Gauges don't work after new stereo head unit install

[sgtjdgelinas]

So I put in a new radio on Sunday and when I went to drive it Monday morning I found none of my gauges function. The light is on, parking brake and turn signal lights come on, but no gauge functions.
Is this a symptom of a failed ignition switch? I think I’ve read that a few times here as going bad. And there’s a sense signal for the display.
I’ve checked the fuse in the pdm and the fuse block associated with the display.
All help is appreciated and I’ll let you know what I find.

 

[Chris]

Will it still start?

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

Will it still start?

Starts and runs fine. Everything works but no gauges operate. Most frustrating thing is twice I’ve had the key on and plugged the display back in to have it all work, but then I shut it off and back on, no gauges again.

 

[Chris]

Plugged the display back in? Which display are you referring to? The detachable face plate on the head unit? If so, that's really, really odd.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

My bet is you popped a fuse while wiring up the new radio.

 

[Chris]

Sure sounds like it's fuse related to me too.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

it’s the removable dash display. And I checked the fuses. I have power from the pcm at the plug, I have power from fuse 10 at the plug, and I have a good ground at the plug. What I can’t verify is a sense signal from the ignition switch to the plug. Not even when I plug in the display and it comes on. I pull it off and there’s no sense signal. I’m very confused.

This one here shows a LB wire to the cluster, there’s a light blue wire but no power there.

this one shows a db/wt, I have verified this has power in key on position.

this is the ground, I have verified the ground.

this shows the power from the fuse in the pdc and the fuse from#10 in the block. Both verified.

This is the one I’m having trouble verifying. There is a light blue wire from the ignition and a light blue wire at the display, but no power at the display.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

My bet is you popped a fuse while wiring up the new radio.

That was my first thought, and my first check, that or I bumped a wire somewhere and broke it. But the radio just needed the plug wired into the adapter, so I didn’t really mess inside the dash except to plug in the radio.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I suggested a popped fuse because I popped one a couple months ago while cleaning up a wiring issue. That blown fuse knocked the instrument cluster out.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

I suggested a popped fuse because I popped one a couple months ago while cleaning up a wiring issue. That blown fuse knocked the instrument cluster out.

I double checked the fuses by switching out the dash and radio fuses for a spare and interior light fuse. No change there. Thanks for the input though.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

For your viewing pleasure, my intermittent dash failure issue.

 

[Chris]

It might be beneficial to put the stock headunit back in and see if this issue persists. Just to see if that fixes it, or if it's still having issues even with the stock headunit.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I double checked the fuses by switching out the dash and radio fuses for a spare and interior light fuse. No change there. Thanks for the input though.

Did you check the fuses inside the power distribution center in front of the battery? That's where my blown fuse was.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

It might be beneficial to put the stock headunit back in and see if this issue persists. Just to see if that fixes it, or if it's still having issues even with the stock headunit.

I don’t have the stock or old head unit, but I’ll try unplugging the adapter I wired up in the morning.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

Did you check the fuses inside the power distribution center in front of the battery? That's where my blown fuse was.

Yes, according to the manual fuse 26 in the pcm delivers battery voltage to the dash, I’ve verified that I have power at the fuse and at the dash connector.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

Looks like the 97 wrangler manual uses a later model wiring schematic so I’ve been chasing the wrong wires. Found the right schematic and I think I’ve narrowed it down. I’ll get back to it tomorrow.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

It might be beneficial to put the stock headunit back in and see if this issue persists. Just to see if that fixes it, or if it's still having issues even with the stock headunit.

Good advice, I don’t have the stock head unit but what I did was unplug the adapter for the new radio from the Jeep and voila, dash works again. I may somehow have crossed a wire in the new plug. Thank you and Jerry for your input.
I do electrical troubleshooting on forklifts for work and I forget sometimes that I can still make mistakes.

 

[Chris]

Good advice, I don’t have the stock head unit but what I did was unplug the adapter for the new radio from the Jeep and voila, dash works again. I may somehow have crossed a wire in the new plug. Thank you and Jerry for your input.
I do electrical troubleshooting on forklifts for work and I forget sometimes that I can still make mistakes.

No problem! Sounds like you may have sort of figured it out. It clearly has something to do with your new headunit, and likely the way it was wired.

I'm glad you tried this our first, last thing I would want is for you to go wasting time trying a bunch of other stuff.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

Went back and heat shrinked the wires in the adapter and plugged them back in to test. Everything works as it should. Must have been a strand sticking past my hasty electrical tape wrap.

 

[sgtjdgelinas]

Well it worked for awhile and now we’re back to no dash functions. Even worse, sometimes the gauges turn on and off again while driving, and unplugging the radio and associated wiring did not change anything. Back to square one.