In a lot of models equipped with the indiglo gauges, the stock inverter goes out after a while, and a new inverter has to be installed. Many people have paid a lot of money to get it fixed, and usually Chrysler just replaces the cluster, which doesn't always work, because the inverter isn't on the cluster board (from what I've noticed). So, the stock inverter can be replaced/bypassed with a cheap inverter from eBay. There are some that are made for different colors, i.e. white, blue, green, red, etc. Any of them will work, and unfortunately you can't change the color of your gauges that simply.

Purchase a EL Glow inverter from eBay, this one is the one I bought. It works fine.

1. Remove cluster (pull on the bottom of the radio bezel, working your way around and pulling it completely off. Disconnect the clock and hazard/EVIC button connector. Then pull off the bezel to the cluster. It just pops off.)

2. Remove back and front panel to cluster (they will both come off when you take all screws out of the back).

3. Locate the ribbon cable for the indiglo film. It will be in a black clip on the lower right side, when you're looking directly at the back of the cluster.

4. Disconnect the ribbon cable from the clip. Desolder the clip, you will need it.

5. Cut the connector off of your new inverter, and separate the two wires. There should be one wire that has grey lines on it to indicate polarity. Make note of which wire it is.

6. Solder the wires to one of the leads on the indiglo ribbon cable clip. If you're looking at the cluster with the back to you, and the top facing away from you, the lead on the right is negative and the left is positive. But if you get confused, you can switch it later, so it doesn't really matter. Just leave enough cable to cut, just in case.

7. Insert the ribbon cable back into the clip. Make sure the two wires are not making any contact with each other. Use electrical tape if need be.

8. Separate the wires that connect the analog clock. (You should have disconnected it if you got to the cluster). Using a multi-tool/automatic wire stripper, strip away some of the insulation and expose some wire on the BLACK AND ORANGE wires. The orange wire is the "illumination" wire and will provide power to the inverter only when the lights are on, and will allow the use of the dimmer switch. It actually says which whire is which if you look at the back of the clock (GND,-,ILL)

9. Solder the red wire to the orange wire, and black to black. Isolate the wires (use electric tape).

10. Test. The gauges should glow regardless of if the key is in the ignition or the cluster is hooked up, as the indiglo is on a separate circuit now.

If it doesn't work, try hooking the cluster back up and try again. If it still doesn't work, reverse the polarity of the negative and positive wires going TO THE CLUSTER, not at the source (analog clock). This is where the note of polarity takes place. Just cut, strip, and twist the wires together for now, just to test. If after switching it works, solder the wires as they are and isolate them from each other. Reassemble the cluster and other dash parts.

NOTE: if you moved any of your needles by accident when the front face was off, don't worry. You can just move them back to the "Zero" position of the respective gauge. If after plugging it in, your gauges are still wrong (My gas needle was showing "empty" when there was a half tank), or they move to the wrong position, simply take the needle off (it just pops off with a little prying, but be careful) and set it back on at the "zero" position. You will have to have it plugged in when you do this, so just take off the front cover with the back one still on; there should be like four screws that pertain just to the front cover.

Reassemble and revel in your good as new lights!

I will at some point update this post with pictures, but it might be a while.

 

First of all I want to thank you. You just saved me a lot of money. I have been surfing the web for 3 days about this problem and I couldn't find any answer.

I have 2 questions if I may:

When you say: "Disconnect the ribbon cable from the clip. Desolder the clip, you will need it." Does it mean that this ribbon won't serve anymore and we leave it like that in the dash?

Second: The black wire with a gray line: Is it the negative or posite wire?

Thanks for your time

Jean-Marc

 

That is an excellent question. Are you talking about on the inverter? I would assume the solid black wire is ground, but if all else fails try it one way and if it doesn't work, try it the other way. That's what I did. I couldn't figure it out either.

The ribbon won't serve? You will need both the clip and the ribbon. What you're doing is completely bypassing the cluster entirely. Instead of the EL film getting power from the board, you're getting power from the clock.

Side note: When I closed everything up, I just had the two wires poking out of the cluster with it screwed together. Yea, it doesn't look very pretty but you won't see it with all the dash parts in the way. In fact, the whole set up isn't very pretty at all but it's all under the dash. MAKE SURE YOU INSULATE THE CONNECTIONS USING SHRINK TUBES OR ELECTRIC TAPE!

Maybe one of these days I will upload some pictures :S

 

Fhadso,
This worked well for me thanks!
Just had trouble figuring out how to open up the ribbon clip block.

I used a $13 inverter available at local radio shack!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge in this post !