A couple of days ago I started the 2500 for the 1st time in the mrning. Everything the same, wait light comes on, instrument panel does the samo and just seconds after the truck started the instrument panel guages, speedo, and tach went dead. No Buss showed in place of the miles in the speedo and the overhead display showed only CCD and nonoperational to change readings. The truck seemed to run normally with the heater cycling so before driving I thought I would check to see what's up. I plugged in the Smarty and I had the usual P0602, plus a not normal P1694, P1698 and a #2 code that said "See Documentations". I cleared the codes and reprogrammed for my favorite setting #9 and restarted and the instrument panel was still dead and the 1694 and 1698 codes reset. This is any one happens to have problems with their instrument panel going dead all of a sudden on a restart, cold start or while driving. The 1st thing I do is check out TDR do multiple searches trying to put odds and ends together. I never got any hard core solutions to the problem so I checked the fuses, cleaned and checked the three connectors at the PCM, pulled the instrument panel and checked to make sure that is plugged into the connectors that it sets into, checked all the grounds and cleaned and reconnected the batteries and checked the bolt at the PDC because there was some conversation about problems with this bolt stripping or being corroded. This bolt seemed to strethch the connector upward trying to remove it and I didn't want to break anything so I scrwed it back in to where the top black cover was straight again and left it there. It seemed funny to me at the time that this "bolt" didn't seem tight at all, just kind of holding things together. I cleared the codes again and I drove the truck on a 45 mile trip into Spartanburg and everything works normally so I think Yea I got it, another TDR informational fix. Get done in Costco and restart the truck to come home and it's back to the same thing, just as stated above with the Dead Dash, etc. It's fun driving on I-85 w/o the speedo working. When I got home I did some looking in the shop manual for other informational fixes on the instrument cluster, PCM, Power Distribution Center, Etc. Then it hits me on page 8O-4 (Pwer Distribution Centers) it stated that if the wiring harness has to be replaced . . . item 9 says to "Install and tighten the screw that secures the engine wiring harness in-line connector to the PDC. Tighten the screw until it clicks". Well they want to call it a screw rather than a bolt that's fine. I tightened the "screw" until it clicks and thats it. One could continue to tighten the screw at this point, click, click , click and assume that the "bolt/screw" was stripped because it never really snugs up. I took it upjust until it is ready to "click" because that gives the most compression towards tight. Once it "clicks" it loosens up a tad. Any way I have driven the truck a couple of hundred miles since taking that screw just to the point of hearing the "click" which is the tightest point it can be taken to. I feel confident that my instrument problems are fixed for the time being. If you have the problem and codes listed above do yourself a favor and check this PDC "screw 1st. It might save you a bunch of time and money. Thanks TDR for sending me on the right direction for repairs.
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