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Question:
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport mileage: 43,000. Our van
would not start after the kids ran the battery down
listening to the radio. The van was jump started. The
jumper cables were attached to the dead battery first
then to the booster battery of a car that was running.
After the van was started the speedometer and tachometer
did not work. They still do not work after multiple
starts. I looked at the fuse box and none of the fuses
are labeled for those two items. It seems that
everything else electrically is working. Did a
relay/fuse burn out because of the jump start? If so,
which one do I replace. Is there something possibly more
serious? If you have any ideas please let me know. Thank
you.
Answer:
When your Caravan was jump-started, a voltage spike may
have damaged the alternator. If it is a fuse, you
will need to check them all to determine which ones to
replace. Also check the vehicle speed sensor to be
sure that it is sending a signal to the speedometer.
Question: 1997 Plymouth Voyager
mileage: 140,000. My Plymouth Voyager has developed an
intermittent problem. While driving suddenly the
speedometer, tach and other gauges flip out and bounce
all over the scale. The electric door looks pop up and
down. It happens frequently but intermittently. It's
funny but, I'd swear that the action gets more fast and
furious when I accelerate during these episodes. Can you
be as specific as you can because I'm the poor sap that
has to fix this?
Answer: The first thing we would check
is the body control module. Then check for loose or poor
ground connections. Lastly, check the main power
distribution box.
Question: 1999 Pontiac Grand Am
mileage: 145,000 The coolant temperature light and fuel
empty light are stuck "on" yet both the temperature
gauge and the fuel gauge work perfectly. The cooling
system seems work fine, i.e. the fans switch on and off
and regulate temperature to the middle of the gauge. In
the wiring diagram found in the Haynes manual there
seems to be a dark green wire that goes from the
ignition switch to both of these circuits. Any ideas? Is
this a common problem? In poking around I did notice
that some of the contacts on the ignition switch were at
> 14v. This surprised me.
Answer: It appears that the warning
lamp illumination module has failed. Replacing it should
fix your problem. The problem is not a common one to our
knowledge.
Question: 2004 A4 Audi mileage:
43,900. I just bought a Audi here in Prague Czech
Republic. It doesn't have an owner's manual and
everything is in German. After I got it home and it sat
for a day, I it started it and the battery light and
engine temperature light stays on after ignition. The
strange thing is the two lights get brighter only when
I'm accelerating. When I shift gears the lights would
fade until I put my foot back onto the gas pedal. I've
checked the battery, it's almost like new, and the
engine doesn't seem to be overheating. I thought it may
be the alternator, but even that looks good. Someone who
also owns an Audi suggested that it may be the relay,
but for the life of me, I can't find where the relays
are. I would take it to a repair shop but here in Prague
they charge you an arm and leg just to look at the
vehicle, let alone fix it, besides, it's a standard and
I need both arms and legs to drive it. Can you guys
point me some sort of direction of what to look for or
what to ask for. Bernie
Answer: Without seeing your car and
doing some testing, we have to do a little guessing.
First, we would test the alternator and make sure that
it is putting out 14 to 14� volts. If the voltage output
is okay, we would still suspect the alternator because a
diode that is failing will cause the battery light to
come on even though the charging is okay.
Question: 2003 Ford F-150 mileage:
38,000. My fuel gauge is not working properly. It will
show from empty to half full even when talk is full of
fuel. Is the problem with the fuel gauge or is it in the
sending unit? My friend said it is the battery. He said
I should pick up the battery and put it into a newer
truck. (Laughing out loud!!!) All joking aside, thanks
for any help you can give me. Aloha from Hawaii, Danny
Answer: Try unhooking the wire from
the sending unit in the gas tank and with the key on,
read the fuel gauge. It should read empty. Now, ground
the sending unit wire and it should read full. If this
is the case, your sending unit needs replacing. If not,
it is the gas gauge sender.
