Hi Guys...

I've got an odd problem here. I've searched the forum and learned a good bit about other owners with the issue... but their fixes did not work for me.

Problem: When I first crank up... the Dash is lit up with lights (ABS, Battery, Anti Theft, etc)... unknown driver message appears.... and the Amp meter, Fuel Gauge, Engine Temp, and Oil Pressure don't work. Cluster Lights and other gauges work. Radio, door locks, and Windows don't work. After about 2 minutes... the dash lights go out and Amp, Fuel, Engine, and Oil gauges work. Radio and Windows and door locks work. Its almost as if the engine needs to warm up for the cluster to work correctly.

I sent off and had the cluster rebuilt (no change). If you drive around... and the engine gets warm... you can kill the engine... then recrank and everything works as it should. Seems to only happen when the engine cools down.

I've changed alternator and battery (no change). I've checked connection at the back of the cluster and the disconnected the seat heaters (I read sometimes short there will give the issues I am seeing).

Any thoughts? Where do I go next? Why would the engine being warm correct the issue? Anyone seen this before?

 

check the ground that feeds the cluster. i think it also feeds the other things that stop working. i believe it is located on the drivers side kick panel; around the E brake pedal.
water tends to drip through there from roof lights or drain tube issues.

 

Good points to check.. Grounds play an important part. The other thing I would do is get a Cheapo Scan Code reader. Plug it in and see if any codes come up. The OBD II codes I think are on the net somewhere.

Here's a site I found on the google... Make sure it looks safe.... you can also post the code on the site which will tell you what's up. https://www.obdadvisor.com/most-popular-obd2-codes/

Or post the codes here ..I have them all.

 

Hi... I'll do that for sure. I know where that ground is. I'll check it tomorrow. A common ground would make sense. But I'm stumped why the issue goes
away after the engine warms up. Thats really odd. I have a manual on DVD somewhere. I may need to see if those guages, windows, door locks, radio, and 4x4 selctor switch all share a common ground as they all go out and come on together.

 

Hi Bronxteck... When the gauges are dead the scanner won't read. It says lost communication. One the engine warms and the issue goes away the only codes are O2 sensors that I know need to be changed. No other codes are present or stored. I will start searching for grounds.

 

THE answer is heat. That clue was already presented to you.
What does heat do? It expands things. When things expand, they get tighter. And tighter connections work better than loose connections.

My best guess is a loose connection, which is affected by cabin heat, or engine heat. Could be something as simple as a connection in the engine fuse box, or on the firewall. Could be a + or - connection, both would cause the issue.

THAT is what you should be chasing first. The simplest answer is usually the correct answer. Check the fuse box fuses for tightness also. Swap out fuses and test again.

Put an inductive pickup or use a dongle to test power feed to the cluster. The dongle is something you make to fit between connectors. A jumper with a pigtail on the hot, to see if/when cluster is getting power.

@oceanbrave is the master electrician on here, and you can ask him also.

Last, DUDE! stop wasting money. This already cost you a fortune, changing stuff randomly, that did not need to be replaced. You could have just taken it to a auto electric shop and it would already be fixed for less that you already paid. You need a methodological approach to this.

And do not confuse this with hot connections (as in very hot temperature), in which resistance increases, and current drops. You have the opposite problem, kind-of.

 

One quick check, with the problem in play, measure between Pin 4 (black wire 4th pin from top LHS) of the OBD2 Port and Ground this should read less than 0.3 Ohms. In fact both pin 4 and 5 should connect to ground.

Looking into the Ground possibility, there are at least two items of interest, G203 which also connects to Splice S213, these are located as follows:-

1. G203 described as "At Lower Right Side of Dash Near Right Kick Panel"
2. S213 described as "In I/P Harness 45.4CM From Junction of Instrument Cluster Connector Harness to I/P Harness"

The diagrams show they connect the following (at least) :-

S213 (Via G203)

• Instrument Panel Cluster
• OBD2 Data Link Connector
• Windshield Wiper Motor Module
• Headlamp Switch
• Tow/Haul Switch
• Front Passenger Door Module
• Drivers Door Module
• Rear Door Unlock Relay
• Rear Door Lock Relay
• I/P Junction Block (lower Right Side Of Dash)
• I/P Relay Block (Left Kick Panel)
• Transfer Case Control Switch
• Left Footwell Courtesy Lamp

G203

• Blower Motor Controller
• Cabin Temperature Sensor (Aspirator in roof above driver)
• Ride Height Switch (Lamp)
• I/P Junction Block
• Front Passenger Door Module
• Cigar Lighter & Auxiliary Power Outlets (Console)
• Inside Rear View Mirror
• Right Rear Heated Seat Switch
• A/T Shift Lock Control Solenoid & Park Solenoid
• Inflatable Restraint Module
• Wiper Controls

There seems to be no direct ground link to the radio, however S213 seems to be located in the dash somewhere between the Cluster and radio, just above and to the left of the radio connectors.

Has any work been done to the radio in that area?

Also it could get warm there.

It would be interesting to know if any of the other above items are affected.

 

The ODB2-Pin-4 check is very quick, just took less than 1 minute ....

 

Any progress yet?

 

Hi... A little update. I haven't had time (in the daylight) to make a large amount of progress. This weekend I have a big chunk of time to dig in. I'll be checking G203 Ground for sure as oceanbrave suggested.
I removed most of the dash and kick panels to get better wiring access. Originally (when the issue first started)... the instrument cluster and other side effects would come and go... "Dash on then off... then 10 minutes later
on then off". I decided to remove the Radio and Climate control from the dash as I was removing the panels. Once those 2 were removed... thats when the issue seemed to start resolving itself after 2 or 3 minutes of warm up.
So Yesterday I put the radio and Climate controls back in. Now the issue is always there. Warring up does not make the issue go away. So thats a clue. I just need to get my head around what it means.

I also am suspecting that I have an issue with the SP205 Data Signal Splice Pack (passes serial data between modules). I have done TONS of net research and found the same issue I am having on a few boards/videos. 2 cases were the exact same combination of
problems. Those 2 cases were solved when someone started looking into Splice Pack 205 and the 2 other Serial Data Splice packs it connects to (206 and 207). I am thinking I either have a ground issue in a module that is causing
that module to send a bad Data Signal along that route and through the splice pack (Somehow killing power or ground to all the areas I am seeing)... or I have an issue in a module that is sending a crazy Data Signal along the route.

Splice Pack 205 connects the Serial Data line for the Driver door Module, HVAC Module, Air Suspension, E BrakeModule, PCM, radio, instrument cluster, and Front Passenger Door module. Almost all of these go out when my issue is present.
Splice packs 206 and 207 also connect to 205. They house Radio AMP, VCM, rear Seat Audio, Air Restraint Module, and Seat Menory. These are also issue I have.

So here is my plan of attack for the weekend.

Check Ground G203 (check grounds in both kickwells) (Crank and check if issue remains)
Remove radio and Climate controls before next steps (Crank and check if issue remains)
SP205 Splice Pack ..... remove Dark Blue / White wire in connection "J" for Air Suspension (I have coil conversion so this module is now irrelevant) (Crank and check if issue remains)
SP205 Splice Pack...... remove Dark Blue / White wire in connection "H" for Splice Pack 207 (Crank and check if issue remains)
SP205 Splice Pack.... remove Brown wire in connection "L" (removing Driver Door module as I suspect there may be an issue with Anti Theft feature in driver door Key tumbler

We'll see where this takes me. I will keep you guys informed as I make progress. Thanks so much for the help thus far.

Before the 2 inch lift