Gauge Cluster

[78clubcab]

Has anyone here ever heard of a Dakota gauge cluster going bad? I wired my 1996 Dakota to tow my trailer using the plug and play adapter, so no splicing was needed. I then tested everything in the driveway and all was fine. I went for a test drive and all was fine until I decided to pull on the marker lights to check them once again in my mirrors. The seat belt /door open/ lights left on warning buzzer sounded and all gauges pegged at zero whenever I put on the marker lights. Thinking it was a short in the trailer wiring I unplugged the trailer but same problem. I then unplugged the plug and play trailer wiring and put everything back to original and problem persists. I noticed all gauges pegged at full readings except tach and speedo with truck off. I unhooked battery and turned light switch and held key to start position to get rid of any ghost current but gauges still pegged at full. Hooked battery back up and started truck all gauges went to normal readings but tack and speedo pegged at full two or three times before settling. I started pulling fuses and hit pay dirt with guage cluster illumination fuse rated at 4 amps. Problem went away but I will not have cluster lighting at night now. I am thinking two things: (a) trailer wiring okay, just a coincidence that problem appeared today (b) cluster must be going bad. Why would a 4 amp fuse for cluster lighting solve the problem. The gauges being pegged at full readings with no power at all to the truck makes no sense to me. It seems as if they should be at zero without battery power. I completely got rid of the wiring kit and problem persisted.

[78clubcab]

Got it! The connections at the back of the cluster assembly were all very loose. I plugged them in all securely and problem was solved! Trailer wiring was a coincidence after all!