How To Repair Chrysler/Dodge Minivan Instrument Cluster Problems -EricTheCarGuy
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- How To Repair Chrysler/Dodge Minivan Instrument Cluster Problems is part of the Fixing it Forward series. Not long after Barbara got her van back, she called me and told me her instrument cluster was freaking out. With a little research I found out the problem might be the solder joints on the back of the instrument cluster circuit board. I decided to give the repair a try and made this video.
If you need to know how to remove an instrument cluster from a Chrysler or Dodge minivan, this video will show you how to do that. The video also shows how to disassemble the instrument cluster for repair and how to solder the problem joints.
This money saving repair won't take that long and may save you from buying an entire cluster. This video also shows how to check the instrument cluster bulbs as well as replace them.
After removing and inspecting the instrument cluster I think the problem might be the ignition switch. Every time I moved the wiring the key chime would go on and off. This usually indicates a loose connection. If you’re doing this repair, you might want to check the ignition switch while you’re in there.
Thanks for watching!
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I just love this series of videos on Barbara's minivan. People sometimes just don't get the real message behind on helping other people. For instance I live in Brazil a third world country where cars are really expensive and we keep them running for a long long time so we need to find resources to fix our imported cars.. these videos are a golden mine for me . I just recently purchased a minivan like that and I'm learning so much from watching it. Besides it was such nice thing for Barbara because she also help other people with this vehicle... anyway congratulations Erick you're such nice professional and human being.
Thank you so much!!!
You are a gentleman and a scholar of the first order Sir and as such you are one of my heros. Thank You and everyone that goes that extra mile just because it is the right thing to do.
Thank you for posting this video. I had the same problem on my 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan. I would be driving down the road, and everything would be running perfectly fine, and suddenly the engine would die. Sometimes I could restart it, and sometimes it wouldn't restart right away. It would crank, but it wouldn't start. I had tried many things - replacing the crankshaft sensor, camshaft sensor, coil pack, relays, PCM/ECU (several times!). I found this video and others, and went through the procedure. Sure enough, I found a cracked solder joint on the first pin of the connector, just as you showed here. Fixed it yesterday. I'll post another response if the fix doesn't hold, but I'm 99.99% sure that after 10 years of fighting this ridiculous intermittent fault, I've finally found it and nailed it.
I got lucky, my van ran fine all of the way home with no signs of any issue lurking. Then it just would not start. Fortunately right where my tools were close by and did not require a tow.
I'm with you -- I hate intermittent electrical problems! They *never* act up when you're actively looking for them. Only later, when you're not there.
+LMacNeill ...Or when you need to pick your kids up from school... -_-
Thanks for the video. I had to replace the instrument cluster in a 1999 dodge caravan and I followed your video step by step. Replacement one works like a charm. Cheers.
Thanks for the detailed video! I know you put some time in it so I appreciate it. My van has a similar problem, I have to slug the dash on occasion to get it to work again. Hopefully this will fix mine.
Thank you Eric. Thanks for all of the close up shots as you disassembled the dash. Showing where each screw is and where you just have to pull things apart to separate hidden clips. I get real nervous pulling on all of these plastic parts that can crack. Knowing that a certain component really is snapped together is a huge help. I referenced your video for each piece and what order the layers are assembled. My van is a '97 with 203,000 miles on it and it has had almost every item repaired or replaced as Barbara's '98 ( I do not have heated seats and the wing window motors still work).
it amazes me the range of knowledge a mechanic needs to know to be able to fix ....... most problems on an auto. From mech to eletrical to .... chemistry and physics
Eric -- great video, the camera man is so patient. Fixing it forward is such a wonderful thing to do, Keep up the great work and thank you for helping us mere mortals.
Spot on Eric! I saw that questionable solder joint on your first pan. But I think there are two issues and she is going to need that ignition switch also.
