for the auto experts

[Anonymous-0]

Friend has a 02 Dodge Caravan. All the dash lights have come on. Stay on, even with the key off. Van runs ok though. Anyone hazzard a guess to its prognosis??

 

[RobMD]

Disconnect the battery and leave cable off for a while, then try again.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

They're known for circuit boards in the cluster. Usually they won't start, or they stall and won't restart with no pattern. Last I knew the board was about $400.

 

[omahagreg]

Used to have a 92 voyager. We were having some really weird electrical stuff happening. Found a bunch of relays-these were at the left knee. Pulled each one, reinserted, and problem was fixed. Not sure which one, but all we could figure out was a contact had gotten corroded, and this cleaned it up. Greg

 

[ih560]

I had the same problem with a 90's model truck one time and it was also a problem with a relay. It had went bad and was somehow giving voltage to the dash lights all the time, it would run the battery down over the weekend. A new relay fixed the problem and it is still fixed 3 years later.

 

[S.Crum]

Finding this a lot with the early to mid 90s GM vehicles also. many of the electronics operate on very low amperage circuits. Considering the enviromental factors, a board connector plug or contact is usually to blame. Often times an electronics problem in a vehicle is corrected by mearly disconnecting the battery then un-plugging a circuit board or computer and plugging it back in, then powering the vehicle back up (reconnecting the battery). Cadillac wanted to put a new $1,200 body control module in my 92' Sedan DeVille when it started some goofy stuff, remembering I once corrected this by thumping on the top of the dash, I took the dash apart and pulled the BCM out and cleaned the plug connector bars with a white eraser and some clear rubbing alcohol. Plugged it back in and have not had any problem since (in 4 years).
Did this with the computerized climate control module in an 89' buick and it was fine afterwards also.
GM technitians won't admit to this, then again why would they blow a chance at $1,200 to clean up the old one?