Raider V6-3.7L SOHC (2006)
Transmission Mode Indicator - A/T: Description and Operation
GEAR SELECTOR INDICATOR
DESCRIPTION
An electronic automatic transmission gear selector indicator is standard factory-installed equipment on this model. However, on vehicles not equipped
with an optional automatic transmission, this indicator is electronically disabled. The gear selector indicator information is displayed in an electronic,
blue-green odometer/trip odometer Vacuum-Fluorescent Display (VFD) unit. This VFD unit is soldered onto the cluster electronic circuit board and is
visible through a window with a smoked clear lens located below the tachometer in the lower right area of the cluster overlay. The dark lens over the
VFD prevents the indicator from being clearly visible when it is not illuminated.
The odometer/trip odometer VFD displays the following gear selector indicator characters from left to right: "P," "R," "N," "D," "2," and "1."
Respectively, these characters represent the park, reverse, neutral, drive, second gear, and first gear positions of the transmission gear selector lever on
the steering column. The VFD illuminates a rectangular box around the character that represents the currently selected lever position.
During daylight hours (exterior lamps are Off) the odometer/trip odometer VFD is illuminated at full brightness for clear visibility. At night (exterior
lamps are On), the VFD lighting level is adjusted with the other cluster illumination lamps using the panel lamps dimmer thumb wheel on the headlamp
switch. However, a "Parade" mode position of the panel lamps dimmer thumb wheel allows the VFD to be illuminated at full brightness if the exterior
lamps are turned On during daylight hours. The odometer/trip odometer VFD is serviced as a unit with the instrument cluster.
OPERATION
The electronic gear selector indicator gives an indication to the vehicle operator of the transmission gear that has been selected with the automatic
transmission gear selector lever. This indicator is controlled by the instrument cluster circuit board based upon cluster programming and electronic
messages received from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus. The gear selector indicator
information is displayed by the odometer/trip odometer Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) unit soldered onto the instrument cluster electronic circuit
board, and the VFD will not display the gear selector indicator information after the ignition switch is turned to the Off position. Each time the cluster is
disconnected from battery current for more than about five minutes, it must configure itself for the automatic transmission model that is in the vehicle
once it is reconnected to battery current. The instrument cluster circuitry operates the gear selector indicator to provide the following features:
-
Selected Gear Message - Each time the cluster receives a selected gear message from the PCM, a box will be illuminated around the appropriate
character in the gear selector indicator. The box will remain illuminated until the cluster receives a different selected gear message, or until the
ignition switch is turned to the Off position, whichever occurs first.
-
Communication Error - If the cluster fails to receive a selected gear message from the PCM within three seconds, the instrument cluster
circuitry will display all gear selector positions boxed (selected) until a valid selected gear message is received or until the ignition switch is turned
to the Off position, whichever occurs first.
-
Actuator Test - Each time the cluster is put through the actuator test, the odometer/trip odometer VFD will display all of its characters at once,
then step through each character segment individually during the VFD portion of the test to confirm the functionality of the VFD and the cluster
control circuitry.
The PCM continually monitors a hard wired multiplex input from the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS), then sends the proper selected gear messages to
the instrument cluster. For further diagnosis of the gear selector indicator or the instrument cluster circuitry that controls this function.
For proper diagnosis of the TRS, the PCM, the CAN data bus, or the electronic message inputs to the instrument cluster that control the gear selector
indicator, a diagnostic scan tool is required. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic information.