I did the same repair a couple years ago when I was using my moms van for work, of course the instrument cluster started acting up while I was driving it. But I used the magnifying glass and I used a solder sucker/desolder tool to remove the solder from any joints that looked smokey grey or cracked then flowed some fresh solder on them. There were some that were obviously cracked and those may have been the culprit but I did the smokey ones too for good measure and it turned out great, still in action today actually I just don't drive it anymore. That was one of many repairs I did on that van though, they have a tendency to have some ridiculous things go wrong. Belt tensioner was a nightmare, sounds funny but there is one bolt that you gotta use a 3ft extension with a u joint socket to get to it, you absolutely need a guy looking and telling you if you're turning the bolt or you could be there for hours.
Thanks eric for the tip of checking the lights bulbs. I usually use power source to check them, but your method is much easier. Thanks again :)
Thanks for the walk through. Seen a few of your vids. Good info with a little humor sprinkled on top 😂
Ive really been missing those old format videos where you would film yourself work. They have been delivering this very special atmosphere for me.
It's not that the other videos where you have cameraman Brian as your operator are bad in any way, don't get me wrong. They are awesome as well. They're just different.
I am so happy that we got to see this old format again in this new video.
Thanks!
Epic instructional video my friend! Thank you so much. Our Dodge Caravan was doing the same thing. Cluster was dead. Took it apart & had "3" cracked solder joints on the back of the main plug. Just heated them up, applied a touch of solder, & it works like new!!!! Thanks again Eric!!!!
Sweet! The mini van Again! Thanks Eric.
Good video with regards to showing how to remove and check the instrument panel if needed. But probably not so good when it comes to avoiding more trouble for Barbara in the future. I think you are spot on in thinking that there is another issue, i think you should have at least had a quick look at the problem with the ignition switch wiring/contacts. It would appear to be fairly obvious that there is a problem that needs fixing - especially when you think of the problem Barbara is having. But, i guess that in the future when she brings it back you will know where to look!
Good job Eric. I had a dash problem and I had to replace the instrument cluster. I actually controlled my headlights, turn signals, Electric window, mirrors ect... After replacement everything worked fine. but yes it could be the key too. It is a hit and miss when it comes to electric problems,
Saw what I needed to see. Thank you.
Great video ! U might add that they should always disconnect battery and disable airbags too. On the actual inspection, wiggling the socket might have shown you movement so you could see where a solder joint came loose or cracked (notorious problem as you know), also inspect all socket pins for dirt, oxidation, or charring, again great work !
I love the FiF videos. keep them coming.
I am glad you made this video. I had 99 town and country that the dash would occasionally go crazy and the car would not start. It would crank 2 or three times, and knock right back off. After that it would not crank up until you either left it alone a while, or banged the dash real hard. Apparently the computer would get confused and lock out the security system preventing the car from running. Also the gauges would die in the middle or driving and once, they suddenly went full tilt and stayed there a while. The speedometer and tach went as high as they could go.
I did my own research and came to the conclusion that it was a bad solder. I pulled the instrument panel and one of the joints seemed cracked. It was very hard to see and I had to use a magnifying glass, but I touched it up, and put the van back together and the problem did not re occur.
I would say, do not dismiss this fix. It worked for me. It very well could have been the bad solder, it was on mine. I would be interested to see if her problem re occurs.
Thanks for this video, and especially the description. I had no function on the dash. Google gave many hits for the solder joint. I inspected the board but did not find any issues. I also had an intermittent chime and suspected the ignition. I'm going to change the ignition and I'll be back!
Great video. Had to use the zoom on my phone to inspect the solder points. The four corner points of the main wiring harness connector seemed loose do I resoldered them. It's an intermittent failure so I'll have to see how long the repair holds.