Question: 1999 Chevy S10 mileage:
136,000. The fuel gauge reads full, empty, or basically,
whatever it wants to. It moves very slowly during
start-ups and usually registers completely opposite of
what I believe it should read. What is the most likely
problem? Can I free up the sending unit (float?), or
should I replace it. Does the entire unit (fuel pump,
filter, sending unit float) come as one piece?
Answer: The sending unit in the fuel
tank is probably faulty. It is replaced with the fuel
pump.
Question: 2002 Ford F-150 mileage:
51,000. The temperature gauge in my truck never seems to
move much (it sits on the cold mark nearly always) no
matter how much I drive. Even with the a/c on a hot day,
it only moves up a fraction of an inch. Could it be my
thermostat?
Answer: From what you have explained,
you probably have a faulty temperature gauge or sending
unit. If the Thermostat was the culprit and stuck in the
open position your car would register normal or above
normal on your gauge when driven on a hot day for long
distances.
Question: 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
mileage: 116,300. My compass/trip computer quit working.
First, it started intermittently then went completely
dead. Is there a relay that powers it? If so, where is
it located?
Answer: There is no relay for your
trip compute. Try checking all of the fuses. If they all
check okay, then you may have to replace the body
computer.
Question: 2002 Dodge Intrepid mileage:
65,000. The gauges have been working on and off for
about three months. The dealer's mechanics have not been
able to find the problem as the car is in the shop for
the third time. The problem seems to get worse over
time. If I pull the battery cable, and replace after a
couple hours, the problem will go away for a while. I
have even seen the gauges pegged when started, and come
to life after about ten seconds. They have replaced the
module on the trans, and think it may be another. At
about $160/parts per try, I am getting desperate. The
problem will occur when the car is cold or hot,
sometimes the ignition has to be turned on and off for
over twenty cycles before the gauges will work. The air
bag light will also come on whether the gauges work or
not.
Answer: Without seeing your car, it is
impossible for us to help you here. Intermittent
electrical problems are the most difficult to find. Your
gauges have circuit boards with hundreds of solder
joints. If there is just one joint that has moved and
cracked the solder, it could cause the problem you
described. In addition, an improper ground connection
anywhere in the system could be the culprit. We wish we
could help you more.
Follow-up: Sounds a shorted wire in
the ignition harness. Check the harness for external
damage. Repair as needed.
Question:
2002 GMC Sierra 1500 mileage: 75,000.
Sometimes when I start the truck,
the tach, speedometer, & gear indicator light will
not work.
When this happens, throttle response is extremely
poor & sluggish.
Also, when shifting from reverse to forward gear,
it has a very hard shift, I also don't think it's going
into overdrive.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, Chris
Answer:
Check the ignition switch one of the contacts in
the switch may not be functioning properly. Or it could
be a body control relay.
Question:
1998 Chevrolet Camaro mileage: 110,000.
My car doesn't have much for instrumentation,
besides the speedometer and fuel gauge it only has
"idiot lights". They don't tell me what my oil pressure
is and how hot my car is running.
What would I have to do in order to install one of
those three gauge sets (oil/water temp/amps) into my
car?
Answer:
You will need a set of aftermarket gauges and once
you purchase, follow the instructions that come with the
gauges for installation.
Question:
2001 Buick Century mileage: 99,000.
I am looking for a part in my Buick Regale’s
digital dashboard.
The odometer won't work and I think the problem is in
the 8-pin IC that drives the stepper motor in the
odometer.
Who would sell the IC?
EGC and NTE don't have the cross-reference.
# on the IC is 9863B
& C59028H.
Answer:
We always replace the instrument cluster rather
than trying to repair the digital dash.
The reason for this is that usually the failure of
one component is caused by another faulty component and
a week later, it will fail again.
Question:
2001 Chevy S10 mileage: 98,006.
I was driving down the road all of my gauges
started going crazy.
After a few minutes everything went dead, my
lights, windshield wipers, gauges, everything.
But the truck still runs.
It loses some power.
When you turn it off, then turn it back on the
battery gauge reads about 9.
It is a brand new battery and alternator.
What do I need to do?
Answer: From what you tell us, it sounds like
you may be having trouble with your charging system.
