Problems with new Cherokee

[IdeaMan]

Just purchased a 1998 Cherokee 4.0 4x4 at the used car dealership I work at. None of the gauges work: Battery/Alternator, Fuel, Temp, RPM, Speedo, Oil Pressure and the check engine light does not come on when you turn the key on like it's designed to (to show you it's working). The other lights like ABS, Airbag, Check Gauges, the little seatbelt guy... they do come on with the key turned on. When running, the Jeep sounds like it's running great. I have a 1997 so I have something to compare to. Also, the airbag light stays on all the time. What do you guys think might be wrong here? Are we looking at a whole cluster of gauges and if so... do you think that will solve all these issues or just some? Is there a fuse I should be looking for? Any advice would be great!

[96CheroKeeClassik]

Well, oddly enough the 98 I purchased three days ago has almost the exact same problem and after doing some research on here I found that its a fairly common problem on the 97+ models. Mine does what your explaining every once in a while and then fixes itself after a few minutes. If you do a search on "airbag light" or "dead gauges" or things of that nature you will find an abundance of information about this problem.

Just to get you started though, I have read that it is a issue of the self docking connectors on the back of the gauge cluster becoming corroded, loose, etc. Most everyone has said its much easier and cheaper to do it yourself than have a dealer do it. (ha, what isn't?) I haven't had time to do mine yet (hopefully this weekend) but I've read that you should remove the dash panels and all that, and then remove the cluster. Clean off the corroded connectors, and put dielectric grease on them and all should be well. If this doesn't work for you, there are a different type of plug a dealer can "upgrade" yours with and these are supposedly the proper fix. Hope this helps.

[88XJSport]

I know what is wrong with your cherokee. It happens to be a very common problem with cherokee's of the year 97+. What happened, is over time, where the wiring harness plugs into the gauge cluster gets corroded over time, and looses contact. What you need to do is take off the surrounding cover around the gauges, take out the whole cluster, unplug the harnesses, and clean them (toothbrush or whatver), before plugging them back in, take some dielectric grease and cover the contact points that is metal. (remember this is where it corrodes.) NOW, take a flashlight and shine on the face of the cluster to find the check engine light area. When you find it, go behind your cluster and pull the bulb out. It should be a 1/3rd of a turn and should come out. Look at the bulb, it may be blackened, or filament broken. If so replace the bulb. (I dont know what size off the top of my head though)Plug everything back in, and start the truck. The gauges should work. Thats about all the help i can give on the check engine light problem, but anyways, good luck!!!

[88XJSport]

Beat me to ya!

[IdeaMan]

Any tips I should know about before I tear into this dash?

[88XJSport]

Just disconnect the battery, thats all i can think of.

[RWB214]

I'm having this problem right now.. took it all apart and cleaned/greased it.. still no worky?

[88XJSport]

I heard there is a technical service bulletin on the problem. Take it to the jeep dealer and they will put in a beefier harness in. Good Luck.

[PavementPounder]

NO: 08-15-99
SUBJECT: Erratic, Intermittent Cluster Operation/Intermittent Air Bag Warning light.
DATE: May 21, 1999

OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves installing a repair harness containing a revised instrument cluster connector.

SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent illumination of the air bag warning light or an intermittent tachometer or speedometer drop out. An Airbag Electronic Control Module (AECM) fault code -"No Cluster CCD BUS " message will be present.

DIAGNOSIS:
This condition is caused by minor oxidation of the BUS circuit terminals at the instrument cluster connector. Electrical terminals will show signs of oxidation, which will appear as darkened lines or marks on the cluster male terminals. These often appear as gray or black marks rather than the appearance of oxidation or corrosion usually associated with higher current carrying circuits. THIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WILL NOT ADDRESS FUEL OR OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ISSUES.

PARTS REQUIRED:
Part No. Description
105016261AA Cluster Connector Patch Harness
104856975 Electric Contact Cleaner
204778570 Heat Shrink Tubing


REPAIR PROCEDURE:
Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Remove the instrument cluster using the procedures outlined in the appropriate servicemanual.
Inspect the male terminals of pins 1 & 2 on the instrument cluster connector labeled CNB. The oxidation will appear as gray or black lines or marks on the terminals. If any signs of oxidation are present, remove them by gently scraping the terminals with a small flat bladed screw driver until the oxidation is gone. Use of a magnifying glass may be helpful. Use caution when performing this operation. Do not apply excessive force to the terminals to avoid bending them or damaging the cluster or terminals. Do not use a sharp tool, knife or sand paper, which could remove the protective plating from the terminals. Do not use any cleaner other than p/n 04856975. Other chemical cleaners could damage the instrument cluster.
Clean the male terminals with Electrical Contact cleaner, p/n 04856975. Apply the cleaner sparingly holding the cluster with the connector facing down to avoid excessive amount of cleaner from entering the cluster.
Remove the green cluster connector from the bracket.
Using wire cutters, remove the instrument cluster harness connector from the harness. Remove only the connector containing the BUS circuit This connector is labeled CBA on the cluster. Cut the wires as close to the insulator as possible.
The new connector must be soldered onto the harness. This operation requires a technician who is skilled at soldering to avoid a cold solder joint. Position the harness and align the wires with the patch harness, matching the color codes match the main wire colors. NOTE: THE XJ INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTAINS ONE MORE CIRCUIT IN THIS CONNECTOR THAN THE TJ. CUT THE UNUSED WIRE CLOSE TO THE CONNECTOR ON TJ MODELS.
Stagger cut the main harness and patch harness wires so that the solder joints will be 1/2 inch apart. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the wires. The new harness will have a dark blue with no tracer. This will mate with a dark blue wire with a green tracer on TJ and with a dark blue wire with a white tracer on XJ.
Slide a piece of heat shrink tubing over the wires and twist the wires together for each respective circuit.
Solder each circuit using rosin core solder. Be sure to heat the wire enough to allow the solder to melt when it comes in contact with wire. Do not use acid core solder.
Position the heat shrink tubing over the solder joints and shrink the tubing using a heat gun.
Install the connector to the bracket.
Install the instrument cluster.
Connect the battery cable.
Verify correct operation of the cluster.
POLICY:
Reimbursable within the provisions of the warranty.

TIME ALLOWANCE:
Labor Op. No.Time08-90-90-910.6 Hrs.

FAILURE CODE:
CodeDescriptionP8New Part

[dyna]

Seems to be a given on the YJ/TJ`s, everyone bitches about it. They say just smack the dash and the`ll come back on.

[mhopton]

Same problem here - took 30 minutes last sat to pop out gauges, clean, grease and put everything back together.

Works great now. Procedure outlined above is $165 at the stealership.

[nyjunkyarddog]

This is great! I've been driving a 1998 XJ for about two months, and the gauges drop out from time to time, now I know why. It's fun having the speedo cut back in and whip up to 80 or 90 MPH. I thought it would be a great excuse for speeding, but I'll guess I'll take the 30 minutes to fix it. Thanks for the info.

[Evan463]

and if the cleaning dosent work you can get new conections ( i got some from a dealer for free but ended up not useing them... so there lost in the abyss of my garage)