My gauges went out the other day, just after I filled up the tank. Van started up just fine, so I used my Bluetooth scanner and Torque on my phone as a makeshift cluster. I had the great luck to get siphoned sometime the next day, but had no idea due to the lack of a gas gauge. I drove for about 40 miles on what must've been fumes and sludge, stalling just up the hill from my house. I could cost to the house, but not make it up the steep drive! After figuring out the gas thing, and wacking the dash a few time, I got the car to stay running long enough to get it up the drive.
Following this great video, I started to remove the cluster. I had a bad feeling when about half the screws were either not original, or just missing. When I finally got everything out, the cluster didn't have a cardboard back on it. Another bad omen. After I removed the circuit board and flipped it over, my suspicions were confirmed: the pins in question were a mess. Someone had clearly tried to resolder them already. This might be why my odometer and trip computer have never worked... There is burnt flux everywhere, along with a few blobs of stray solder.
Wish me luck!
Eric, I had a similar problem with my 1999 Chrysler T&C. I was in the process of checking out the solder joints on the BCM. Then I did what you're doing. I also tried the ignition switch. Finally, had to go to the dealer. They replaced the BCM I had bought from them and installed myself, then they had to replace that one, too. The third one has worked well for more than a year. I paid the original price of a refurbished BCM and then only the labor for the dealer's work.
May God bless you with strength, health, wisdom, wealth more and more Eric.....
This should be a whole new series called "Fixing it backwards" . You are married to the f**kin mini van now !
Wow Eric new camera? Awesome.... What kind of camera so clear... Really enjoy your videos has helped me more than once, keep up the good work. Thanks Bob
Just rename this series to fixing Barbara's van! Lol
+TJC450
Or have an interactive series called "Whats wrong with Barbaras Van"
A): Alternator
B) Fuel Pump
C) Battery
D) Chrystler
+IIGrayfoxII Secret option E) All of the above
+IIGrayfoxII D!! The answer is D!!
you know you're driving a piece of shit when your mechanic has a youtube series named after it!
Excellent video. Thank You Sir.
This Caravan feels confortable at your you shop for sure. More like it has found a garage now.
Thank you brotha helped out a bunch
used to have the exact same problem with my van... did some research, pulled the instrument cluster, and had a friend solder the broken points -- the most problematic one being the same solder point that Eric had to re-do. The van now runs without a problem and the intermittent start issues along with the crazy cluster issues are now gone.
You found a symptom of the issue and you just button everything back together and ship it instead of continuing with an ignition switch diagnostic? You know that this van is just going to come back with the same issue. I can't believe you just did that. Can't believe what I just saw you do. The problem "might be" is a scotty kilmer punchline, you can't seriously be going down that road. "If she continues to have this problem I'm going to go for replacing the ignition switch". WTF parts changing... how about "I'm going to do some diagnostics on the ignition switch". Keep making videos like this and you "might be" dropping down a spot or two on my favorite channels list.
You are right but these videos don't skip over most of the job, and they also don't show a rant about useless engineers in every video
+camtheham13 lol those rants are my favorite.
+DJDevon3 lol that's the whole beauty of this video making business. It's a show like no other.
+DJDevon3 If you know Eric, you know that he won't perform a repair without verifying the claim. He will test it thoroughly before replacing it, especially since these repairs come out of his pocket. He made a repair and is waiting to see if that will make a difference. He is a full time self employed mechanic. CZcams money is not nearly as much as people might think. He isn't going to spend time chasing a problem that he may have already corrected when he has other repairs to do that will support him and his family.
***** Why consult the owner on a repair that he's hasn't done diagnostics for?
Great videos EricI see you got yourself a temp. controlled soldering station,
G'day Eric your patience is all inspiring!!!! Johnno Tassie
We had this issue with our 1997 Grand Caravan. Banging on the dash seemed to be a temporary fix. That is until all the gauge needles fell off!
After driving with no gauges for a few months, we took the dash apart, put the needles on and actually diagnosed the problem. Ours had some visibly faulty solder joints and re soldering them fixed the issue.