Have your battery load tested and check the
alternator output for voltage and amperage.
Question:
1999 Chevrolet Suburban mileage: 134,000.
My dash lights do not work nor do the speedometer
and turn signal.
I have checked the car manual and cannot find a cause.
The fuse box on the side panel says that it
controls other lights but all those work, except for the
three above.
Any suggestions - appreciate your help.
Answer: Check for 12-volts that
feeds the fuse panel, especially the connectors that are
energized by the ignition switch.
Question:
2002 Honda Accord, miles: 60,000.
All the gauges on the dash board quit no rpm, gas,
speed, temp it’s been at the repair shop for a week they
replaced the body module and the transmission module
they can’t seem to find an answer.
Answer: Check for 12-volt power to the
control modules and make sure they are properly
grounded.
If this checks out okay, the dash cluster is likely
your problem.
Question:
2002 Ford Windstar mileage: 104,389.
The oil gauge on the dashboard always indicates
that I need oil. When I check the oil level, it is
always fine.
In addition, the temperature gauge stopped working.
As you know both of these indicators are very
important, so what could the problem be?
Answer:
The oil gauge is for pressure not for oil level and
a low ready is normal when the engine is at normal
operating temperature and it is idling.
The temperature sensor may need replacing to get
the temperature gauge to work properly.
Question:
2001 Chevrolet 1500 truck mileage: 55,341.
Hello--my question is as follows:
recently my oil pressure AND temperature gauge have
been registering very low readings--normally the gauge
indicator would register directly in the center for both
oil and temperature.
The oil pressure starts out normal, but after the
engine is warm, the gauge reading gets very low.
The temperature gauge really never goes up too
much. I use
Mobil 5W synthetic oil and also Slick 50, I change my
oil every 2500 miles.
The dipstick is showing proper oil amounts-and there are
really no other recognizable problems.
Can you offer any possible suggestions for the low
oil and temp gauge readings?
As a single woman, I would like to be prepared and
have some knowledge before I head to a garage if
necessary.
Thank you very much for your time and help.
Chris
Answer:
If only one gauge is acting up, we would say you are
having problems with a sending unit.
However, because two gauges are giving you trouble,
there is a good chance that the instrument cluster has a
shorted circuit.
Question:
2002 Nissan Altima mileage: 40,000.
My fuel gauge and my temperature gauge no longer
work. In
addition, my driver’s side door lock often freezes.
I know this is vague but if you have any ideas
please help.
Answer:
The problem with your gauges may be a faulty
voltage limiter.
The problem with your door locks may be a faulty
door lock actuator.
Question:
2002 Dodge Caravan mileage: 70,000.
Yesterday started van, none of the gauges work,
speedometer etc.
Van runs fine.
Pulled out of parking place all lights flashed (dash
indicators) then everything ok.
Today nothing reads but van runs fine.
Is it safe to drive what can I do?
Answer:
All the gauges are controlled by the computer.
Scan it for fault codes.
The information should pinpoint the malfunctioning
component.
Question:
2001 Toyota Avalon mileage: 30,000.
My car has a digital instrument cluster
(speedometer, odometer, fuel indicator, etc.).
The problem is that it only works when it wants to.
It will come on and go black, intermittently.
When it is on, it tends to flicker.
Is this some type of loose connection or does the
entire unit have to be replaced?
Answer: Yes, the entire instrument
cluster unit should be replaced.
Question:
2004 Ford F-250 mileage: 94,000.
My digital dashboard is out.
For the last year, it would go off and on every few
months. Now
it is off it seems for good how do I check for loose
connection or replacement?
Answer: From what you describe, your
dash gauge cluster has failed and must be replaced.
Question:
2002 Ford Taurus, miles: 67,300. The display on the dash
(all the information like the speed, how high the engine
is revving, etc) is a digital and the lights are so dim
that it is incredibly hard to read any information from
the dash, especially the speed, at night.
How do you brighten the lights on the dash?
Answer:
Replace the dash lights behind the liquid crystal
display.
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