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Smoking Instrument Cluster?

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  UN4GTBL 
#1 ·
While driving home, my instrument cluster started emitting a TON of smoke and the smell was just horrid. I pulled off the road immediately and put the car in park. After a few minutes, I re-entered the vehicle and found that the engine started easily, but the car could not be moved out of the "park" position, so could not be moved. The windows could be rolled up, but the four-way flashers wouldn't turn on and the locks could only be used manually.

The car was towed to my mechanic, and I am waiting to hear what he finds out.

In the meantime, has this happened to anyone else and/or does anyone have any idea what happened?

Thanks!
 
#6 ·
It's a 2007 and I hope that I don't have to take it to the dealer, because it would have to be towed again from the mechanic's place.

No, it is no longer under warranty.

Thanks for the replies.
What model of Caliber is it?
May be a long shot, but if you cooked something in the cluster, and the computer doesn't the cluster anymore, it may throw you some issues. Maybe a cluster swap is in order.
I am assuming you have a CVT, which means it is not an SRT model.
Search the forum. There is a thread or two about being stuck in park and ways to get it to release.
 
#7 ·
There is a mechanical way of releasing it from "Park"

There is a ~1" piece on the right side of the shifter area that you pop out, and can gain access to manually remove it from park. I think the owners manual show how. However I don't think your brake lights will work if you do this...

I wonder if the brake switch wire was damaged in this incident as well?
 
#8 ·
Just coming back to report the results of this bizarre incident and ask some advice about it (in case this helps someone googling a similar issue).

Turns out that the module in the cluster simply combusted spontaineously and had to be replaced (the mechanic had to have the dealership transfer odometer data over) and that cost me a lot of $$$$$'s. After I got the car back, the module in the wiper motor didn't work either and I now can only use the wipers at top speed and not on lower speeds or the single swipe option.

I also wonder what else may have been affected by the heat and blast of electricity that was sent around the whole vehicle, and also wonder if there is any way of asking Chrysler to reimburse me for some of the costs ($875 for the cluster issue and $400 for the wiper motor). I am more than willing to pay for wear and tear, and damage caused by an accident, but I'm really quite annoyed that such major damage was caused by me only driving along a quiet street at about 30kph.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, as I also appreciate all of the responses I received above.
 
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