Another great video Eric. However, if this was a tv series, it would be over. I believe I feel no different than many others watching these videos, and we are tired of seeing this van. Let Barbara pay for some repairs and give you the opportunity to help other needing individuals and their automobiles.
+John Fountaine He's already finished or is in the process of fixing up at least 2 other vehicles as part of the series.
Eric, my instrument cluster was dead. I had that problem before and this time it was the spring contacts that hold the guages in. They had a little mold and cleaning them did the trick.
Thanks for the video man good job 👍 I have a?? For u a friend of mine have a 2002 town and country van and the speedometer gage it’s not working I reset it then it work for a week and went out again any suggestions please
I have a 96 grand caravan that was doing the same thing I found one of the issues to be with the bcm one of the black fuses was bad and had bad sauders so far it has fixed my issue
I had a '97 Sebring convertible that had constant instrument cluster issues. The RPM gauge would occasionally work, gas hand would randomly drop and no digital read-out. I soldered it twice and it would break again months later. I replaced the whole cluster a total of two times in the end.
The problem area you were looking in was the problem area with mine as well. Mine was obviously bad with blackened areas around a few solder joints. Something gets too hot and causing the solder to crack.
During that whole time with the bad clusters there was never a no start condition though.
Great video sir
I've owned several of these 3rd gens. 3 of them needed this procedure done on the cluster. I soldered both connections on mine, just for piece of mind.
Yes I found this very useful it kept me from ripping out my Dash thinking it was just a snap in type. Lol
Glad to see you keeping this van on the road! And helping this woman out! If u ever get stumped feel free to Contact me.. I am are master certified and a Chrysler certified tech... And i specialize in these and other mid80s until now... I know these vans inside and out and could tear one down In my sleep.... Also one issue that these vans have is the bcm and cold solder joints and bad resistors
Are you working anywhere near Houston Texas?
Just a comment on the lightbulbs in the instrument cluster... those clusters don't get removed very often - if ever - in the life of a vehicle, and once you've gone so far with an ~seventeen year old cluster, you might as well just go ahead and replace the bulbs on general principles...
I'm only at 13:59, so you might have decided to replace them, but as of where I'm at now, I'd recommend it just to be sure...
Someone give this man a vacation! I'd take you to the Shire but I'm scared you might step on my people.
But for reals,I love the series. Even though you're not getting paid for the hard work/labor, in return you're getting the most rewarding feeling of satisfaction for helping your community. I'll share these amazing vids to my uncle, Bilbo Dildo.
Oooooh, Weller soldering iron station, bit upmarket from your last soldering (welding) iron you had, good choice... happy soldering :), keep up the good work.
i had a 99 town and country ltd and it had the same problem with dash i did the gauge. fix and soon after the ignition it did fix the problem good video
At the same time you said that the one to watch for was the one on the end, I found exactly the same one cracked! I fix! Actually, both terminals on that end were cracked.
Eric, I had the same problem on a 02. Smacking the dash fixed it enough for me to get it started. Figured I would mention it for anyone maybe looking for a quick solution.
I had a similar issue, of what you were looking to at least, with my old Honda Prelude where the ignition relay would fail and it was just a matter of redoing the solder on the circuit board. Upon inspection it looked OK, but after doing the job it never bothered me again.
The issue was that with the car in running temperatures, it would not turn back on until it cooled down. No ignition at all... I supposed that it was a similar diagnostic on this case, althuogh I can see that it might not be the same failure in this situation.
Point is, the solders can look OK and still make a bad connection.
Little FYI the fact that the gear shifter will move without putting your foot on the brake that got dodge/Chrysler in hot water a few years ago
+MegaThunder70 I took out the shifter safety in my Saab (don't have to put the car in reverse to remove the key), and the previous owner had removed the switch that requires the clutch to be depressed in order to crank. No safety AT ALL! Just crank in first or reverse and watch it lurch into a cement wall! lol
+Jesse Crandle The having to put the shifter in reverse to remove the key thing is because there's no steering wheel lock.
