1999 Chrysler Town & Country Instrument Cluster Repair No Crank No Start
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2024
- Many Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge mini vans (Town and Country, Voyager, Caravan) are plagued with cracked solder joints at a multi wire connector located behind the dash instrument cluster causing the engine to not crank over and therefore not start or run.
(I believe that this setup will be the same for all 1998, 1999, and 2000 Chrysler Town & Country mini vans, Dodge Caravans, and Plymouth Voyagers for the same years. Other years may be similar too.)
Here is a video of me repairing this problem.
I hope that this video helps you fix your own mini van.
DISCLAIMER: There are many things that can cause a vehicle to not crank over the engine and/or cause it to not start. This is just one problem that could cause this problem. This video is offered as a possible help for your vehicle and not a guarantee of any kind.
OTHER "TRICKS" that has helped with this problem:
1. Rolling the vehicle in neutral for about a block.
2. Smacking the dash just to the right of the information panel.
3. Shifting the trans. back and forth from Park to Drive and back several times.
4. Banging up and down the steering column (this was the least effective method, but worked a few times)
5. Soldering the joints behind the instrument cluster.
6. Unplugging the battery and letting the car sit for a day or two.
7. and FINALLY, replacing the BCM (Body Control Module).
In the end, GOOD LUCK with your car. :)
Filmed by: Brook Nuttall
Edited by: Brook Nuttall
Copyright: 2016 All Rights Reserved.
Background Music:
"Sugar And Spice" (Instrumental)
Performed by: Sugar & Spice
Copyright: 2010 and 2016. All Rights Reserved.
I was about to sent my cluster away for repair when I saw your video. I checked the solder joints you talked about and found several cracked joints. I re-soldered them and that eliminated my problem, which was none of the back lights in the cluster were working. Thank you so much for posting this, It saved me time and $$$$.
Thanks very informative and in lighting. Well done.
I was about to fire sale my van. Ive spent thousands on this issue. BCMs and ECMs. Dealer said they were bad computer modules..... This is one of the best Utube videos I have watched on DIY projects. Most forget to tell you about some screws or hidden bolts ect. You nailed it !!!
Thanks for posting this informative video. I have a 1998 Chrysler Grand Voyager minivan that unfortunately developed the same problem. I will be watching this so I have a project to do.
Cannot thank you enough! After diagnosing a ground fault in the cluster, I was expecting to go pull one out of a salvage yard, but I came across your vid. After thorough inspection I found two cracked solder joints, repaired as you directed, and we have the van and my football Sunday back. Thank you immensely for the time to put this together and the information provided within.
By far the best how to video to correct this issue. Thanks 👍
Thank you for sowing the correct, and simple way of correcting several problems that help one from having to replace the primary on board computer.
Awesome...thanks! You are a genius...now I can fix my MANVAN II. 99' T & C. My hands are too old to pound the dash much more😅
Excellent watched several other videos yours was the best to follow. Wish I would have fixed it a year ago. Fairly easy
Fantastic job, your video took the mystery out of what I thought was going to be a BIG project on my daughters 1999 grand caravan. It lead me through the entire fix from start to finish. Thanks so much!!!!
saved my van from the junkyard!!! thanks so much
Hey thanks for the video ! Fixed my wifes van with simple soldering something that Chrysler should have done and spend the xtra 10 cents!
The removal of lead from solder due to environmental issues makes the solder less flexible and prone to cracking. Those joints were done the old fashioned way as they would have been with leaded solder. The way the author does it domes the solder and adds thickness throughout.
I have the exact same problem and after several months of pounding the dash to reestablish the connection, the connector has given up the ghost. I watched another author do a 2000 model and it was much easier than removing all the stuff the author says to remove to get to the meat of the matter, but when I went out to try the 2000 version of the repair, I found the panels are attached in such a manner to require all the steps the author performed in this video.
I'll be using this video to help me with my repair tomorrow.
This was the best video I found. If there is another better I overlooked it. Good close ups of solder joints and overall very well filmed and narrated. I have to do this tomorrow.
Hey man! thanks for this video! My '98 Caravan had the same problem. I could sometimes get it to start and run, by smacking the dash board! I knew I was going to have to remove the dash, and deal with some connection thing but wasn't sure how. Your video gave me the answer! All i had to do was re-solder the joint. I had the same exact cold joint as yours. and I re-soldered them all too. Thanks again!
Thank you soooo much!! I fo;;owed your instructions and it worked perfectly!! Van is starting every time and all of my gauges are working properly now! You are the best!! Very easy to follow and understand - and no time wasting BS!!
Great Directions!! Followed them and have resolved instrument cluster problems. The most complete and easy to follow directions I found
Informative video but the background noise is very distracting. With the symbol clashing and all that other noise makes it very difficult to hear what's going on
I came for the repair I stayed for the music. I did find myself hoping for some cowbell though.
On Chrysler 2000 town and country LXi model, the screws on the back of teh gauge assembly may be T15s. That's what mine were and it's a stock cluster as far as I know. Another note. On a temperature controlled soldering station, takes 300C to evenly melt the factory solder. Seen a lot of dirt lift out of the solder when doing mine so a high tech rosin core solder is a good idea to chase out dirt in the connection and a wet sponge after every pin to make sure the iron tip stays clean. If you don't chase out the dirt, chances are you'll be fixing the same problem again in a few months.
*** Important Note on this repair ***
This repair worked right away as seen in the video. But then after about 5 starts, it wouldn't start - same problem as before.
I was told that the BCM (Body Control Module) thinks that the car is being stolen, so it shuts the ignition system off.
