My instrument cluster stopped working on my 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE 3.3L. It was working most of the time for the past year but occasionally would not work, but it stopped working completely 4 days ago. What is the normal problem causing this to happen?

Usually a problem with the connector on the back of the cluster, or the printed circuit board inside the cluster.

try checking the fuses

Here's a good link to a common problem regarding the dash cluster. Not too bad removing it and performing this if handy at all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/show/with/3474557830

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GczhHgdUuI4

Sounds like you may have the dash cluster solder problem. Here's a link to some pictures of what needs to be done, but if you google Caravan dash soldering, or similar, there is more details out there.

http://www.ingriddijkers.com/CaravanPics.html

To fix the dash going out try this. This is a common problem with the voyager,caravans and Town & Countrys. What the problem is is a cold soder in the interment cluster itself. The problem area is where the plug comes from the van into the cluster. You need to take the circuit board out of the cluster and reheat the soder on the back side of the circuit board were the plug plugs into. This will fix the cold soder permanitly I think its about 16 pins you have to reheat with the soder gun. If you don't feel comfrotable doing that you can just replace the interment cluster and it will be fine but if you buy a used one make sure it was tested. This also may fix the ABS light and the airbag light. Hope this helps I have done several of them.

Replaced once before and still periodically happens. Disconnect battery and reconnect and it starts working on our voyager.

It sounds like the connection to the cluster is not making good contact.

It's a common problem on the Caravans, the problem is the wire harness at the back of the Instrument Cluster has a bad or cracked solder on the circuit board. If your remove the cluster from the dash and disconnect the wire harness, the clip on the circuit board at the center of the cluster that the wire harness connects to is the culprit. With a solder gun and some solder, you can fix this problem by re-soldering the terminals to the wire harness clip on the circuit board. Good luck and hope this helps, if your cluster goes off and does not come back on, give the top of the dash a good thump with your hand and the cluster should come back to life.

check to see if you have life at the wiper motor plug.if not.you have a dodgy switch.