I HAVE A 1998 DODGE 3500 DIESEL TRUCK. IT IS THE 12 VALVE NOT 24. I NOTICED THE INSTRUMRNT CLUSTER WAS NOT WORKING AND THE DIGITAL MILEAGE WAS FLASHING. NO TACH, NO SPEEDO, FUEL GAGE SAYS EMPTY AND WARNING DINGER IS ON. I THEN NOTICE THE TRUCK WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. IT HAS FIRST AND WILL MANUALY SHIFT TO SECOND BUT NOT DRIVE OR OVER DRIVE. IT ALSO HAS REVERSE. THE TRUCK HAS NORMAL POWER TO THIS POINT AND NO MATTER HOW HAR YOU RUN IT THE TRANS WILL NOT SHIFT. I FIGURED FOR SOME REASON THE TRUCK WAS IN LIMP MODE. WHEN I HOOKED THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TO IT, IT ADVISED IT HAD NO DATA. I THOUGHT THE COMPUTER WAS BAD. NOT SO. I HAD DODGE TRY TO FLASH THE NEW COMPUTER WITH MY VIN AND IT READ NO DATA ALSO. THE BUS FUSE ONLY HAS 2.5 VOLTZ GOING TO IT. I HAVE CHECKED EVERY WIRE I CAN AND CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. I WAS ABLE TO FINNALLY GET SIX DIFFERENT CODES FROM THE SPEEDOMETER, BUT IT DOESNT TELL ME WHAT THEY MEAN. HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM. OR ANY SUGGESTIONS. PLEASE HELP THIS IS KICKING MY BUTT!!!!!

 

Check all your grounds, the engine to frame, engine to body, and battery bonds. The ground cables from the batteries can develop corrosion internal to the grounding lug and it cannot be seen. When they start having ground problems they will pull a ground through the fuel gauge wire which can result in a fire. The first symptom of a bad ground is no tach and no speedometer, and the power to the TPS (throttle position sensor).

This same symptom can also occur if a power washer has been used in the engine compartment and the PCM socket got wet and allowed to corrode.

List the codes you were able to pull, that would be helpful.