Chrysler Repair: Instrument Cluster flakey: 97 JXi, jumper wires, body control module

Question
I have a '97 Sebring JXi.  Right now I can't pass an inspection because the check engine light won't illuminate when the key is first turned.  Also high beam light won't come on.  I know it's not bulbs because I have swapped in iluminate lights for these two positions.  There has been all kinds of crazy IP problems, this is the current.  Some times the little computer display won't shut off and the battery is drained in the morning.  Sometimes the speedometer won't work.  The first symptom was the tach was working backwards (on the wrong side of the pin and moving counter clockwise with RPM.  

Do you think this might be a body control module, or do you think IP cluster as most likely culprit.

Answer
Hi RJ,
I suspect the ip circuit board has some cracks in its traces, but try doing a self-diagnostic test. Press and hold the odometer trip reset button, then turn the key from the off to the run position and then release the button. Cluster should go through 4 different tests of the gauges and all of the warning lights. If it doesn't then instead do the same routine except this time turn the key thru the run position and to the start position, start it as normal, leave running, then release the trip reset button. One way or the other the self-test should run. If only the check engine light doesn't work, but other warning lights do work, and you are sure that the bulb is good, then I would look at the traces for that bulb and put in wire splices between the two ends of the trace using solder to attach the jumper wires. See if that gets the check engine light to run.
The functioning of the gauges and the warning lights is all done by the digital data bus pair of wires that come from the body control module, so if any of these work the data wires are OK and probably so too is the bcm, although you can only be sure of the bcm by using a Chrysler Diagnostic Readout box and using it to ask for all the warning lights to go on, and if the check engine still doesn't and the bulb/wirinng to it are good, then the bcm is the issue.
So let me know how it works out for you.
Roland
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