+MegaThunder70 So that's actually a thing? for that past 10 years almost my dad's 01 Ram has been doing this. Didn't know it was known problem.
Why?!
+MegaThunder70 It's not just Dodge and Chrysler though. I've had multiple GM's that could do it. My current DD is a cadillac and it does it.
You should've at least confirmed it was the harness by holding it in such a way to where the beeper goes off, then try to crank.
+David G Or close the door.
James Schrumm
He said it's connected to the ignition switch.
*****
Yup i seen that, i have the same honda with that problem i fixed cuz of it
+David G I wanted to comment that too. I don't understand why he didn't even check if that would cause the claimed no start issue. I mean he even explained that the harness is most likely the issue.
+David G And also, it looked like the beep stopped when he moved the steering Wheel. The constant wiggling of the harness has probably weakened the wires, or their Connections.On some ignition switches the leads are soldered on the back, so maybe he shold have checked that out right away when he noticed the beeper change from wiggling the harness.Guess we will see it in Another video.
Own a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan,its in WalMart parking lot right now. IOD is not bad but it wont crank and cluster is crazy. Relay switches going crazy.
Perfect! Appreciate it man! Save me some money
Eric C., Thanks for a helpful video. .Did you consult a shop manual before starting this job to help you step through dissassembly?
Why didn't you repair the ignition switch while you had the dash apart? There is an obvious problem there with the harness somewhere. If you didn't have the switch to replace you could at least taken it apart and checked for any shorts in the wire or corrosion. Sometimes just the act of taking things apart and putting them back together fixes issue like that.
I have (or had) that classic Ryobi drill/driver! Thanks for the video, my DD Caravan gauge cluster is acting stupid today.
Working with dashboards is the worst. There is so much stuff crammed together with so many screws and fasteners, and you have to do the work in so many awkward positions and places. I can feel the back pain by just watching this video.
I know Eric is helping Barbara out with her continuing adventures with this van but man you can kind of sense it how frustrated he is with this van I mean come on issue after issue she better at least buy him a sixpack or something after dealing with the van so many times :-)
+BSGT2TREKFAN88 He should try owning my wife's car. I'll just probe my brain for a list of things I've fixed in the last 2 years on it.
Rear engine mount, transmission mount, radiator, thermostat, rotors, pads, tensioner pulley, belt, cabin filter, blower motor regulator, battery TWICE, battery ground cable, valve cover gasket, PCV system (leaked so bad the car would stall), brake booster vacuum hose, shift cable, neutral safety switch, crankshaft position sensor, shifter jalousy (exposed internals of shifter, had broken off), dissasembled and cleaned window switches, water damage prevented windows from working, tonneau top cover not working, fixed that (sheer pin), removed onstar unit (water damaged caused alarm to go off continually), replaced on-star antenna (leaked water into on-star module and trunk), dissasembled and fixed horn (a previous owner messed it up somehow, had to adjust things so the horn could be pressed and it would work).
I'd almost say it's been more trouble than it's worth, but the damn thing keeps running and the motor and transmission seem fine, flushed all fluids at least twice now, doesn't leak anything... now that I've dropped a few GRAND into it lol. I almost think any other person would have sent it to the scrapyard, but I knew it was rough when I bought it. Just about anything that can break at this point has been replaced, so I expect it to last for a few years at least.
I know it benefits himself, his family and his channel..but my point was that he kinda showed what some of us feel when working on a repeat task - "omg..really.....ok lets see whats up now" ;)
+Jesse Crandle ...what brand is this vehicle?
+olds767 I wasnt being serious...it was a figure of speech.
Being someone who has help numerous people who don't know anything about car with their cars, I've dealt with a few people i try to help and dont understand that some problems cant be figured out the first go around and ive gotten bitched at by them. i could be talking out of my ass here but his fustration sounds like she kind of bitched at him or had an attitude about it and made him upset. i could be completely wrong.. but im speaking from my own experiences.
