A check gauge is a device that displays the fuel level in a tank or the pressure of engine oil, battery, or other fluid. It can also refer to an indicator that shows how much gas is left in a car’s tank.
Check gauges light means that there’s some problem with the car and you need to take it to the mechanic. Let’s find out the details below!
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What do check gages mean on a Jeep Cherokee?
Last night, I removed the ground connection from behind the battery and steel wooled both the body and the connector. I muttered a few nasty words at the dashboard, so it conceded instantly. There were even screws left around to show for my anger. Now my daughter laughs when I talk about it.
If your dash reads 9V and the battery checks at 13+, you have a faulty gauge. The car’s charging system has been tested and is ok, so no worries!
I installed it and, wow, what a difference. Things are crisper, for lack of a better term. The voltage reading on the dash (which is pretty close to the DVM in my XJ) is 13.5-14v.
Perhaps the old generator was breaking down when it got hot. Maybe it was a connection problem on the B+ terminal. Not sure, but if this remedies all of the weirdness I have been experiencing for the past few months, it is worth more than $125!
“Check Gauge” light on 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
My Jeep has been acting up for a while now. One day, the “check engine” light turned on, and I found that the oil pressure gauge in the dashboard was at 0. It’s a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4L6 engine.
The oil pressure gauge is held steady at the center of a scale, no matter your speed. I couldn’t find the oil sending unit on my Jeep.
It sounds like the oil pressure sending unit is failing. It’s located on the passenger side of the block near the oil dipstick tube. It’s a one-wire sensor.
The needle on my oil pressure gauge always shows just above the halfway mark. The oil pressure gauge would go to 0 at idle then back to normal at driving speed. I replaced the oil sensor with a new one, which I solved. I’d try cleaning the connection first.
I replaced the sensor last weekend, and it seems to be working just fine now.
Voltmeter drops and check gauges light comes on
I have a 97 XJ I6, and recently I’ve noticed that when I start it up, all the gauges look fine, and then a few minutes into driving, the voltmeter goes all the way down.
My 99 was doing that the other week. I work at an auto shop, so I did several load tests on the alternator, which checked out fine. So I figured it was a cluster issue. I removed the cluster and cleaned the 2 connectors for the set with some contact cleaner and compressed air, and it’s been fine for over 2 weeks.
When the gauge drops out, check the voltage on the battery to confirm it’s around 14V. Anything less than 13V, I would change the alternator.
If the meter drops when you’re in a car with a bad alternator, it will eventually fall to zero and cause the “check gauges” light to come on. That’s a feature, like it or not.
Check voltage at the battery while you’re driving. If it is not up around 14 volts, then it’s not the gauge cluster’s fault. If it pops back, you have bad brushes.
There is a known issue with the plug on the cluster. It can get loose. Take bunch out clean reassemble.
1998 Jeep Cherokee wiring problems
There’s a 1998 2.5TD Cherokee I know with issues. The “Check Gauges” warning light stays lit when you start the car, and there’s no oil pressure or fuel on the dashboard.
According to the voltmeter and engine temp, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. I tried to locate the oil pressure sender but found no correspondence.
The PCM employs input from the engine pressure sensor and internal programming to determine what message the CCD data bus should be sent. If the PCM message indicates that oil pressure is low, the instrument cluster circuitry moves the needle below the zero graduation on the gauge.
There is an engine oil pressure sensor installed in the threaded hole that runs through an oil passage in the engine. It has a flexible diaphragm with a variable resistor coil embedded inside.
As you might have guessed, my issue is with car wiring. I’ve never done this before and would appreciate some help. Specifically, I need to know the color of the wire at the oil pressure sender between the PCM and gauge module.
The 2.1 Renault engine it’s located next to the oil filter. I have no idea for the VM, but I’d start at the oil filter and look around. It should be straightforward to find the socket by following the wiring. Mine is quite large, about the size of an espresso cup.
Unplugging the multiway, stripping the connector, and cleaning all the contacts resolved the “Check Gauges” light. Turn the ignition on, not even start the engine, and we had 1/2 scale oil pressure, weird! It led to more swearing and dismantling to locate the oil pressure sender.
It looks like the wiring is part of the sender and the sender sits vertically. That’s not where the pressure sender is on the engine I’ve been working.
Low oil pressure problem
The oil lever light illuminates when I start my Jeep on cold days, and I keep informed about the gauge to ensure it doesn’t reach zero. When I stop at stoplights or take my foot off the gas pedal, it increases again.
The vehicle has 80k on it, and I haven’t had any problems. Don’t worry about the engine blowing up! This engine and components are made to last. My 96 has 240,000 kilometers on it and runs like a champ.
The answer is very simple! After using the information supplied by Apollyon, J66P and stevemedlock identified that there was something wrong with the PCM.
Check the oil pressure sending unit. XJman4life had a similar issue and swapped it out, and it was back to normal.
The oil change may have damaged the sender by taking the filter off; I did that myself. Now I carry a spare in my door pocket from the repair cost.
