Hey guys. I am new to this site and I had a few questions. I know these sites are great way to get information as I am a new dodge owner so I plan on sticking around. Ok I just bought a 97 dodge 2500 auto 4x4 eclb. I bought it not knowing the instrument cluster was not working. They previously had the dash out for heater core replacement. Every gauge is not working except for the oil pressure gauge. The transmission seems to shift fine, and the torque converter locks up. The wait to start, water in fuel and the other light I cant think of it all work fine. Ive been researching on here and I know this is an ongoing problem and I suspect the ESS. But from what I have read the ES affects transmission shifting and TQ lockup. My question is since my tranny shift and lockup is fine could this still be the ESS? Can the ESS just affect some things if its going bad? I havent really read anything on here where the oil pressure gauge is working. Any help is greatly appreciated! Also can anyone ID the cable in the pic? It is behind the instrument cluster and I do not know where it goes because it was unhooked. Also on the backside of my instrument cluster at the top behind the tach there is a plug. Is there supposed to be something that plugs in here? Im not talking the 2 main plugs 1 on each side, this one is prolly a 1/4 the side of the main plugs. Sorry for all the questions.

 

I am having similar trouble that I have yet to solve. Driving to the paint shop yesterday, I lost my speedometer. The tach has not worked in the time I have owned the truck. I have no wait to start light. All other gauges seem to work. I have had the cluster out to check and clean connections. My next step is to check ecm connections. Mine is a manual so tranny shifts are not a problem. As for the cable in your photo, it appears to be a pull cable. Either the parking break release or the hood latch. No connections on the plug in question on your panel, Mine are empty as well.

 

What did you use to clean the connections on the back of the cluster? Compressed air or electronic cleaner? Have you tried checking the gap on your ESS? I think it shoud be between .049 and .051. I am suspecting the ESS but I dont want to pay that much before I have checked the basic stuff like the grounds. My turn signal indicators work, all my dash lights, and my wait to start, water in fuel light, and the other one that I cant think of and my oil pressure gauge works. Im either gonna change the ESS or instument cluster if its not the grounds. Its not the e brake or hood latch because they are both hooked up. I think its the blend door cable.

 

ess goes out to much it seems. an ya id say blend door. how does the ac work? all positions function?

 

I have a 94 Dodge Ram,I had the same problems.I found out the crank sensor wasn't working properly.It took a lot of adjusting to finally get it working an everything started working

 

The air does not work and I can only get air out of the defrost mode. I made sure I was getting vacuum to the hoses on the firewall but other than that I havent messed with it. I have to many irons in the fire!

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Ernie, you say your ESS wasnt working. Did you just readjust the gap or did you get a new one. Did you not have any gauges working? Im just wondering because Ive been told since my truck is charging and shifting and the O/D works that its not my ESS. I have all my wait to start lights, dash lights, turn signal indicators and the oil pressure gauge. Im just wondering if somehting in the ESS has shorted out to loose my other gauges and that a certain part of it wasnt shorted out to allow all of my working functions.

 

I used electrical contact cleaner and my wifes tooth brush. Make sure the cleaner has dried before reconnecting. If a ESS is an engine speed sensor, than I have already swapped it out. Took it out of a buddies truck and installed my old one in his. It worked in his truck and his senor did not work in mine. I think the gap on the sensor is .020". That is what we set them to anyway and it works on his truck. Unfortunately my truck is in the paint shop now and I can't work on it for awhile.


Fill in your signature so we can see what you have. It is very helpfull for all involved.

 

My fuel guage worked,shifted fine an wait to start worked.I had no A/C or heat,was not charging an no tach,speedometer worked so so.I replaced the crank sensor an had the ECM recalibrated an that didn't help.I put the old sensor back on an finally after about a week of adjusting everything started working.Make sure your sensor is square with the crank,I had to go under the truck to adjust it,to make sure it was in alignment.What a time i had,no mechanic around had ever seen anything like it.Hope this helps you.

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I have a problem,my 94 cummings,shakes @ 45mph,I can litely touch the brake pedal to cancel the lockup comverter an it quits shaking,I hook a 32ft. 5th wheel canper to my truck an when I start accelarating it acts like a straight shift with a heat warped an cracked flywheel.It grabs an almost throws you out of your seat.I have had the trans worked on 3 times an it still does it.Had the convertor replaced,still does it.Any help is welcome.

 

Problem solved! I went to a local junkyard today by my house who only deals in dodge parts. Anyways I drove my truck and bought some parts and was asking him about the cluster so he took a cluster he had and plugged it into my truck. Bam! Everything worked except for the fuel gauge! I was so happy......Im assuming now that its either my sending unit or wiring in between the tank and cluster. This guy saved me some money because I was just getting ready to go buy a ESS!

 

New to site, first post. Just had no; check engine lite, tac, speedometer, air conditioning, alternator charge. The 5v at pin A17 read less tha .5v of pcm connector A135. The crankshaft sensor was shorted. I had changed the pcm thinking this was the problem, spent $70 for a used one on ebay. If you disconnect the connector going to the shorted crankshaft sensor (engine speed sensor), the check engine and other lights will light.