The dashboard has been going bad since 1995. I’ve taken it to the “dealer” 10 time because local people tell me they don’t work on dashboards. I have paid this hated dealer over $1,500 but it is not fixed. When it happens and I have to have some work done on the car - the dashboard come back on! (the repair person does nothing to fix it either) New Ignition, New Starter and Jump dead Battery. Before each the Dashboard was not working, and after it was fine. It takes 5-6 months to go bad. NO MPH, RPM or Mileage. Gears show D 3 L. Help!
allpar.com may be a helpful place. There is a minivan forum. I have found it helpful. Post your inquiry there. Someone there may know about this problem.
http://www.allpar.com/fix/gauges.html possibly a ccd com buss problem
I think the dash areas you mention are controlled by the body control module. From your discription I would be checking for a bad connection, possibly power, to the dash. You have paid a lot of money for no results in a fix for this. I recommend you invest in a factory service manual to help you solve this problem.
What has the dealer done for your $1,500? You mention that the repair person does nothing and it works again. Are they charging you by the hour to do nothing? Also is it a 95 or a 97?
The link was for a '92 Town & Country, since I have a '97 I doubt it will apply.
5/18/05 - Inspected wiring , found VT/BR wire from PCM to TCM behind left headlight shorted. frayed repaired wiring and tightened connectors at dash cluster $429.83
11/23/05 - Found brown wire from ABS Harness grounded traced wiring and repaired wire as needed - $599.97
1/13/06 - Board ins 8019015 FP Number 4874440 - $652.20
1/31/06 Found internal failure in Body Control module . replaced body control module. Tested okay. $719.54
These don’t work: RPM, Mileage, Cold/Hot, Empty/Full Gas, and R D L
When I have any work done on the car, not related, it always come back!
When you have unrelated work on the car done does this work require disconnecting the battery? I wonder if they are disconnecting the battery and it resets the BCM or the motherboard on the dash cluster.
~Michael (Dartman69)