1998 Dodge Caravan Instrument cluster failure

JSBLACKLEDGE

MEMBER
1998 DODGE CARAVAN
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
120,000 MILES

Instrument cluster fails intermitently. This includes speedometer, tach, gas, temp. Service engine and ABS lights stay on when instruments go out. Brought it to the dealership and they could not get it to fail. I have found research on the internet that says hit dashboard on both sides of steering wheel. This worked for about 1 month. It started by going out on short commutes and now has been out for over a week. Hooked up code scanner and received the following message: "PCM Fault no CCD Message from TCM".

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

1 Reply

SVENSKABILEN

MEMBER
1 POST

I have had the same problem with my 99 Grand Caravan. Also in my van, the overhead console lost all its info (other than compass & temp), and the rear windshield wiper stopped working. I took it to my repair place (not a dealer) and they could not figure it out, but were able to get it to work by pounding the dash. This was back in April, so all summer we drove with the instrument going on and off. Finally, we could not get it to work by pounding any longer. The guys in the garage suggested to get a new BCM (body control module), and that they would put in a used one. This was considerably cheaper than a new (duh!), And although everything I read about that, suggested NEVER to get a used one, I did not heed that advice. Well, they put it in, and. Nothing. The guys at the garage were at a loss, gave me the advice to take it to he dealer. Well, I'm too cheep for that, so we drove for a while, without instruments. One day I hit it really hard, and it came back on. Knowing very little about cars and nothing about electricity, I figured that if you pound the dash to make it come on, it must be something close by there that is jarred, not something in the engine compartment. Asking a co-worker for help, we tore the instrument cluster out of there (pretty simple, but the parking brake wire was the most time consuming to get back in place). Well, we had full power coming to the instrument cluster, but nothing going through it, so I bought a used instrument cluster from a salvage yard, popped it in and. EVERYTHING WORKS.
So for $45.00 for the instrument cluster we are back in business.

Hope you can find a cheap fix also!