Chrysler Repair: T&C van - electrical - gauge lights, illumination level, orange wire

Question
2001 Town & Country - Picked it up from the dealers and the back lighting for the speedometer, tachometer, temperature and fuel are not working.

Is there a fuse?

Is this a warning for some other problem?

How do I check the connections, wiring, LED?

Thanks for the help!

Answer
Hi Dan,
I don't have a manual for the 2001 (my newest is 1998) so I can't be sure what is shows applies to your van. But there are shown to be about a total of 7 bulbs for cluster illumination. These are all powered from the body computer but also I notice that all the other panel lights for other modules like the AC control panel are also powered from that same source, so if the other panel lights work it means that the power source is ok. The power is supposed to arrive on pin 6 of the cluster plug (orange wire) and the ground for the bulb is on pin 13. So you could check those two to see if 6 has a variable voltage (depending upon illumination level selected) and pin 13 is grounded. Then too the bulbs could be burned out. I doubt this problem has greater implications than appears on its surface.
The fuse would be one of several powering the body computer but I suspect that unless all the other panels don't have light as well that the issue is with the cluster. I have heard that the plug/printed circuit board connections to the cluster have been problemmatic, so you might want to resolder the circuit board connections to the pins in question or all the pins for that module.
Roland