Dash lights going crazy, I've tried everything

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willysallday

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Milton, FL
2008 JK. Dash lights are going crazy. Coming on and off intermittently. I've done some research and tried possible fixes but nothing is working. Tested battery. Good battery. Two new different sets of battery terminals. Reset my TIPM twice, once overnight. Checked fuses. Checked my grounds. Bought new ground wires and added more. Disconnected my sway bar plug and fuse. Can anyone help me out please?

Also the ABS/ESPBAS lights have been on for years dude to faulty wheel speed sensor so I believe those are irrelevant to the other dash board lights going off.
 

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The only thing that makes sense to me is a grounding problem. Just checking, but have you pulled instrument cluster out and checked it? or had it checked for broken leads, bent pins, grounds.. etc.

Does it happen all the time? or is it intermittent? If intermittent is there a pattern that you can discover?
 
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I have the same issue but a multitude of other issues as well. I have a 2018 JK with 30,000 miles. I have been to the dealership multiple times and I have spoken to Jeep corporate "specialist" and they refuse to help because I have aftermarket parts (radio, auto start). The aftermarket stuff was installed by a local company who does work with the dealership all the time. The video shows all the lights and gauges going crazy and my code scan shows 12-15 issues depending on the time of day. Now...the best part. I push the brake and the headlights come on. Also the rear view camera randomly comes on while driving. I am not sure what to do at this point as my wrangler is now a $35,000 lawn ornament. Most days (but not all) it won't crank and then tells me the Jeep is not in park or that the key is still in the ignition. Totally Haunted! A friend said that it has to be the TIPM. Just want to get more opinions before I make that purchase (the warranty will not cover it because of the aftermarket radio and remote start according to Jeep and the dealership).

Also, should I go the online route and buy one of the rebuilds and have the program for around $700 or should I just pay the $2000 for the dealership to do it?

Exorcism is my last alternative.


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IMG_0969.png

 
Have you disconnected the radio to see if that could be the problem?

Have you tried doing a battery disconnect reset?
 
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Have you tried going to the company that installed all this stuff? This is screaming grounding / crossed wires issue. I honestly would have the same response as the dealer, this is almost certainly related to an aftermarket install mistake.
 
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MacGuyver said:
Have you tried going to the company that installed all this stuff? This is screaming grounding / crossed wires issue. I honestly would have the same response as the dealer, this is almost certainly related to an aftermarket install mistake.
Click to expand...
The radio installation company took out the radio and reconnected everything. It ran for about 2 weeks without issue and then started all over again. It is funny but the radio, amps and speakers have had no issues, just about everything else does. I almost feel like there is a connection to the TIPM that comes loose as I drive or something but I guess I would not know unless I take it out and check the connections underneath.
 
My 2015 Sahara was doing exactly what was in the first video, what seemed to help was I removed the TIPM and completely disassembled and cleaned it. I found a couple pins with tiny amounts of corrosion but that was it. The Jeep worked after that.
 
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Hi Guys,
RE: Gauges, Interior No Power.
Spent 4 Days after I go to my JK and no internal Power. (No Gauge Function, Lights, Turn Signals etc.)
Calling around and I get a call from what I now consider a Jeep Expert.
Guy says it’s a Module but 1st you need to do this.
Before you go to Bed, disconnect the Battery. (Says Battery has to be disconnected at least 6-8 Hours for your Jeep to completely reset everything).
Says when you get up go
Out and Replace the Main PCM Cartridge Fuse, I have a 2010 Wrangler JK. #18.
Now connect the Battery but don’t start the car.
Look inside and your Mileage Light Should be on, I’ll be Dammed he was right.
Now go back and disconnect the Battery and replace all fuses that say PCM Cartridge or Mini. (4).
Connect Battery everything should now work, I’ll be Dammed Again, everything working perfectly, Gauges, Turning Signals, Lights, blinkers, Windshield Wipers.
I hope this Helps and it works for you.
So called him back and he says almost all of the Problems with Gauges, No Power to the Cab is a Fuse Problem if Battery is OK as well.
He said until the Jeep absolutely Resets itself, he says at least 8 Hours, Good Luck.
One Last thing it’s almost every time the Problem inside the Fuse Box is a Module, very seldom a Mini Fuse with a Full Reset.
Oh, he also told me that’s fairly common knowledge with Electric Problems Mechanics.
If it can’t be fixed simply your Jeep will be keep overnight and a full Reset will be done.
I hope this helps anyone with the same problem.
Good Luck
G
 
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GAB said:
Hi Guys,
RE: Gauges, Interior No Power.
Spent 4 Days after I go to my JK and no internal Power. (No Gauge Function, Lights, Turn Signals etc.)
Calling around and I get a call from what I now consider a Jeep Expert.
Guy says it’s a Module but 1st you need to do this.
Before you go to Bed, disconnect the Battery. (Says Battery has to be disconnected at least 6-8 Hours for your Jeep to completely reset everything).
Says when you get up go
Out and Replace the Main PCM Cartridge Fuse, I have a 2010 Wrangler JK. #18.
Now connect the Battery but don’t start the car.
Look inside and your Mileage Light Should be on, I’ll be Dammed he was right.
Now go back and disconnect the Battery and replace all fuses that say PCM Cartridge or Mini. (4).
Connect Battery everything should now work, I’ll be Dammed Again, everything working perfectly, Gauges, Turning Signals, Lights, blinkers, Windshield Wipers.
I hope this Helps and it works for you.
So called him back and he says almost all of the Problems with Gauges, No Power to the Cab is a Fuse Problem if Battery is OK as well.
He said until the Jeep absolutely Resets itself, he says at least 8 Hours, Good Luck.
One Last thing it’s almost every time the Problem inside the Fuse Box is a Module, very seldom a Mini Fuse with a Full Reset.
Oh, he also told me that’s fairly common knowledge with Electric Problems Mechanics.
If it can’t be fixed simply your Jeep will be keep overnight and a full Reset will be done.
I hope this helps anyone with the same problem.
Good Luck
G
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info 🥃
 
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Thanks, i do have a question.

