2003 Chrysler Van Dashboard lights won't go on

DI7799

MEMBER
2003 CHRYSLER VAN
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
71,000 MILES

I've got a 2003 Chrysler Voyager that I'm having problems with. The dashboard lights aren't working, the odometer and radio lights work but none of the other lights on the dash illuminate. I'm using a flashlight temporarily when I drive at night to see how fast I'm driving.
Any suggestions of what it could be and approx. Cost of repair?

2 Replies

LEGITIMATE007

MECHANIC
5,121 POSTS

Either the dimmer switch, or the body control module has a short, to fix it will cost, about upwards of two hundred for the switch and upwards of five hundred for a body control module

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Monday, April 5th, 2010 AT 3:19 PM

PHILIP MORRIS

MEMBER
1 POST

I know exactly what the problem is and how to correct it. It has happened to me twice. The first time the Chrysler dealer replaced the light switch, when that didn't work, they replaced many of the wires behind the light switch and to the instrument cluster, when that didn't work they replaced the Body Control Module (BCM) and had to reprogram the new one. It was almost a $2,000 total bill.
It happened again after I had a dead battery and had to jump start the car. Then I remembered that that had also happened the first time the dash lights failed, that I had a dead battery and had to jump start the car.
This time I opened the driver's side window, then I disconnected the battery and shorted the terminal connections together to make sure there was no residual voltage in the computers anywhere in the car.
Then I reconnected the battery. Then I reached through the open window to turn on the ingnition without opening the door, which affects the probraming of the BCM. Then after several minutes, while reaching through the window, I started the engine and let it run for several minutes.
The problem was solved. Disconnecting the battery and clearing all the voltage from the system forces the BCM to reboot with the correct data just like your home computer needs to reboot sometimes.