gauges quit after battery changed

berkshire2012 · 08-05-2012, 03:21 PM

2004 jeep wrangler - changed dead battery and gauges quit working on instrument cluster. Checked fuses and replaced just to make sure (behind glove box and in PDC) - no luck. The turn signals and emergency flashers operate - just the gauges and warning lights are out. This happened after the new battery was installed.

Additional symptoms: ignition, radio, a/c, lights, fog lights, turn signals work. Audio warnings don't work for keys in ignition, lights left on.

Is there a fuse on the cluster or between the cluster and the fuse box?

Thank you!

**Dice48** · 08-05-2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berkshire2012

2004 jeep wrangler - changed dead battery and gauges quit working on instrument cluster. Checked fuses and replaced just to make sure (behind glove box and in PDC) - no luck. The turn signals and emergency flashers operate - just the gauges and warning lights are out. This happened after the new battery was installed.

Additional symptoms: ignition, radio, a/c, lights, fog lights, turn signals work. Audio warnings don't work for keys in ignition, lights left on.

Is there a fuse on the cluster or between the cluster and the fuse box?

Thank you!

That is strange. There are no other fuses for the instrument cluster. Should be one behind the dash and one in the box in the engine compartment. After you put the new fuses in did you go back and check to see if they blew again?

berkshire2012 · 08-06-2012, 04:56 AM

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I've checked them several times as I'm hoping it isn't the cluster that has gone bad but.............

**sethhawk1** · 08-06-2012, 05:03 AM

Not sure if this helps but my battery arced against my body while driving and froze my gauges in place. Removed and reinstalled cables and they reset themselves. I would reinstall battery and check to make sure the positive cable insulation is in good shape.

Aduffy32 · 08-07-2012, 01:04 PM

Check or loose grounds. maybe a PO ran a dedicated ground to the negative battery terminal and that happen to come loose when you took off the battery cables...

**keithert** · 08-07-2012, 01:13 PM

If you push the odometer reset while turning the key to ON but not starting the gauge cluster will do a self test.

**Jerry Bransford** · 08-07-2012, 01:26 PM

This may sound strange but use the side of your fist to give a sharp blow or two to the top of the dash above the instrument cluster and see if the gauges come back on. There are two connectors back there that have a history becoming intermittent which stops the gauges from working.

If the gauges come back on, there is fix for that.... let us know.

Firecracker4579 · 08-13-2012, 05:58 AM

I apologize if this doesn't post right (I'm a forum newbie lol) but I have a similar issue, and maybe this will help berkshire too... My gauges knock out too, sporadically, and come back on, sporadically as well. I have found that flicking the high beams and/or honking the horn will bring them back to life, but this doesn't always work. And there's no rhyme or reason to when they DON'T work. Sometimes it's from the start, sometimes they'll drop out while I'm driving. My boyfriend's already had the dash apart, cleaned all the contacts, and checked the fuses. Our next attempt will be to try some dielectric grease, but thought I'd scour the forums first. Any words of wisdom?

bigred33 · 08-13-2012, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

This may sound strange but use the side of your fist to give a sharp blow or two to the top of the dash above the instrument cluster and see if the gauges come back on. There are two connectors back there that have a history becoming intermittent which stops the gauges from working.

If the gauges come back on, there is fix for that.... let us know.

This.

I've found that a good smack on the dash panel under the cluster, about even between the steering wheel and the center stack, does the trick on mine.

**Jerry Bransford** · 08-13-2012, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigred33

This.

I've found that a good smack on the dash panel under the cluster, about even between the steering wheel and the center stack, does the trick on mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firecracker4579

I apologize if this doesn't post right (I'm a forum newbie lol) but I have a similar issue, and maybe this will help berkshire too... My gauges knock out too, sporadically, and come back on, sporadically as well. I have found that flicking the high beams and/or honking the horn will bring them back to life, but this doesn't always work. And there's no rhyme or reason to when they DON'T work. Sometimes it's from the start, sometimes they'll drop out while I'm driving. My boyfriend's already had the dash apart, cleaned all the contacts, and checked the fuses. Our next attempt will be to try some dielectric grease, but thought I'd scour the forums first. Any words of wisdom?

http://www.billhughes.com/mirror/gauges.htm

duhamel17 · 08-13-2012, 11:10 AM

Mine quit working after I installed the harness for the hard top. I tried resetting by disconnecting the battery, but it did not work. I ended up removing the guage cluster and reinstalling it. Havn't had an issue nthe last two years with it. Might be worth a try. Good Luck.

**Stu Olson** · 08-13-2012, 12:54 PM

Check the connectors on your engine computer....they are close to the battery. Hopefully you didn't do something to them while changing out the battery. It is quite the coincidence that this occurred (sounds like you've never had this problem before) right after doing the battery swap.

bigred33 · 08-13-2012, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

http://www.billhughes.com/mirror/gauges.htm

Yup. Cleaned mine a couple times over the years, just punch it in between cleanings. Sometimes a girl likes to get smacked around to get turned on, ha!

berkshire2012 · 09-03-2012, 10:35 AM

Appreciate the suggestions from everyone and wanted to provide an update. Took my Jeep to the dealer - their diagnostic showed a "fried" cluster - very painful. After replacement, all worked great for about a week until one afternoon I noticed the fog light indicator remained on after turning the ignition off. The warning indicator was not buzzing and the light switch was not on! Tapping the turn signal/light switch would cause the fog lights to go on and off. Suspecting a possible short in the combination switch, I went to AutoZone and bought a new combination switch (left side turn signal/lights/fog lights) - about $53. The jeep has been working great now for about a week so either we've solved the problem or my jeep is being sympathetic to the pain it caused my pocket book!

In retrospect the faulty combination switch explains how the battery drained and perhaps how the cluster was fried as well - seems a more likely cause than from changing the battery.

Thank you again for all your suggestions.