Gridcon736

Well...I tried the other gauges and they did the same thing!!!! :banghead: I did notice recently that if I keep the speed UNDER 60 mph they will stay on. Any leads on that? I did already replace the rear speed sensor and the tailshaft speed sensor. I am goin to replace the neutral safety switch this weekend and service the trans with a new filter and fluids. Merry Christmas to all!

I have been checking the fluid level regularly, and it is leaking somewhere under the truck, not alot but I can see some drips hanging on the lines that behind the engine oil pan. I read somewhere about there being a check valve or something to keep the torque converter from draining? I dunno, I have a new neutral safety switch that I want to put in this weekend and drain the trans and put a new filter and fluids in it.

I just pulled a gauge cluster out of a buddy's truck and will try that in the next few days. Update to follow.

Today I was heading home from work and when I turn hard left or right the trans acts like it is not in gear, if you let off the throttle and get back on it, it kicks back in. What would cause this? I just put a new rear speed sensor and output sensor on the tail of the trans. i do have a new neutral safety switch to install yet.

I wish that would happen to me! I have been fighting with this thing, I can get the gauges to come on if I rapid switch the ignition on/off but then within 10 miles it will flip off! Sometimes if I feather the throttle a little it will come back on or if I touch the brakes while I am still on the throttle. I don't know if its the replacement PCM or if my APPS is the problem? Hoping to mess with it some more this coming weekend. Thanks for the reply!

Well, I have still been having intermittent gauge issues. Tonight I replaced the brake switch( on the steering column) and the transmission output speed sensor, trans output sensor had a metallic ring around it. Went for a 10 mile test drive and the gauges stayed on the entire time. I will see in the morning if that still holds true.:pray:The brake light and ABS light are still on, I think the brake light is related to the emergency brake switch and could the ABS just be that they have not been fully bled yet, or it might be the front wheel speed sensors?Is there a way to test the front wheel speed sensors? The good part is that there seems to be progress, Thanks for all the help guys.Hopefully I will get pics posted on here soon, was kinda hoping to what till I fabricated my custom bumpers and running boards/steps.:tease:Maybe over Christmas I can get them done.

:stuned:This seems very familiar to me, just throwing this out there,but have you done an APPS reset at any time? I am still having gauge issues but I can now get them to come on and read correctly. My problem is that they will just go off at random!:banghead: I'm leaning towards a new APPS for mine, anyhow.... try the APPS reset and see if it helps,I believe you are supposed to do this any time you have the batteries disconnected for any length of time? I feel your pain, my 99 has been giving me a real education on Dodge wiring,just keep on - keeping on and you will find it!

I will just say from my experience with this....get yourself several cans of electronic cleaner spray, computer air cans, dialectric grease, and a truck load of patience!!!!! Check out my posts on here about the saga! Still No Gauges. Follow what these guys on here tell you to the letter, and you will find your way thru it! Good Luck!!!

I finally got time to work on the truck tonight, I did the voltage test on the alternator and it reads ..019-.020 set on AC 20, so everything is good there!:hyper:Then I pulled the CTU ( Central Timing Unit) out and sprayed the plugs with cleaner and then with the CTU out of the way I could reach up either side of the steering column to reach the cluster plugs and made SURE they were seating tight to the cluster. Hooked everything back up,did the APPS reset and now I have gauges again! I will see on the ride to work in the am if the gauges stay on!:pray:I am also trying a brand new key in the ignition switch too, the old key was worn and seemed loose, so tune in next time to find out if it all works! Thanks again guys!

I think I may have a new twist to this mystery, I have been running the truck everyday to work this week and it has been cold in the mornings, the gauges come on at start up , then about 5 miles they will start acting stupid, well...I decided to plug in the code reader to see what codes were in there again, NOTHING... Is it just me, or is that kinda strange? If the airbag light comes on and your gauges go dead(NO BUS) it used to store a code, now it does not. Should I be looking for a cluster? Is the replacement PCM bad? :think:It never works when I am coming home from work in the evening only in the morning, and late last night I went out and after cycling the key a couple times, they worked! :cookoo: I defer this to you guys as I am not a seasoned veteran when it comes to these Dodge trucks. I will try checking the AC/DC voltage today to see if ALL this is caused by the alternator. Thanks

I have brand new batteries, and I checked the alternator several times, one of those times I did find that the 2 wire plug had worn the shielding off the wires...fixed that and now the voltage reads 13.94 down from 14.2 previously. I just figured that was within range, am i wrong on that?I do have a decent wad of keys, I might try that in the morning, just 1 key!On another note, I discovered that the wires going into the brake switch on the steering column were messed with previously, could this cause a problem with the ccd bus? I am getting a used plug from a donor truck tomorrow and will replace the messed one. Thanks guys!

Okay, now I have reset the APPS 2 days in a row and within 5 miles of driving the Airbag light will come on and then everything on the gauges will go dead. Hope this helps in the thought process guys!

Today i finally got some time to dig into this thing again. I had already replaced ALL battery cable ends, I went over ALL the ground connections AGAIN, pulled the gauge cluster again and made certain it was making good connection, I even cleaned the plugs on the Central Timing Unit! The dealer flash I had done 2 weeks ago only lasted for that day and that was really bothering me! What would cause the flash to only work for that evening and then mysteriously vanish overnight? Well, I decided to reset the APPS and.....VIOLA.....the gauges came back to life! The only problem then was that my Speedo was pegged at 120 and the brake light was on,but everything else was working. I started the truck multiple times and it seemed to hold all day. Then this evening I went for a drive and a few miles into it the stupid EVIL bell went ding and ALL the gauges went again! I hope some of you guys can help me figure this out now. If the speed sensors are to blame or the ABS computer etc...I disconnected the batteries again for the night and will hook them back up in the morning, do the APPS calibration, and see what happens tomorrow. Maybe the APPS is going bad? The good part about the APPS reset was that it fixed my transmission from shifting early,somewhat, it still goes into OD to early for my liking, and my OD switch does not work(the button on the end of the shift arm) but I will go after that when i get the gauges straight. One problem at a time! Thanks Guys

I had the new PCM flashed yesterday at the dealer, he said everything checks out good, gauge check,PCM flash etc... drive home, all is well. Start the truck this morning to go to work....NO GAUGES:banghead:, half-way to work they come on again! 3 miles from work...off they go. I did notice something today during all this, when the gauges start to go dead the air-bag light comes on first,then I lose the speedo,then the tach, then you get the bell and the no bus code appears and all is lost. Then the transmission starts to act a little weird, you will be sitting still at a stop sign and all of a sudden it will try to learch forward, and if it acts like that, when you turn hard and step on the throttle it acts like it's slipping. Let me know what you got on this mess guys,I will not be defeated,I will figure this thing out so we all can learn from it!:woot: Thanks

I have not made it to the dealer yet, the stupid gauges worked again yesterday, then this morning....no gauges! I don't know what to think anymore,if the PCM was progammed wrong the gauges should not work at all, right? I even replaced all my battery ground cables yesterday,and I did find that the alternator wires( 2 wire plug) had nicks in them so I taped them up as well. I could not get a good readings for the alternator test on my meter, hopefully the meter I have at work will do the trick on that. I will keep looking for this Gremlin, or does anybody wanna buy a 99 dually with no gauge cluster? Just Kidding....I will find the problem....I will find the problem....LOL