Truck would not start and I began the process to jump the truck. I put cables on truck battery and then noticed truck had power and started the engine before I hooked it up to another vehicle. I then noticed that while the truck was running fine, the rpm gauge, mph gauge, gas, oil and the rest of the instrument cluster did not work. Is this a problem with a fuse or another problem with the iginition. . .Noticed early in the week that clock on radio reset to 12:00 AM. . .One battery cable was loose. Thanks in advance for your help.

Sounds like the battery is dead and the alternator is not putting out power. The truck runs off the alternator after it starts. The battery is just there to start the truck. Try to jump start the truck again and once it is running take the positive cable off the battery and if it stops running you have a problem with the alternator.

you may have the big + wire touching the small solenoid engaging wire. Make sure wires are not touching others.

Please visually check your battery. If top of the battery is surrounded with blackish material, or it is used for more than two years, probably it is dead. If not, then get the specific gravity of the battery be checked. It is supposed to be in between 1.280 - 1.320 at the temperature of 40 degree Celsius. If the specific gravity is found low it needs to be re-charged for nineteen to twenty two hours at the rate of slow charging.
Regards,
Shadab Lodh

I just went thru same thing with my 2003 f-350 diesel. I hooked up my horse Trailor and drove to Von's parked went in came back out and truck was dead. I tried to jump it didn't work. Then over next two hours two tow truck Drivers hooked up to both batteries full power charge direct to my truck and would not start.
End story required two new batteries alternator and cilanoid discussed above. In other post. Also contributing to the cause was really badly coroded cables they looked good at the connection point but wher discovered to be coroded inside the tubing just above the end connections so bow it has all been replaced and I have had no trouble since. Hope this helps. Tanya

You said you tightened the battery cables, did you check the other end of the negative where it bolts to the engine. When you tightened the cables you also used a battery brush and cleaned the posts and ends?

The immobilizer feature was tripped when the alarm went off. It sounds like the battery was indeed dead. My Nissan 300ZX used to trip the alarm when I jump-started it, although my Audi A4 does not. When the alarm is going off, you have to disarm it with the key or key fob first, or you won't be able to start it. Try putting the key in the door, lock it, unlock it, lock it again, and unlock it again, just to make sure you get a couple of arm/disarm cycles, then try starting it.

Battery is toast. Replace.

Cut the negative battery cables open & positve one's too.If they're green or sorta green they're shot. You'ld be amazed at what good cables can do.

Try replacing the negative and positive battery cables. Sounds like that could be your problem.

if you replace the alternator im sure it will be fine while your driving the battery is not getting charged so thats the only thing that it could be