Eric, I just found your youtube videos and now I have to ask a question.
First of all the rear window defroster does not work and I suspect it is the relay, however, I cannot find any diagrams of the relay layout on the relay/fuse assembly located in the engine compartment.
Which one is the relay for the rear window defroster?
Thanks
John
Outside pins can get cold solder joints from vibration. Do you use a temperature controlled soldering iron? I found out the hard way variable wattage just get hotter and hotter.
I did this exact same repair on a 98 Neon, only in my case, there were several visibly cracked joints. Re-soldering them solved my intermittent speedometer problem. A questions for you Eric. How would you test the ignition switch to verify its operation instead of just replacing it hoping that it solves the problem?
I noticed when you moved the tilt steering it was intermittent. Just a guess- how's the ribbon cable between stuff? Tilt steering is notorious for wearing of wires- no matter how they're made.
I just seen one of your videos for the first time in 60p.... OMG IT'S SOOOO SMOOTH!
+NRG Media Productions I can't believe people actually like the 60fps, it looks so "video" and not "filmlike". But then folks are really into the "soap opera effect" on their LCD TVs these days too, everything artificially smoothed over and not looking the least bit realistic.
My goodness your patient! But I wonder if this video's information can help me decipher why on my 98 Dodge Caravan when I shut the van off and remove the key, the lights flash on and off while a clicking sound can be heard. Also, my battery gets drained if I don't disconnect it once I park. If I forget and don't, I need to get my jump cables to charge the battery again. Aside from replacing the vehicle, which will happen eventually, cuz the a.c. has died as well, could you offer some clues on what I can try before seeking a mechanic?
+ericthecarguy Hey there Eric. Excellent series on "Fixing-It-Forward". Your patience and willingness to do this is commendable. I'm just curious, in the case of this van... When does it stop? I've watched the entire line-up in the series of the van and while each video is great, I can't help but wonder, when you signed up for this van did you become its caretaker or was there an agreement if there were ever a problem, then van come back to you so you can have more subject videos? I think the majority of the crazy comments lately about this van stem from viewers not knowing all the facts about the van, which I assume is none of our business but, reading some of the comments, I think people are confusing your WANT to have an opportunity to have more repair videos with Barbara just wanting to get a 'free ride", which I know isn't the case. Everyone who has participated in the project of the van has been stellar. But a time might come when the donating suppliers will say enough is enough. I'm seeing this series; especially with the van, be a huge opportunity to make videos and helping viewers solve problems. Others, with the nasty comments might be seeing it as you being taken advantage of as a technician, if that makes sense? Maybe if you made a video on ETCG1 about the project and set a clear and definite line detailing what you're looking to get out of the series, it will help squash the negative comments. Only a suggestion, otherwise I am enjoying all of the videos! Take care Eric.
+GMDuramax We should look at it this way: its the Chrysler that keeps on giving -Eric headaches- things for Eric to make videos about.
Hey +tin pin, curious, how did you do the 'strike through' in your above comment? I can't seem to do any text formatting/styling no matter what I do...
rwbishop Put dashes on each side of what you want to strike through. Use asterisks the same way to make text bold. There's a way to do italics as well, but I don't know what it is.
+tin pin Wow!!! How *cool* is that! (did it work???) Thanks man!
rwbishop Yup. Your formatting shows up in your comment after you post.
I seem to remember that if alternator is on the way out on some dodges it causes the dash to go crazy like your customer complained about. there are videoes about this on youtube
Month and a half my truck town & Country showed a failure, the needles are out of control board, not how to explain it, we could say that "dance" ... the technician said that should replace the BCM, this was done, the failure persisted ... then changed the general computer, a lot of money, long time ... a few days ago, in a casual conversation with a person who never see because he lives in another city, told me that the fault is on the dashboard ... I have started to investigate and oh, wonder !! I find your video as well explained ... I will encourage and desarmaré the dashboard !! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you very much!!
