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General Dakota Board
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Gary Turner
Dodge Dakota
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3/15/2007
12:08:08
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 Subject: DAKOTA QUESTION
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Message:
Just bought a 98 Dakota and have a question I'm hoping someone can help with.
The person I bought it from said that after her son hooked up a stereo system (amp, woofers, etc.), certain gauges and indicator lights stopped working properly. The system has now been removed and no change.
The ABS, fuel, parking brake, and check engine lights always stay on when the truck is started. In addition, the fuel guage sets at empty, speedometer sits at zero, and the odometer stays the same.
The truck runs great, it just seems to be an issue with the guages and lights. Any advice or assistance in getting to the source is much appreciated.
Thanks.
Gary
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Jimmy9190
Dodge Dakota
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3/15/2007
20:21:39
| RE: DAKOTA QUESTION
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Message:
That sounds like the audio system was almost certainly connected improperly. You can start by checking the wire harness for the OEM radio and amplifier if there is one. Check to see there are no chafed, shorted or uninsulated wires in the harnesses. If there is a factory amplifier, you will find it in the passenger's kickpanel. Repair and insulate the wires in the harness if there is any damage there. If there is a problem with the harnesses, it is almost certain to be right where the harness plugs into the radio and/or amplifier, if there is an amplifier. If the previous owner reinstalled the OEM audio system, check the wire harnesses very carefully to see that the wires have been connected back to the right wires in the harnesses, if the previous owner cut into the harness when he installed his system. Make sure the harnesses are put back together correctly.
Some Dakotas had amplified speakers in the doors. If yours does, remove the door panels and speakers and check those harnesses, too. But I doubt that is your problem.
It may be a possibility that the former owner tapped into the main ignition harness under the driver's side of the dash. It would be worth a look to rule out any shorted or improperly connected or bare wires there, and take a look under the dash in general and fix any other improper connections you might find.
After that, you can check the fuses, at the fuse block in the cab and the power distribution center next to the battery. There may be a fuse labeled "cluster" or "gauges". If you have this fuse, I'd bet that is is blown. It wouldn't hurt to check every fuse in both locations. Replace any blown fuses you might find with the correct amperage fuse, and see if the problems go away. If not, you might try checking for codes from the PCM, but not likely to store a code, unless the installation damaged a major component. Personally I don't think that's very likely, the truck would have worse problems if that were the case. If your truck has a Central Timer Module, you might have that scanned at the dealer to see if it is damaged. CTM is in the driver's kickpanel. If you have a CTM, it would be worth a look to see if the previous owner made any bad connections there. I'm not sure if a 98 Dakota had a CTM. Surely someone here on the board will know that answer.
I would guess there is damaged wiring and blown fuses causing your problem. If you have no luck with that, have the codes scanned. It's just a guess, but I would think this is not too serious a problem, as long as no major electrical components are damaged. I have seen this type of problem many times in the past.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out...
Jimmy
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