It’s says to go out and replace the Main PCM Cartridge fuse
Then
Disconnect the battery and replace all fuses that say PCM cartridg.

So did you replace the Main PCM cartridge twice? Or replaced the main PCM cartridge then in the next step replaced the remaining cartridges that said PCM?
 
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Replaced the remaining fuses, did not replace the 1st Cartridge.
To follow up, originally I went back out to my Jeep about 4 hours later and reconnected the Battery.
The gauges did come on trying to do a Soft/Hard reset.
I then realized what the guy was trying to get at which was the Computer needs to basically remove all memory I. E . Wait at least in my case 8 Hours.
If I was to add anything I would just pop the Main PCM Fuse out along with disconnecting the Battery.
Good Luck
 
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GAB said:
Hi Guys,
RE: Gauges, Interior No Power.
Spent 4 Days after I go to my JK and no internal Power. (No Gauge Function, Lights, Turn Signals etc.)
Calling around and I get a call from what I now consider a Jeep Expert.
Guy says it’s a Module but 1st you need to do this.
Before you go to Bed, disconnect the Battery. (Says Battery has to be disconnected at least 6-8 Hours for your Jeep to completely reset everything).
Says when you get up go
Out and Replace the Main PCM Cartridge Fuse, I have a 2010 Wrangler JK. #18.
Now connect the Battery but don’t start the car.
Look inside and your Mileage Light Should be on, I’ll be Dammed he was right.
Now go back and disconnect the Battery and replace all fuses that say PCM Cartridge or Mini. (4).
Connect Battery everything should now work, I’ll be Dammed Again, everything working perfectly, Gauges, Turning Signals, Lights, blinkers, Windshield Wipers.
I hope this Helps and it works for you.
So called him back and he says almost all of the Problems with Gauges, No Power to the Cab is a Fuse Problem if Battery is OK as well.
He said until the Jeep absolutely Resets itself, he says at least 8 Hours, Good Luck.
One Last thing it’s almost every time the Problem inside the Fuse Box is a Module, very seldom a Mini Fuse with a Full Reset.
Oh, he also told me that’s fairly common knowledge with Electric Problems Mechanics.
If it can’t be fixed simply your Jeep will be keep overnight and a full Reset will be done.
I hope this helps anyone with the same problem.
Good Luck
G
Click to expand...
This should be a sticky. Very
helpful Intel.
 
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BLACKJKU said:
Have you disconnected the radio to see if that could be the problem?

Have you tried doing a battery disconnect reset?
Click to expand...
I have tried several other options to try and remedy this situation but I have still yet to find the solution. I replaced the TIPM did numerous soft resets and still with the same issues. I even had to purchase a new battery.

So here is where I am at now. When I turn the key, HOT OIL flashes and the beeping is fast. Also, most lights are on the dash and the check engine light flashes too. It starts most times. Now, when I step on the brake..the headlights come on. Serious..the headlights come on.

I am just not sure what to do other than put some mulch and shrubs around it and call it a statue.
 
Grounding wire is broken somewhere. There is a nest of them under the engine someplace, (first place to check) along with a lot of other locations.

Dig through these forums for 3.8 grounding or something like that. Also somewhere in the forums should be the wiring schematic for the 3.8.

A broken ground can and does produce some off the wall strange results. As far as I'm aware, there is no good method for tracking down the offending wire, or wires other than gentle tugs until you find the culprit... then hope it was the only one.
 
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MacGuyver said:
Grounding wire is broken somewhere. There is a nest of them under the engine someplace, (first place to check) along with a lot of other locations.

Dig through these forums for 3.8 grounding or something like that. Also somewhere in the forums should be the wiring schematic for the 3.8.

A broken ground can and does produce some off the wall strange results. As far as I'm aware, there is no good method for tracking down the offending wire, or wires other than gentle tugs until you find the culprit... then hope it was the only one.
Click to expand...
byrdmanxl66 said:
I have tried several other options to try and remedy this situation but I have still yet to find the solution. I replaced the TIPM did numerous soft resets and still with the same issues. I even had to purchase a new battery.

So here is where I am at now. When I turn the key, HOT OIL flashes and the beeping is fast. Also, most lights are on the dash and the check engine light flashes too. It starts most times. Now, when I step on the brake..the headlights come on. Serious..the headlights come on.

I am just not sure what to do other than put some mulch and shrubs around it and call it a statue.
Click to expand...
So after cleaning the TiPM and doing several resets, I am down to 4 transmission related codes. Hot Oil quit flashing, and only the engine light is now on. and it now shows a transmission temperature. U0114, U0103, U0100 and U0002 and they all say "transmission code". So that leads me to believe that a ground related to the transmission is loose. My next adventure will be accessing a wiring diagram and looking for the issue one inch at a time. Anyone had that issue and may know a typical place it might happen? You guys have all been real help thus far!!!!
 
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