I would be grateful to tell me your opinion: You may have broken some welding spots?
I helped the google translator, please forgive my poor command of the language ...
Eric, I'm surprised you didn't use the built in Diagnostic mode that those 3rd Gen instrument clusters had! To activate it, push in both the trip and reset buttons, and then you turn the key from lock to off; and the odometer should display CODE 999, and then it will sweep the gauges to predetermined calibration points, then it check the warning lamps, and finally it checks the odometer and shift indicator.
I've had a similar problem forever in my 1993 Ford Taurus SHO. If you adjust the wheel up and down you can make the chimer go off. I've never had a starting issue in three years.
Eric, I have a 97 Voyager and my dash died. I took it apart as you did in this video and it had some fuses loose and that solved the problem. My steering wheel is faded and has black spots. I would like to paint it to match the rest of the steering wheel. What kind of paint would I need?
Your video was a piece of cake to follow on my 1999. I had the same pin on the instrument panel that needed re-soldering. Fixed the problem in about and hour. Saved probably $1500 and a masive headach associated with having someone else do he job for me. That's a $1500.00 per hour savings. Will you take money, or beer for payment? IOU Thanks, Rich
Those bulbs are fine to touch, just not halogens as used in headlights as they run a lot hotter and I believe the oils left on the glass prevent heat from escaping.
+Jonny Fix The research I have done points to skin oils causing uneven heating on the glass even on non halogen bulbs and the uneven heating causes the glass to crack. And every one knows when you crack the glass you let the magic smoke out and electrical stuff simply won't work without the magic smoke.
or really let the magic air "IN" , (without vacuum the filament quickly oxidizes (burns up).
@ericthecarguy
Can this be the same for a 2007 Plymouth voyager? Friends vans cluster is doing similar.
I see this was common for late 90's Chryslers. I had a 96 Neon with cluster freaking out and going dead. When you take the board out and wiggle the plug on the back side you can see the pins move where the solder cracked. I soldered the pins including the ones that were not cracked and never had the issue again.
The solder joints failing is also a common problem in the older Neon's. I had to do that for a friend. However there were several joints broken so that the dash never decided to work properly. It was pretty easy to fix.
It was also an issue with the Cloud Cars as well, you would lose the tachometer and odometer because of it.
digitalrailroader What is a cloud car? Yeah so many joints were broken on my friends car I don't recall anything working properly on it. lol
+murkinstock that is the nickname for the Chrysler Cirrus, 1st Generation Dodge Stratus, Plymouth Breeze, and 1st Generation Chrysler Sebring convertible.
digitalrailroader Alright cool, thanks!
I also noticed towards the end of the video the chiming stopped when Eric tilted the steering wheel in the up position. There's an electrical issue with the ignition switch. I would do some diagnosis on the ignition switch and see what happens
This is insane considering on a 90's Honda civic you had to remove two face plate screws and 4 or 5 mounting screws and the entire cluster came out like butter. Friggen car manufactures making cars harder to work on!
My POS Caravan is/was doing this same BS ... now thanks to this video.. IT IS NOT!!! Thanks for taking the time to haggle with the Camera and doing the edits needed!!
Just a question Eric, is it necessary to ground yourself to release and static electricity before touching the circuit board?
12:28 - Top left corner above your finger, there's a thin wire sticking through the board that has no solder around it, I'm not sure if that's supposed to look that way, but the board looks slightly scorched around the wire.
Eric the 1997 cluster panel is not the same the middle part that is connected to the track control connection comes out then you see a couple of more screws before taking the whole unit out mine is not separate it's part of the whole unit I don't think there are two screws holding the unit I hope I'm having a hard time pulling it out afraid of cracking it --any suggestions
Hi I have a 07 avalanche that just bought from fried and the cluster illumination is not working nothing, only the displays and the gouges works, question may be 1 LED is bad that is not letting voltage go through others? or the back plug maybe 1 pin bad contacts?
