2002 PRNDL/odometer dash illumination

[INresponse]

My 2002 is not lighting up the PRNDL/Odometer section in the cluster. BUT, when I pressure washed the entire truck and engine bay and underside it worked for several days and then went out again. Obviously the dash cluster is working so I am guessing it is a bad connection in one of the plugs , probably under the truck. I took apart all the plugs I could find, sprayed them with electrical contact cleaner and reassembled with dielectric grease but it did not fix the problem. I did every plug on the drivers side of the engine bay and under the vehicle around and connected to the transmission ..... I think.
Does anyone know what specific plug I need to seek out to try and correct this problem? A picture of the location or a good description of where I could find it would help.

Thank you,
Michael

 

[joendoodle]

My '04 (aka the green booger), when I got her 2 years ago the PRND321 display did not work. On this forum someone mentioned a you tube video that showed the resistors that have BAD (non leaded) solder joints. After removing the cluster it only took a few minutes to reflow the solder to each resistor. The PRND321 display has worked ever since.


Ever since it got well below 0F this winter the Odometer / DIC display works only "when it wants to".. Once I get consistent good weather ( and the need for a 4WD truck is not an issue) I plan to research & spend time / effort attacking this issue. I you figure out how to restore the Odometer / DIC, let us know.

 

[INresponse]

Well, it has been about 11 months since I pressure washed the underside which somehow allowed the PRNDL/Odometer to work for several days way back then, and it has been a couple months since I took apart as many plugs as I could find anywhere around the engine bay and underneath around the transmission. Yesterday I drove about 30 miles down to the big city and the PRNDL/Odometer was out as usual, I left the AV running while I picked up my son and talked with his mom and grandmother a bit. We get in the AV and my son askes how I fixed the dash. The PRNDL/Odometer was working again. We stopped several times shutting the AV off several times for the next several hours and it continued to work. Today it is still working.
I dunno, maybe the dielectric grease finally warmed up and melted into the right spot to make a good connection.

 

[MS03 2500]

LOL it has to be above 60 degrees before Driver information Center works.

 

[Wpolonavyguy]

My instrument cluster did the same thing it's a tiny piece in the circuit board inside.
I bought x2 for 8$ on Amazon & with a soldering iron replaced burned "screen illumination control".
Temperature was a factor which did allow bad part to sometimes work.
There was YouTube video how to remove cluster, open it, & soldier piece in.
Longest time I spent was removing & installing cluster without dash plastic breaking up.
Dash plastic gets extremely brittle & weak breaking often. I'd like to eventually invest 800$something to buy new dash.
If I remember part name or find second spare I'll post picture & video link if can still find it.

 

[Wpolonavyguy]

Link to video how to change part.
This is extra if mine breaks again.