Intrepid (1994) loose wire to the gauges?

Sometimes they don't light up and activate at all, sometimes they come
on eventually, sometimes they work no problems. Headlights work, clock
and radio work. What stays dark are the gear indicator lights, the MPH/
Tachometer/Engine temp. gauges, and the odomoeter.

I am guessing the wires are loose or need to be replaced. Only started
happening a couple days ago, it has been intermittent. It isn't the
only car I can use so not a major headache, just looking to get it
fixed soon, the Intrepid is my preferred go to car for commuting
around town.

 

If you don't mind pulling the instrument cluster out, you could reseat
the connections. My guess is a bad ground, since that is typically what
multiple items have in common. The gauges in modern cars are driven by
the PCM/ECU, so it's also possible the problem is on that end of the link.

HTH

 

OK. I'll take a look at that and see if I can "wiggle" it back to
goodness. That would be much better than having it be the electronic
module.

Thanks Gyz!

 

OK, quick update:

I pulled out the instrument cluster and tried reseating it. The
situation remained unchanged; turn signal arows blinked but none of
the dials or the odometer powered up. (It did go on a couple times
going down the road, but 99 percent of the time it isn't working.)
Then I checked the clips and wires as far as I could see behind the
panel, I popped out the little connector boxes and checked the wire
leads into them, they looked OK. No luck there as far as finding a
cause. Finally I checked the fuse box, and replaced the fuse to the
gauges with the backup "5" fuse from the backup board. (Really cool of
them to have a set of backups, one of each type, clipped onto the
plastic access panel "just in case.") No luck there. Either I got two
bad fuses in a row or that's not the problem. Hm.

I tried to check the wires that went from the engine compartment into
the holes in the firewall, they were oily but looked intact, jiggling
them isn't doing much of anything. So I wonder if I need to take it
in. Hm.