Hello everyone, new to the forum but not to Jeeps. Bought a 2000 WJ a couple weeks ago for my son to drive to school. He drove it for a week and then the gauges all stopped working. I knew when I bought it the battery connections looked bad. So we redid both sides of batt connections cleaned and new parts. Jeep starts right up and runs fine. Then all gauges drop to nothing and every dash light comes on. Jeep continues to run fine.
Started reading posts on here and this is what I have found so far. I need help on what to do next to trouble shoot this issue.
Found some posts taking about verifying continuity between PCI connections. DLC (data link connector by hood release) pin 2 to every pin on the DJP (diagnostic junction port under the steering column) every one of these is supposed to be checked with the battery negative disconnected and check ohms.
Well I found that DLC pin 2 is connected to DJP pin 9 and every other pin is open.

Now what do I do next?
I read a couple posts about the drivers door module being bad and it was shorting out the PCI connections. I pulled the drivers door panel and disconnected the module, started up the Jeep and it did the same thing.
My next steps are the DJP ties into sentry key module, automatic zone control module, radio, airbag, instrument cluster, body control module, and the DLC. Unless someone knows a better way I have to find all those modules and check the connection to each???

 

Pulled the aftermarket radio and jiggled and checked all the wires. Pulled the instrument cluster and jiggled and checked all the wires. No obvious shorts or damage. Put everything back together and it works! Kind of good and bad, I don't know where the problem was or is... but it is working for now.

 

Take it off-roading. That should jiggle everything back to working perfectly!