. The next
time it happened, I pulled them one at a time and put them back in. I
believe there was something else odd going on too, perhaps the dinger for
door open and keys in the iginition wasn't dinging. The last time I did
it, the keys were in the ignition and it started going off when I pulled and
replaced the right fuse. I could be remembering the wrong detail though,
it's been a few years...

Wesley


"Mhzjunkie" > wrote in message
...
> 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 ? What's the common failure that
> causes these gauges to stop working on this car ?
>
> 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 ?
>
> --
> Mhzjunkie
>
>