2006 Jeep Wrangler, automatic transmission, engine started cutting out going down highway and rpm gauage started reving up and down and transmission seemed to be going in and out of gear. Engine completely shut down. After pulling over on side of road noticed guages were not working but lights on instrument panel were working, seat belt, engine light, etc. Also could not shift out of park after stopping. Rear brake lights and all lights are working. It did finally start back up for a few seconds but shut off again. Noticed after awhile the guages will barely come up just a fraction but not come all of the way.

Dar

• 2007 Answers
• Posted on Oct 03, 2009

SOURCE: Guages Quit

Check fuses first.

SOURCE: 2006 wrangler jeep, driving down street when

Do your instrument lights dim out when you turn the key?

I had this problem with my 2001 Grand Cherokee and it was caused by a bad battery terminal connection. Mine was the positive (red) one, which is usually where the gunk likes to build up.

Be careful... any deposits there are highly acidic. It is a good idea to have a solution of baking soda and water nearby to neutralize any acid you may get on your hands.

A word of caution... you MUST exercise extreme care with your tools when working around your battery. There is ALLOT of power stored there! Remove all your jewelry- rings, etc.... When I was an electronics instructor in the Navy I heard a horror story about a sailor losing a finger when his wedding band welded itself to his battery. If you are uncomfortable with any of this, get somebody you trust working on your car or a mechanic to take care of it.

Disconnect the terminals from the battery posts, using care to not allow any tools to touch either the other battery terminal or any metal part of your car. Take the negative (-) (black wire) first, then the positive(+) (red wire) Clean the terminals up real good.

There is a special battery terminal/post cleaner you can get at any auto store- it is a pair of wire brushes- one that fits over the battery post and you twist it, and one that looks like a short christmas tree that you use to clean the inside of the wire terminals, usually it is under a metal cap.

After you clean everything up, connect it all back up in reverse order- connect the (+) first, tighten its nut securely, then do the same with the (-). Hopefully this will atke care of your problem.

In cases where either terminal is severely damaged, it will need to be replaced.