Chrysler Repair: 98 chrysler concorde lxi all gauges and a/c die after 15 min of driving, chrysler concorde lxi, chrysler concorde


Question
new peice to the puzzle
after evereything shuts off the odometer reads "no Bus"

is the data bus a piece of hardware i can change ?

or do i just change the body computer?
-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
I have a 98 concorde lxi that after a while of driving the gauge cluster and a/c stop working
If you remove battery cable for about 15 minutes
everything will start working again don't know what to change and there are no computer codes

Answer -
Hi Tim,
There are 2 common factors between the gauges and the a/c:  both use the CCD data bus to receive and send information such as the readings of the various gauges and the operative requests for the heating/ventilating/a/c system AND both receive power from fuse #17.
I suspect that there might be a code that detects such a bus failure but that the readout approach that has been taken will not reveal that code. Some owners have noted that these systems are sensitive to temperatures above certain limits (one reported that he solved a transmission problem that of course uses the same bus by moving the transcontroller away from the engine and into the cabin). There is a means of interacting and testing the bus using the Chrysler Diagnostic Readout Box III in association with a body computer diagnotic troubleshooting manual. A competent tech at a dealer should be able to detect this problem if he can replicate it and perhaps identify which component in the system is causing the time-dependent breakdown. This approach is probably more economical compared to guessing and buying parts in the hopes of finding the correct one.
The other possibility that you might check is underdash fuse #17 to see if it could be cracked and intermittant for that reason. That fuse does provide power to both the cluster and the body computer which is involved in the a/c control unit's communication. Also, when the problem is present, check to see if both sides of that fuse's socket are showing 12v compared to ground as a verification of both the fuse and the ignition switch which supplies power to that fuse.
It would be nice if it were the fuse, so let's keep our fingers crossed.
Roland

Answer
Hi Tim,
I suspect, but can't be sure, that the "no bus" at the odometer means that the signals to operate the cluster that are supposed to arrive on the data bus are not being received. A readout with the DRB III would probably give a more exact diagnosis of what specifically is the cause of the failure. As far as what you might check:
Verify that there is 12v on the red/white wire at the cluster (ignition switch "on")
Verify that there is 12v on the pink wire at the ignition cluter
Verify that the violet/brown wire at the cluster plug is connected to the pin at the BCM plug for that same wire,
and similarly the white/black wire.
If all that checks it is more likely that the pc board of the cluster needs to be changed and the gauges recalibrated (using the DRB III) than that the issue is the body control module (bcm)
The above is based on the '98 van manual (bcm troubleshooting) because that is the most contemporary manual I have for your '99 Concorde.
The data bus is a network of components so you need to analyze the circuit that connects all the various parts in order to decide what is wrong. There is no simple single part that will fix it.
My inclination would be to have a dealer/shop with a DRB III do a more specific code readout to narrow the possible causes. Then using the trouble shooting manual for the body systems determine exaxtly what is wrong. I would be hesitant to replace either the body controller or the pc board of the instrument cluster without doing this.
Roland