QuestionQUESTION: I've got a problem with our '96 Concord very similar to this one: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Chrysler-Repair-807/2010/8/guages-plus-blower-motor-2. You don't happen to have contact info or know how he fixed it, do you?
It started with the radio buttons not working or doing things they're not supposed to. Then the heater control and the gauges went out and it was stuck on front window defrost, always on. After playing with it, it seems like the gauges come back when you disconnect the control wires from the heater control or if you turn the fan speed all the way down to low. It's got automatic temperature control. Moving the fan speed knob doesn't actually change the fan speed though. All of the lights are out on the controller and nothing you push does anything except for occasionally turning the gauges on the cluster off and on.
My Haynes manual doesn't include any wiring diagram for the blower motor and I'm not sure where to look next. Some of the wires going into the radio look like the insulation has been rubbed off. At one point, the gauges were going off when I squeezed these wires around this point and were coming back on when I tapped them against the console. It doesn't always do this, though.
I am pretty sure that the radio, heater control, and radio wiring harness need to be replaced. I would hate to put any new hardware in there though until I can figure out why the fan speed turns the gauges off.
ANSWER: Hi Don,
I found the earlier questions/answers for the problem that is similar to your situation. Here is a copy of the last communication that I had and the history of that:
You answered this question on 08/12/10
Questioner: W.Jensen
Category: Chrysler Repair
Private: No View Published Answer
Subject: No guages plus blower motor stuck on high
Question: QUESTION: Last week, my 1994 Chrysler Concorde's instrument cluster failed and the blower motor became stuck on high, blowing out a steady stream of hot air. To be precise, the gas, speed odometer, tack odometer, and temperature gauges are all dead (just like the car is turned off (I have Cluster Type C, (see pg. 8E-2 of the 1994 Chrysler Service Manual))). In addition, there is no lights to the A/C Heater Control, it does not respond to any of the buttons, and none of 'idiot lights' come on (e.g. check engine, oil, low gas, etc.). Meaning, I can't even get the check engine light to blink out the error codes because the light doesn't even turn on. These inconveniences, do not hinder the car from being started or driving down the road. Again, to be precise, the lights (both high and low) work, all the turn signals work, dome light works, and the instrument cluster light (that turns on when you turn on the head lights) works. I have checked all the fuses and all are in working order. I have tried two mechanics and they are clueless and expensive. My questions are (1) what should I look at first (powertrain control module (PCM); the body control model (BCM with the bone, gray and black plugs), or the instrument cluster) and is, and for that fact how, the CCD bus is involved in the function of the gas, speed, tack, and temperature gauges, or for that fact, the blower motor and the A/C heater control panel?
ANSWER: Hi W. Jensen,
The power for the cluster function comes from either fuse 9 and fuse 17 in the box behind the left endcap of the dash so I would check those for function (they may look good but can have a subtle crack in the internal wire). The heater/ac control fuse is #6 so check it similarly with a volt/ohm meter. The blower running on high only usually is the sign of a failure of the blower motor resistor block (assuming this is a conventional control) of the blower motor module (if this is a automatic temp control). But the loss of lighting at the control should be remedied first before concluding it is the block/module.
I wouldn't get into the digital issues until I was thoroughly satisfied that I had power to the cluster pins and the ac control pin (pin 6 and 8 of the black plug at the cluster, pin 5 of the blue plug at the ac/heater control, check with the key in the run position). Let me know what you find and we'll go further.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Fuses 6, 9, and 17 are all good, using the ohm side of the meter. I checked the voltage for each fuse. Keep in mind, all the fuse plugs are vertical. The descriptions for each fuse comes off the black plastic cover, found on the left side of the inside of the car, that covers the fuse panel.
Test results...
Fuse#06 = 10a Heater - A/C ATC
With the key off, noting.
With the key on, the meter shows 12.27 volts only on the bottom fuse plug.
Nothing on the top fuse plug.
Fuse#09 = 15a Illum Lamps - Park Lamps
With the key off, the meter shows 12.25 volts on the top fuse plug.
Nothing on the bottom fuse plug.
Fuse#17 = 5a Gauges - P R N D L
With the key off, noting.
With the key on, the meter shows 12.18 volts on the top fuse plug.
Nothing on the bottom fuse plug.
What's next?
ANSWER: If one side of a fuse shows 12v compared to chassis ground (any shiney metal surface of the body) then the other side has to show 12v unless it is blown out. It seems contradictory to me that you say that you tested the fuses by ohm measurements and found them good (did you remove the fuses from their sockets?). So please look again in that manner.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Allow me to clarify, the fuses were pulled checked for continuity. All the fuses are good. With the fuse removed, a meter was used to see if there was any voltage going to the fuse plug in question. As described above, the three fuse plugs all had power and we now know which side of the fuse plug the power comes into.
Answer: Then check the pins at the plugs of the ac/heater control and at the instrument cluster for 12v that I referenced, and also verify that the black wire on any of those plugs is indeed 0 ohms to ground. If the basic power circuits are thus found to be good, then the units that they control are in question. By the way, is this an automatic or conventional temperature control type unit?
The ccd bus is needed for the gauges to operate and for the ac control to function so that is the next step. The fact that the blower control and dash went out together suggests that is a distinct possibility. Have you tried for fault codes using the ignition key? On-off-on-off-on and leave on, doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time; then count the flashes of the check engine lignt if will flash, pause, flash, etc. Tell me the counts in order of appearance. Finally, also check fuse 14 in the dash fuse box as that powers the BCM which may be involved in the ccd bus performance question. One possibility is that the ac controller has failed (based on lack of lights/blower control) and that took 'out' the bcm communication to the cluster. You might try pulling the plugs on the ac control and then see if the cluster starts working again.
Another possibility, if this all began after a car wash or heavy rain, is that water leaked down from the windshield onto the top of the bcm and shorted out the ccd bus wires. If that were the case you could remove the 3 plugs and spray the sockets with electrical contact cleaner which will evaporate any water residue.
Roland
END OF EARLIER SIMILAR QUESTION
Continuing:
As for the radio, at this point I would simply unplug it and make sure that none of the wires in the harness are touching eachother so as to cause a short nor touching any metal where they might short to ground. The radio is for the most part separate from the circuitry of the cluster and the ATC control panel.
I would recommend that you follow the suggestions that I gave to W. Jensen and report back to me as to what you learn from that. Once we are satisfied that you have power to the cluster and to ATC control we can then take up the assessment of the digital communication issues that are shared by those two units. The power module of the heater blower is probably blown so that is one thing you might look for in a wrecking yard. For the time being I would suggest that you disconnect both plugs to that module which is located on the lower right side of the under-dash HVAC housing. It would be helpful to remove the lower edge of the dash on the right side for better access. You will find that the module has two plugs, one coming from the ATC control panel and one coming from the blower motor nearby.
Please let me know what happens as you go through the assessment of the fuses, etc.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer. Thanks
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Roland,
Thank you for your response. The ATC is getting 12V on the white wire and 2.5V on both of the white/black and purple/brown. I misspoke before, the ATC actually has lights on, its just the digital read-out that is dead.
The cluster is actually on at the moment. It was turning off before when I turned the fan speed knob, but that is no longer happening. I was able to get them to come back on temporarily a few times by tapping the ATC control and now they seem to be back on permanently.
AnswerHi Don,
If the main problem is the ATC not showing anything on the readout then I believe the problem is internal to the ATC controller. So take a look inside to see if there is a 'wet' area under one of the electrolytics which would suggest changing it out. If you can get that display fixed you might find that the blower module is OK so hold off on replacing that.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer. Thanks
