For years now the gauge cluster on my 98 xj likes to randomly stop working. Some times its all the gauges some times its just the Speedo and tach. Ive been told its a bad connection at the plug, so i ve used dielectric grease on it many times. Works for a while and its starts all over. its really annoying and i am tired of having to press on the gauge face to make it make good contact to work. Anyone know of a fix for this besides new a new cluster or big $$$?

 

YOu could try to cut and splice a new connector into the harnass but I think that would be a PIA. And of course if its the connector on the back of the gauge then putting a new connector on wont help.

 

thats funny, i just put up the same thread this morning. the connector on the back was a problem for your year, the tj and the dodge trucks also. they also make a pig tail to splice in. that might be it, but my 96 has a different connection i think.

 

OK cool, i will see if my friend can get an alldata on the pigtail and see if that will fix it.

 

probably nothin on all data, there might be a tsb, maybe. if its the same connector as a tj they make a replacement now because of all the problems.

 

Thanks i will look in to that.

 

Call your local Jeep Dealer Parts Dept and see what they can tell you. My Jeep Parts Salesman says the later model XJs had this problem and that there is a new connector to fix the problem. Most likely the same thing JPDocDave is talking about.

 

I will give my parts guy a call tomorrow and see if its available. Its really annoying.

 

My 93 would go off and on... off and on while driving. Then one day it quite.. a week or two later it came back on... then some time later quite again... this time for months! One day it came back on and has stayed that way (knock on wood). Sometimes only a couple of the gauges would quite, sometimes all of them. Some gauges would drop to 0, some would max out.. I have been tinkering around with the idea of putting in Autometer gauges..

 

mine used to do it. then i hit it hard a few times and it hasnt done it since(4 months)
but it is a really common problem. if it stops you can rap on the top right hand corner 2-3 times and it should fix itself temporarily.