1999 Voyager - dashboard lights

Last night when I needed to turn on the headlights the dashboard
lights for the speedometer and tachometer on the dashboard failed to
come on. The odometer and all the radio/heater lights are still
working. Could there be a fuse for just the failed lights that is
separate from the others lights or has something else failed?


John Keith

 

Last night when I needed to turn on the headlights the dashboard

Update:

Tonight the dashboard lights worked. Any guesses as to why they are
intermittent?


John Keith

 

The instrument clusters on those vans were problematic. Many develop little
cracks in the solder joints over time. I solved this on my 98 Voyager by
getting a used cluster and putting it in.

 

Tonight the dashboard lights worked. Any guesses as to why they are

Arrrgh! That sounds like a pain. What does that do to the odometer
reading? did you get yours at a junk yard?


John Keith

 

Yes I got it at a recycle yard. The odometer reading comes from the computer
not the odometer, so is unaffected. I didn't have much trouble installing
the new cluster but I have some experience as a weekend mechanic. Any
technician could do the job in an hour. It's just a bunch of little trim
screws. It's possible that you could get the recycle yard employee who
removed it to install it in your van. If he can do removal, he can certainly
install.

If you did want to try it yourself, get holds of a Haynes or other manual.

 

Dave,

Thanks for the responses. A couple more questions:

I assume all the electrical connections are done with male/female
connectors on the cables so that is not a major problem?

OK, I'm probably capable of the task, just finding all the right
locations of the screws is usually the big problem, which is why I
suppose the Haynes manual is useful.

I assume the cluster is not colored so there is no problem matchin
gthe existing interioru color scheme (color is with the trim pieces?)

Any idea if clusters from other than 1999 model year are compatible?
My wife has a 2000 Caravan and the panel looks identical.

The lights worked again tonight but if they failed earlier this week
they will certainly fail again, and it wasn't nice driving home
without the ability to read the speedometer.
John Keith

 

Yup. Just take it slow and easy, follow the directions in the manual. You
have to reach around the back of the cluster but you can see the plug fairly
well.

Yup again

I understand all Caravans and Voyagers are compatable for this generation of
vans (96 to 00)

Good luck.