Cluster lights issue

JeepJunky33 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:56 pm

Hey so I went out today in the snow and stopped ot get gas.
When I went to turn my car back on, my KJ had trouble stareting.
It turned over and then the strangest thing happend. 2 lights went on on my dash.
1) was the ABS light (I dont have abs breaks)
2) was the no key light (yellow light that shows my key with a line through it.

What do these mean? Should I be worred?
How do I handle?

I pulled into a lot and turned off my car and locked it, unlocked fine started right up, but still both those lights are on.

Back story:
Its an 03 renegade, stick, No ABS, 120K miles.

Help me out please, she is my baby.

LI_KJ · **Posted:** Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:57 pm

When was the last time you replaced the battery? It's been pretty cold lately on the island and with the current snowfall could be the first signs of a failing battery. Same thing happened to me last year with the cluster lighting up like a christmas tree, new battery solved that!
Try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and and that usually reset the computer if there are any codes that popped up. Test the battery and give it a charge, see if it holds the charge and if not, go get a new battery! Hopefully that is all it is.

JeepJunky33 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 26, 2010 5:27 pm

Ill give it a shot once this blizzard is over.
I got a new battery about a year ago.

JeepJunky33 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 27, 2010 11:08 pm

OK, So I still need help...
I went to the store and had my battery tested and it came up bad so I got a new battery.
Those two lights are still on though.
Opposite sides of the cluster, both are yellow
On the driverside there is a picture of a key with a line through it, and on the other side (passanger side) is my ABS light (again, I dont have ABS).
Both are steady on when I drive.

The guy at the dealership said it might have to do with my key needing to be reprogrammed. Any truth to that? I tried my spare key and that didnt change anything.

All thoughts and comments are welcome.

LI_KJ · **Posted:** Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:26 pm

I'm pretty sure the NO KEY light is the SKIM module (Sentry Key Immobillizer Module) acting funny for some reason. Could have been the drained battery causing a malfunction maybe?
Since you are able to drive the vehicle still, something is not right there obviously. When the SKIM is functioning properly after starting the vehicle the light should go off and let the Jeep keep running because a good key is in the ignition or it should shut off because a non chipped key or faulty key is being used. But yours is still running with the SKIM light lit?!
AS for the ABS light and not having ABS??? :banghead:

Don't know what thats about, but it sounds like a dealership trip to reprogram the ECU and key might be in order.
My ABS came on yesterday when we were snowwheeling. But I have an 06 with ABS, I just had to clean out the wheels and the ABS sensors and the light eventually shut off after a few breaks and restarting the engine.
Hope you get tis resolved to do some more :JEEPIN:

jeff

Xodius · **Posted:** Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:21 pm

Stupid question...have you wheeled lately? Do we have small lights that move behind the instruments? I know my speedo is red from 0-25 then again from roughly 35+ between the 25-35 it is black as night and I have no light there. Not sure why exactly but I know when I drive fast and hard down a trail the light comes on, lol. Could be something like that...perhaps. I also have a light out behind my temp selector for heat...oh and my gas gauge too. That just happened a couple days ago :SOMBRERO:

LI_KJ · **Posted:** Tue Dec 28, 2010 7:30 pm

Xodius wrote:

Stupid question...have you wheeled lately? Do we have small lights that move behind the instruments? I know my speedo is red from 0-25 then again from roughly 35+ between the 25-35 it is black as night and I have no light there. Not sure why exactly but I know when I drive fast and hard down a trail the light comes on, lol. Could be something like that...perhaps. I also have a light out behind my temp selector for heat...oh and my gas gauge too. That just happened a couple days ago :SOMBRERO:

Yeah the cluster light bulbs behind the panel could be going bad. I know I have had to replace a few in the AC/Heat control are and the shifter window before too. The tiny bulbs filament would break and only contact on bumps, sometimes it would stay lit, others it would flash randomly. So, it could be a short in one of the cluster bulbs?

Cluster lights issue

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