98' Dash Lost Guages, Radio, Heater Controls..

[GHayduke]

please help - No dash power

Hello,  I'm doing a 88' to 98' conversion (Hayduke's Operation Comanche RePower) and lost dash power.  Before hooking up the 98' doors I could start the engine and the connected guages, odometer, radio, and heater controls all worked fine.

I've been trying to get the dome/interior lights to work- repalced door switches, bulbs, testing wiring, and connected doors, and now the headlight switch controled dash lights work, but the needle guages, odometer, radio and heater controls don't work??? I also never got the dome lights to work via the door switches and when the ingition is on one brake light is on brightly, the ground for that harness is not yet connected,

 

I've checked and improved the grounds, checked & cleaned all fuses, relays, etc. checked that all the plugs are connected well.  & disconnected the dome light & door switches not sure if I missed something...

 

The engine will start and run well and alternator produces 14+ volts at battery.  Earlier the odometer worked but now after much testing it stopped working,  A cluster test confirms everything but the needle guages check out.

 

I exposed the ingnition switch but don't know how to test the 98' style switch? What else do I need to try?  I'm very close to finishing the conversion then this happens...Very frustrated at this point as the dash was all in, and now it's all torn down again..and the fuse box...and the steering column.... :fs1:

 

I've looked on the Cherokee sites and no solution yet... Any help greatly appreaciated !!!!

My focus is getting the dash working again as the dome light can wait!

[Alexia]

Take the left and right dash side covers off.  There a few grounds behind the metal dash frame there.  If those are broken then all of the above issues can occur.

[GHayduke]

update-  just needle guages not working !

 

I checked and regrounded the dash grounds on the passenger side (adding additonal ground wires to firewall) & found some loose connectors at fuse box.  I now have power to the radio and heater controls, but still no dash guages working.  The odometer now reads again as well.

 

A cluster diagnostic test now confirms everything works including guages so it's not the cluster itself.  I unplugged and cleaned (with electronics cleaner) the cluster & plugs, the PCM, Trans/engine connectors at left rear of engine and under dash connectors including the TCM connector several times.  My friend Zac said the guage cluster factory original plugs looked a little "whored out" so we used a pick to close em to confirm a good connection. We also checked continuity on the pink & white/purple twisted pair bus lines and confirmed we couldn't find any issues / breaks.

 

No check engine lights displayed but we checked for trouble codes and found P1698?  What do I check related to this code?

 

Does the Airbag control module need to be plugged in if I'm not using the airbags?  The airbags were deployed when I got the donor vehicle. The module was not plugged in before and guages worked fine.

[GHayduke]

No Guages issue Resolved - interchangable plugs found !

Update- I resolved the no guages, the interior lights, and the rear signal bulb 'on' issue.  After much testing of the computer BUS lines and getting changing inconsistant readings a friend pulled the fuse box to test it & then reviewed all the connectors in the service manual as he coundn't figure out how the signal got to the fuse box, and then on to the dome light circuit board.

 

We both thought that the plugs were all unique and you couldn't plug them in wrong at the fuse box but this is not true on the 98'!

The below two top plugs will interchange.

 

 

One goes into the fuse box and the other goes into a wiring plug.  I colored one green (in sharpie marker) and the others red in case I unplug them again.  One (green) goes into the fuse box at the bottom below the two relays.  The other (red) goes together to the right or towards the rear side of the fuse box!

 

 

Hopefully documenting this will save the next guy some trouble as my whole interior is out again...