1996 Chrysler Cirrus Tach and Odometer Display Intermittant

1996 CHRYSLER CIRRUS
146,000 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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SCOTJEFFERIES
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The tachometer and odometer display on the instrument cluster do not display except periodically on the interstate highway after travelling for at least 30 minutes. Then the display stays active until the car ignition is turned off. When the display is on it is obvious that the mileage is always updating even when it isn't displaying.

Could you direct me to how to troubleshoot and solve this? Please be detailed as I am not the most experienced. Is it possible this is a loose connection or ground? Is there a sending unit that could be faulty?

Thank you.
Apr 9, 2009 at 10:42 PM
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BLUELIGHTNIN6
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Hello
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An intermittent problem such as this is one of the most difficult to troubleshoot. Sometimes a problem like this occurs due to a faulty ground wire. However, the instrument panel gauges all use a shared circuit board. My suggestion would be to remove the instrument panel and inspect the back of it where the circuit board is. Sometimes you can find damage to one of the circuits and you can resolder it together. Or you can find a known good instrument panel cluster and replace yours to see if it is the cause. There would be no sending unit causing these symptoms as the tachometer and odometer illumation are not driven by the speed sensor. If they were simply not working (as in odometer not keeping count any longer ) then it may be the vehicle speed sensor, but this is not the problem you are having, correct? just the illumination of the two?















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Apr 10, 2009 at 10:16 PM
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FIRETWUCK
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Hello,
I had the exact same problem with my '97 Neon. I found my answer on a Neon "fan" website.

The instrument cluster has poor soldering. I removed the cluster and simply added a very small amount of solder to all of the solder points. I put the panel back in and it worked perfectly ever since.

I just bought a '97 Cirrus for my son that has the same problem. As soon as I figure out how to pop the dash I'm going to do the same thing to this panel.
Aug 25, 2009 at 8:35 AM
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