Ok i have a 98 cherokee 4.0 automatic. When we bought this vehicle about three times the gauges stopped working and the air bag came on. But it cleared after a day. A few months ago i had to pull the dash back (did not disconnect wires) to change heater core and replace rear engine freeze plug. Put dash back started it up and all ran and worked fine the gauges did too. We notice the temp gauge goign up so we realized we had to replace the thermostat which we did. started it up and gauges stopped working. I did also put a new optima battery in it prior to starting. Well ists still not workign i have doen everythign from checking wires the grounds and pull cluster and cleaning connections even tried a 2000 wrangler gauge that didnt work.
My buddy is letting m,e try his 99 cherokee gauge tommorow so we will see this.
On a side note everythign else works electriocally

Also i broguht to my buddy who owns a garage he went to attach computer and it would not communicate with jeep ,
Can this be a jeep computer issue?
Im a jeep JK guy i own a 9/11 tribute jeep wrangler called jk343 so cherokees are out of my league im desperate to get this fixed
please any help
tom

 

The next time the gauges go inop hit the top of the dash over the instrument cluster to see if they come back to life. If so, the docking connectors on the dash frame may be bad. There's a Chrysler TSB to replace the connectors. If hitting the dash does not make the gauges come back there's another issue somewhere. You've done alot of work that may have caused the problem.

Did you have the steering column electrical connectors disconnected when you did the heater core? It may be an issue with the clockspring.

Could be a number of things but I don't think it's a PCM problem.

 

we did not disconnect any wires at all and like i said everything back together and it worked then didnt the second time. I have tried the hit. and i have tried diff clusters, all wires look good. All fuses replaced i ahve a buddy thats lettng me try his computer for the heck of it. Cant hurt. LOL

 

Gauge cluster inop need help 98 guages went inop after starting tach temp gas not working checked fuses and now no guages work, did a diagnostic and all passed, all fuses good, have had some issues around fuse pod, but can find none now, checked battery cables, hit and kicked dash, and now after the diag, gas temp oil and voltage all move up to first line, but stay there.

 

I don't know if it's the same on your Jeep, but on my 89 there is a ground wire at the fuse panel that needed refreshing.

Check for a ground at the fuse panel.

 

I had a 98 that did the same exact thing. Disconnect gauge cluster, blow out the harnesses and put dielectric grease on connector. Plug back in and away you go. It's a common issue with the 97+ XJ

 

I can't find the ground wire near the fuse box, and the airbag light has came on, and it wasn't before. And none of my fuses are marked for instrument or gauge cluster, I have a long rectangular fuse box.

 

Try what I said above ^^^