Truck tachometer drops to zero while driving... bumps do not cause this.

Also: some of the guages in the cluster drop to zero while driving unrelated to tachmeter dropping out.

Fuel never drops out.

Weird part is.... the heated seats WILL NOT turn on when guages are dropped out (not the tach)... and if they are on while driving.. they turn off when the other guages drop out... the second the guages pop back into operation I can push ON and the seats will work again.

2002 Dodge 24valve diesel cummins 4x4 with extended cab (small suicide doors) 2500 with all options, towing and camper package. Second generation?

Dealer said it might be PCM but also said it wouldn't fix the seats... BUT.. the seats ARE 100% related to the problem!!.. not sure why.. but they most certainly are somehow... Ground?... ignition wire?? I can not figure it out.

Thank you.

 

Anything?

 

Is there anywhere in the wiring where the heated seats and computer or guages share a common power or ground?

 

Thats a sticky situation you've got there, I haven had any sort of issues like this out of my 2001 Ram 2500 Cummins 24V. Altho I dont have heated seats either. But like you said it sounds to me like either a common ground problem, or perhaps a short somewhere in the system.... I'll have to keep thinking about it and do some research and see what I can come up with.

 

I can buy the PCM... but if it doesn't correct the seats problem... then it won't fix the overall problem unless wires get moved and/or grounds get moved and tightened.... This is my first RAM and I am not familiar with the wiring at all... Anything you can think of I will try.

Thanks for any help you may offer. (ANYONE??)

 

I still have this problem.

I found one blog on the net about a guy that had a voltage drop to the cam sensor.. and was dropping out his gauges (not just tach)... also dimming the check engine light (mine doesn't dim).. but it's a place to start.

The tach orginally was the first problem.. early on when these problems started it was just and only the tach that would drop out here and there.. Then as time progressed the truck would 'almost' die and then lurch back to life with brighter than normal headlights for just a split second.... this didn't happen much but it did it every now and then.... As more time progressed the guages would start dropping out (all but fuel and voltage).. however voltage seems to freeze... so I'm not sure if it's reading or just froze in that position.

I tried holding the odometer reset button in and then turning on the ignition to check the cluster... all that went fine... all gauges ran good test and to codes came back after the tests were over.. so I know the guages and plugs are ok to the cluster set.

Who can program a pcm for cheap? I would like to re-flash this thing also.

Well, now the truck still runs great.. shifts fine.. and provides good voltage ect ect... I drive it every day.... but I just don't have any gauges or heated seats... by the way... they never pop in and out any more... they just stay off now and the truck never hickups anymore either.

??????


on a side note: anyone selling aftermarket dashboards for these cracking dashboards... I don't want to replace it if it's just going to crack again.

 

Thats a tough situation that i regret to say i cant dig up any info on either, I hope you find a solution soon tho. And as for reflashing the PCM i would just talk to mechanics and call shops until i found someone that could, however i doubt it will be cheap.

and as for the dashboard im having the same issues myself, mine is cracked in about 4 good places and in need of repair or replacement. and all i've found so far are dash covers to place over the pre-existing dash. the only full dash replacements ive found are made of the same faulty material the original is made of and will eventually crack and bust like the old one.

 

Well, took the camper and family camping this weekend and climbed a mountain with the truck... when the truck became warm and the fan kicked in.. (couldn't tell because I had no temperature gauge).. just heard the fan cycling on and off.... then what do you know... all the gauges came on (first time in a month).. all except for the tach... which did work a bit... would freeze and then drop to zero... at a low idle it would pick up the tach again and then drop out after a while...


Everything went fine... had a good trip and even caught fish..

Truck still screwed up.... I pulled out the PCM... it's in my hands right there... now what do I do with it?

(doesn't smell burned.. and all soldier joints look ok).. how do I test this thing... or should I just have it re-flashed and see if that helps?


Could a cam sensor be causing the buss to have trouble?? I got a P1698 on the thing the other day..


Seats ARE related to problem.... I read another blog that they were getting 1698 on another type of dodge... sprayed wd40 in the ignition switch... cleared the code and it didn't come back... what would that do?

HELP!

 

The air gauge problem is been mostly caused and make it suufficient space.

 

It might be a wiring issue or the gauges themselves.