[dtaz04]

I just got the Jeep 2 months ago. When I got it the gauges were turning on and off randomly now they just don't turn on. Is there anyone else who has had this problem or knows how to fix it?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That's a somewhat common problem that is usually caused by an intermittent connection at the back of the instrument cluster. If that's what is causing yours, and I would be it it is, it is fairly easily fixed. You can sometimes confirm this is the cause of that problem by seeing if the instruments come back on after a good sharp whack to the top of the cluster with the flat of your hand.

There are two multi-pin connectors on the backside of the instrument cluster and their design isn't exactly bulletproof. The usual fix is to remove the instrument cluster (an easy 5-10 minute job) and then very slightly/gently tweak (bend) each of the male contact pins so they fit more tightly & then reconnect the connectors.

Here's a writeup that may help... TJ Jeep Problem with Instrument Guages.

 

[dtaz04]

The connectors are gorilla glued into the back

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That is very bad news, it sounds like the previous owner tried to fix it the wrong way. If at all possible, I'd try to cut through the Gorilla Glue to get the connectors apart.