So this time, I had the car towed, and while it was being towed, I tried starting the car while rolling down the street in neutral.
It worked!
Again about 5 starts later, no start.
So I towed it again, and this time I tried starting it right away. I found that it only needs about 1 block of the wheels turning and whatever is causing it, goes away and the car will start.
Then again, about 5 starts later, no start.
This time, I was on a hill. I rolled the car down and within 1 block of rolling, the car started.
Then I had no problem starting the car for about 200 starts. (several months later)
I was convinced that the problem was solved.
But alas, it did it again - no start.
But this time, I spotted something...
Just as I turned the key switch on, I saw that the gear shift indicator light lit up the "R" for a very fast SPLIT second instead of the "P" for park. Then it immediately lit up the "P" for the rest of the time. (This happened even though the shifter was clearly all the way up in the Park position.)
Tricky bastard!
The car thought it was in "Reverse" and as most people know, the car will not start in Reverse!
So I fiddled with the gear shifter for a minute, trying to make sure that it was truly in "park."
And it worked!
It did it to me again about 50-60 starts later, and I fiddled with the shifter again, and it worked again!
I hope that this long explanation will help someone out there.
I acknowledge that there are a lot of reasons that can cause these same symptoms, but so far, this is what has worked for my car.
UPDATE: It has been about a year since my last update on this car. I have used this car regularly from my last post to about February (about 5-6 months). Then it gave me more trouble with the no crank no start problem. This time, there was nothing, no trick, no fiddling, or smacking the dash, nothing at all would get the car to start again. So I finally broke down and replaced the BCM (Body Control Module). It fixed the problem and the car is running again.
So after over a year fiddling around with this problem, and getting it to work for a while between temporary fixes, my final analysis of this problem is that the dash solder joints were very likely part of the problem, and all of the rest of the "tricks" (pounding on dash, gear shifter, rolling for a block, etc.) were just things to get the BCM to reset or something similar to that.
One thing is for sure, once your car starts this problem, it can be a pain to track down what is the real cause of it.
So good luck in your diagnosis of your car. I hope that my experience will help you with your car.
@@enjoylifebutbegood Thank you so very much for all this info!!!!! I have replaced the ECM and I am still getting the instrument panel not working about once a week. I have discovered banging on the dash just top left of the panel about a foot in is doing the trick. Will definitely go for the solder connections and hope that does it. I do not know if I have anti-theft working on the 1998 Town & Country because the keyfobs do not work. I am really hoping I don't end up needing a BCM too.
@@whatfayesay6607 Hi. My van was not cutting off, only losing the instrument panel. Re-soldering the connections in the panel did the trick, absolutely no issues since I did it. I can't comment on the issue you are having as I am not a mechanic, sorry. It does sound like they tried to fix it inexpensively to start which wold lead me to trust their opinion.
UPDATE: I did this fix and the instrument panel has been 100% fixed ever since! Thank you so much for this video!!!
@@whatfayesay6607 You are referring to an issue that is not covered in this video. This video is about soldering the instrument panel itself, not an electrical connection going to it.
Great video and follow up notes.
Thank You... You should be an instructor. I followed everything you did and it worked perfect.******
best video on this job great job thanks
Very nicely done!
Excellent video . Thank you Sir.
Did the alarm set light flash and beep also?
Looks great. You're hired.
Wished you had addressed the no crank symptom before jumping to replacing the cluster panel.
For instance did you ground the negative side of the starter relay to verify starter worked?
Did you verify Autoshutdown (ASD) relay was properly working ?
How did you isolate the problem to the cluster dash panel for a No Crank No Start issue ?
I tested the ASD with a new one prior to this repair, and I checked wires to the starter first.
@@enjoylifebutbegood
Hi, I am having no start no crank issue,
I grounded the started relay separately and it started cranking but no start.
My instrument panel has been halfway dim and acting up for a while. Could this be the cause?? Your opinion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Exelente muchas gracias
While researching similar issues in my 2001 T&C....I found a lot of people stating that the soldering connections on the instrument cluster to be the culprit. My problem was intermittent in that sometime it would crank up , start and run for a couple seconds to a couple days...while at other times it would just crank. My point here however is that after i disconnected and removed the instrument cluster......my van would still crank and run at times (same as before). If the thing doesnt even need to be connected to crank and or run....how can faulty soldering ever be the culprit?
After dealing with this issue for years now, I am pretty convinced that there are a multitude of things that can cause this same problem. However, I believe that most of them are linked to the Body Control Module and so if the BCM isn't getting the correct readings or the BCM is defective, then this would explain how different remedies will work, or not work.
My van wont change gears its will run but then it will turn of any idea what it mite be
That’s how the bulbs are replaced?
Awesome job on the Video
I found the shifter thing right away. I've had a lot of cars and sometimes I found starting problems there. my wife's car started a few times rather quickly by going through the gears and to park and ignite. It's getting more illusive tho. Her tranny was hard shifting now I THINK it's in the neutral switch, may have slid the shifter a bit underneath. It's 26° today here, not going in.
Thanks
Well I'm having a no crank no start issue
i need a newdashbord my van runs but my alarm kicks in
Nice tutorial.
BUT... you've gotta lose the background music/noise.
That exceedingly stupid looping sound track gets old the first time around. After that, it's becomes downright tedious. Repeating that same loop 25 times is a great way to ward off viewers. I quit half way through your video.
No music is necessary.
just sayin'
Wtf is this soundtrack that he put to this video lmaoo. It was driving me nuts. Why is it even on this video lol.
It literally bothered me the whole video.