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Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? #3276050
12/14/24 12:29 PM
12/14/24 12:29 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline OP
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I have a 96 Dakota dash in my truck. The little "wire" that connects the shift lever on the column with the transmission position indicator (the P, N R D, 2 & low thing) in the instrument cluster ceased functioning. It reads that it is "low" all the time, and I do not see the wire there at all. I assume that means the wire has broken.

What is that wire called, and what are the chances I might be able to find a replacement, before I go through the effort to pull the instrument cluster out?

The next question is, how is it attached to the spring loaded indicator?

If the "wire" is no longer available, is there a work around that works?

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: poorboy] #3276172
12/14/24 08:28 PM
12/14/24 08:28 PM
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nuthinbutmopar Offline
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It's just a very small diameter piece of what I'd call aircraft cable. I've had a couple vehicles that looked like they dropped the column without disconnecting the wire and pulled it out of the little piece that hooks to the shift tube. One I used a wire connector to make that piece, another looked like they just cut it off with side cutters, so I used a piece of fishing line.

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: nuthinbutmopar] #3276194
12/14/24 11:09 PM
12/14/24 11:09 PM
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Motor City
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6PKRTSE Offline
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As mentioned. It is a very small dia cable with a crimped on end. Maybe the wire pulled out of the end eyelet. There is also a plastic thumb wheel knob under the column to adjust the PRND21 indicator location up on the dash.


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Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: 6PKRTSE] #3276369
12/15/24 07:40 PM
12/15/24 07:40 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline OP
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Thanks guys. I was hoping it was that simple.

The one that was there was stretched out, like someone dropped the column with out disconnecting it. The last time I hooked it up, I had to bend the ears on the column to make it line up with the proper gear the indicator was showing it was in.

This is in my 49 pickup, I have to pull the entire dash out to get to the back side of the instrument cluster before I can even see the indicator. I pulled that bottom panel odd where the cable connects to the column and I can't see any sign of the cable hanging around there. Everything (all the slate painted metal) around the cluster has to come off before I can remove the cluster.

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Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: poorboy] #3276539
12/16/24 06:42 PM
12/16/24 06:42 PM
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ILLINOIS
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volaredon Offline
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I never worried about that.... its been "P R N D 2 1 since before I started driving, not that hard to figure out what gear youre in.

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: volaredon] #3276646
12/17/24 12:38 PM
12/17/24 12:38 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline OP
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I'm OK with that, but should my wife ever needed to drive the truck, trust me, she would need the indicator working. Also some people at shows would freak out if the saw the indicator said it was in low gear while parked. I'll fix it rather then deal with trying to explain it to some people.

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: poorboy] #3276903
12/18/24 12:46 PM
12/18/24 12:46 PM
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north of coder
moparx Offline
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knowing nothing about the dakota steering column and the gear indicator setup, on late 70's full size chryslers, they used a stiff piece of wire bolted to the moving cover the shift lever was attached to.
if the dakota column is similar, could it be possible to rig up something similar without having to use a cable ?
just throwing something out there to be considered that may be a simpler solution ? shruggy
beer

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: moparx] #3277006
12/18/24 10:16 PM
12/18/24 10:16 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline OP
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on the Dakota, the shift indicator is installed into the instrument cluster as a unit. It is spring loaded towards the low position. The cable (which looks like a fishing line with wires in it) is connected to the indicator. That cable (that is about 8" long) passes through a hole in the dash mount for the cluster, then down to the column where it hooks onto a slotted bracket that is attached to the column collar on the drivers door side of the column. To install the cable into the slot, the shifter needs to be in low gear as well, then you pull against the spring tension (it pulls harder then one would expect) until the cable with a crimped collar can slide into the slot. when the cable is in the slot, as you put the gear shift into park, it pulls against the spring. Everything on the column has plastic housings that screw together and covers the ign switch, the turn switch, the 4 way flasher switch. the tilt mechanism, and everything else on the top of the column. The only hard tube on these columns is the shaft itself and the outer housing that is about 1.5" in diameter, its nothing like the old stuff had.

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: poorboy] #3277092
12/19/24 11:26 AM
12/19/24 11:26 AM
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north of coder
moparx Offline
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learning from you all the time ! up bow
thanks !
beer

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: moparx] #3277123
12/19/24 01:27 PM
12/19/24 01:27 PM
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Iowa
burdar Offline
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Quote
What is that wire called, and what are the chances I might be able to find a replacement, before I go through the effort to pull the instrument cluster out?


Is that part of the "clock spring" or is it a separate part?

Last edited by burdar; 12/19/24 01:35 PM.
Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: burdar] #3277143
12/19/24 04:25 PM
12/19/24 04:25 PM
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Grand Prairie,Texas
stumpy Offline
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It doesn't look like it's serviced separately and the indicator is no longer available as a unit. Not part of the clock spring assembly. Time to get inventive.

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: stumpy] #3277170
12/19/24 08:21 PM
12/19/24 08:21 PM
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birdtracker Offline
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usually the wire breaks where the lug is crimped on down at the column. I have crimped fishing sinkers on to reuse them. Birdtracker

Re: Early Dakota auto shift "wire" for P, N,R D ,D2, indicator? [Re: birdtracker] #3277183
12/19/24 09:42 PM
12/19/24 09:42 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline OP
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I'm going to have to pull the dash pieces off so I can pull the instrument cluster out. Then I will be able to see what I have to do. Some fool (that would be me) made this all removable, but there are almost 20 Philip head screws that will need to be removed before I can remove the 4 screws and the two electrical connections in order to pull out the instrument cluster. This will be the 3rd time I've pulled the instrument cluster for one reason or another. When I built the truck, this seemed like a great idea, but I didn't anticipate having to pull it apart so often.

I'm kind of hoping the cable is hung up inside the enclosed area and is still attached to the indicator, and that I can attach something to it and make it long enough so it will function again.

Chevy trucks have a similar set up, but the cable pulls the indicator from park towards the gear its in, which is just backwards from this Dodge. The GM stuff is available and cheap, if I need to change things, but I would much rather keep the Dodge stuff.

Pictures 1 & 2, All of this needs to come off.
Picture 3, until I get to this point.
Then there are just 6 more screws (two hold on the "red" cover, and 4 hold the cluster to the dash fixture) and 2 electrical connections. I'm fortunate, this instrument cluster has an electronic speedometer, or I would have to deal with a speedometer cable as well.

The clock spring someone asked about is between the steering wheel and the column. The steering wheel has cruise control, horn, and air bag wiring, the clock spring allows the steering wheel to be turned without hurting the wiring. The air bag on the wheel was what made the clock spring to be required, the other stuff on the wheel was added just because the clock spring was needed for the air bags. On this truck, the air bags have been disconnected, but the bag and the clock spring is still there.
On a Dakota, the air bag was a 1993 addition, the column, the column wiring, and the dash wiring are all different between 92 and 93. This trucks donor was a 96.

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