At this rate chrysler should send barbara a new van so as to stop you from exposing their shitty build quality any more.
I think I can!! I think I can!! Been thinking that all day lol.
Did the soldering on the instrument cluster solve the issue or did the ignition switch harness or switch itself needed to be replaced or some other issue?
Hey, Eric. If she's having problems with the ignition key not turning let me tell you what I have to do. I also have a '98 Voyager and I've found that if I park it with the the front wheels turned (even a little bit) I have problems removing the key. Tell her to always point the wheels straight ahead every time she shuts off the car and you should be able to put off replacing the ignition switch for quite awhile. Also, I've found that one side of the (double-sided) key tends to fit (and work) better than the other side.
Im actually wondering if the cluster problem and the loose ignition connection are related. If the ignition switch looses connection while driving (say hitting a bump), could that stop power being sent to the cluster?
Before you replace the ignition switch you should check the wiring harness going to the switch first. It's not good practice to just throw parts at it. It could be something as simple as a loose ground or broken wire. Especially with electrical problems the first thing your suppose to do is pull up an electrical diagram and check the wiring first. Whenever you have intermediate electrical problems you have to check the whole circuit first and not just replace parts. You can put a new switch in and it might work fine at first and as soon as Barbara gets down the road it can stop working if it's a wiring problem. That's the right way to troubleshoot an electrical problem
+Tim Wall Also i have seen alot of bad harness's for 90's chrysler ignition switches, there was even a recall if i remember because the the switch/harness would not handle the loads and start to burn up (had to replace the harness on a 90's dodge spirit because of this)
+Tim Wall Thanks for your input, but when I push on the wire on the back of the ignition switch and I get a reaction, I consider that to be pretty definitive. You're correct, it's also worth being more thorough when doing a diagnosis.
Proper diagnosis??? What do you think this is, a ScannerDanner or South Main Auto video?!
hi.. i didnt find a way to ask u about my honda civic 97.. the radiator keep loosing water and there is a dust! i do replace it with new one but the problem back!? any ideas?
Hi Eric, quick question:on the chry 98 cluster removal, will the van turn on without the cluster connected?some have told me that it does. Definitely not for running, its that I am trying to finde an irregularity, and neet to test to see if it turns on with out the cluster, thanks, God bless.
hey Eric I have a question I have a 1995 Honda Civic that starts up fine and idles but every time I'm going to drive it starts just hesitating and it will just cancel the acceleration and i have to turn the ignition to off and turn it back to on so that the acceleration will come back what can it be?
Do you know if there is a fuse for the blind spot system on a 2014 Town and country van???
YES. A VIDEO RELATED TO ME!
I've watched all the Chrysler videos. It makes for good TV, and good info on auto tech work. And it is nice to help others. However, it is sooooooooo impractical to fix a van like this one. It has just had too many problems. Any sensible person (who doesn't have a TV show like Eric) would just get rid of it rather than putting that much time and money into it. Part of me cannot help but cringe every time I see another episode of fixing-it-forward with Barbara's van. But I also love it so, and keep watching!
+Aristotle2000 A van in the driveway with a $400 fix is a lot less expensive than another car payment and the associated insurance bump while you pay off the loan.
+hotdrippyglass Agreed. But this Chrysler van has gotten repairs that would cost many thousands of dollars. It would be far cheaper to buy a used minivan that needs more modest repairs.
yes.... the tranny alone would be considered a throw away
these days these vans are worth next to nothing- (even when they are running well!) because of the notorious problems they had.
Erik Thecarguy!!! PLS REPLY AS IM HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY FORD FOCUS CLUSTER! DID THIS REPAIR WORK? IS THERE AN UPDATE ON THE ISSUE?