Hey guys so my gauges quit working when the XJ gets to running temp on cold and hot days. The Airbag light comes on, the tach and speedo drop to 0 then might kick back on and the airbag lights goes off then it happens again. It seems like the other gushes freeze in place like the temp, gas, oil pressure. Any thoughts? I've never taken a dash apart so any help would be great I got the next 4 days off work.
This has been a problem for months and it didn't do it a lot when it was colder out but does it more now.


Video should work
It's a 98 4.0 limited aw4 if that matters

 

Firewall grounds or PCM.

 

It's not hard to get the cluster out. The trickiest part is the headlight switch.

Unplug negative of battery. Pull the bracket around the radio/climate control. Four screws there. Two or three screws under the steering wheel kick plate. The headlight switch has a small button that must be depressed before the handle comes off. Then you can remove the plastic surrounding the cluster. Four screws and the cluster is off.

Try cleaning the contacts with CRC Lectra Motive electric cleaner. Reseat, put everything back together and see if that works. If not your cluster may be dead. You can find one at a local pick and pull probably.

 

[QUOTE=Muaddib420;2431944]It's not hard to get the cluster out. The trickiest part is the headlight switch.

Unplug negative of battery. Pull the bracket around the radio/climate control. Four screws there. Two or three screws under the steering wheel kick plate. The headlight switch has a small button that must be depressed before the handle comes off. Then you can remove the plastic surrounding the cluster. Four screws and the cluster is off.

Try cleaning the contacts with CRC Lectra Motive electric cleaner. Reseat, put everything back together and see if that works. If not your cluster may be dead. You can find one at a local pick and pull probably.[/QUOTE I just went through this nightmare, the lights in the cluster would work but gauges would not ., It was driveing me crazy and I was standing in front of the truck takeing a mental health break lol and saw the harness that goes off the main harness on the pass side by the blower motor had a little greenish color on it. It is a nylon piece of wrapping around the wires that is vel cro closed . I opened it and their was a pink wire maybe a 14 gauge wire broken.. I cut it back soldered it, shrink wraped it and it works perfect I had that cluster out at least 5 times to clean it nothing dont know why or how it broke but sure was happy to find it.. while I had the cluster out I put some shims under the plugs so they are now nice and tight and I know they are making a good solid connection .. I used zip ties cut some small pieces to fit under the tabs of the plugs from side to side one under each about 1 1/2 in long in between the black mounting "frame" and the bottom of the plug where it sits on the frame from left to right both on top and bottom of the plug..4 little strips total will do both plugs hope it works for you Oh mine is a 99..

 

Thanks for the input guys. I plan I hopefully getting into it tomorrow.