need some help w/ 1999 dakota

[Bigredlid]

when i turn off my ignition my radio resets as well as my trip odometer. they guy who owned the truck before me was a real piece of work. where should i look to find where he messed it up?

 

[jaimus]

Start by lookin for missing ground straps,...especially the one from the engine to the firewall,...seen It before on other Chryslers.

 

[mcnoople]

Also try looking for blown fuses. I tried to find common connection on the wiring diagram with no luck, but i have never been able to read late 90's -2009 chrysler diagrams. Everything is spread out over 10 sheets with no rhyme or reason.

 

[Lonewolf3165]

1st I'd check for any blown fuses, especially any labeled back-up or memory or instruments. It may possibly be a bad printed circuit board in the instrument cluster or fuse block. We have seen a lot of different problems cause by problems in these 2 areas. Can cause all kinds of crazy stuff. Power feeds to many things from here.

 

[b5demon]

X2 on checking the fues you are loosing the memory power to both that is why they are reseting

 

[rmchrgr]

Bus problem maybe? Any other symptoms? Like body electrical - door locks etc? Does it only happen when the ignition is switched off?

Central timer module has the radio, cluster and ignition feed going through it. Any water leaks in the car by the front of the driver's door/kick panel? Aftermarket stuff installed into the original harness?

A ground/resistance problem could bring down the bus on those early networks.