My low mileage 12 valve 98 just threw me a curve ball.
I started it and the fuel light and ABS light came on
and I have no readings on any gauges
tach, speedo, oil pressure, voltage etc all stay at zero.
Panel lights all work, engine runs fine and transmission (auto)
works. I quicky checked fuses and think they are OK.
Clearly an electrical problem. Can anyone suggest what
I can do with this problem. BTW I'm about 600 miles from home
and not real interested in making the return with no speedo.

Sorry to make my first post a call for help!

Thanks,

Disco

 

Greetings and Welcome to DTR!

Someone with more knowledge about your truck will be here in a min.

 

Welcome aboard Disco,
I am looking in the '97 service manual to see if I can find anything, not making any promises. Somebody has probably seen this before and can diagnose it before I find it (if I find it).

~Rob

 

Looking in the FSM for '97 (I assume it should be close to the same for the '98):

This is from the "Diagnosis and Testing" section for if more than 1 gauge or indicator lamp is inoperative:

1) Check fuse in the fuseblock module, if OK go to step 2, if not replace fuse
2) Check for battery voltage at the fuse with the ignition switch in the ON position, if OK, go to step 3. If not OK, repair the open circuit from the ignition switch
3) Turn ignition switch to OFF, disconnect and isolate the negative battery cables. Remove the instrument cluster bezel and cluster assembly. Unplug the instrument cluster wire harness connectors
4) Connect the negative battery terminal cables. Turn ignition switch to ON. Check for battery voltage at the fused ignition switch output circuit cavity of the right of the instrument cluster wire harness connector. If OK, go to step 5. If not OK, repair the open circuit from the fuse as required.
5) Turn ignition switch to OFF, disconnect and isolate negative battery terminals. Probe the ground circuit cavities of both the left and right instrument cluster wire harness connectors. Check for continuity to a good ground. There should be ground. If OK, replace the faulty instrument panel printed circuit. If not OK, repair the open circuits to ground as required.

Sounds like you could have a bad printed circuit board, or hopefully, an open wire somewhere.

~Rob

 

Make sure you recheck fuse #12 (the Ignition Draw)...the one with the black plastic cover on it.

Wondering how are you checking the fuses? Hopefully with a meter or test light. Just pulling it and looking at it isnt good enough.

Good Luck.

 

The 97 manual probably won't help in this case. 98 was the first year of the new dash. The electronics were changed quite a bit, including the addition of the CTM or Central Timer Module, which is like a body control module. I can't remember how much of the cluster function it controls. Sorry I can't help, other than to say try sitting for a few minutes with the batteries disconnected. We used to see occasional similar problems caused by static electricity discharge locking up a module, and it would often reset itself if power was removed for awhile.

 

D'oh There I go assuming stuff again
I hope I didn't steer you down a wrong path Disco

Thanks for keepin' me honest torquefan
~Rob

 

Wow!!
You guys really step up to the plate and take a swing when
some one needs help. Very impressive. This is great forum.
(because of you) I'll start going through these suggestions and I'll let
you know what I find. Guess I was hoping some one would jump in and
say "hey rookie, lots of them do that, just change relay X"
Thanks again,
Disco

 

Let us know if you fix it or need more help.

We'll leave the lite on for ya.