gauges don't work or they will go up and down. But most importantly the van won't start?

I have had multiple issues with this same year van. I posted in an instrument panel question that I suspected the alarm system was not only draining my battery...but also locking me out after 3 failed start/stalls.
I installed a battery buddy, as well as a new instrument cluster. After having the chrysler shop calibrate the new cluster, and with the battery buddy...I just drove the van 900 miles to massachusetts this week.
This van has been sitting since last august....and left me stranded often. I bought in last august and it was parked since.
Seems those 2 things solved the problem.
I am driving it back to Charlotte in 2 weeks and feel very confident that the problem is resolved.

just wondering if your having same problem I am, with my 99... van will turn over for a few seconds about 6 time then nothing, it used to take 15min - 1 hour for me to start it after that successfully, but now it takes days, also sometimes when driving my gauges flat line.....please let me know if you found problem as my dealership cannot thank you!!!!

Well, if it's a 99....all I can say is that since putting in the new instrument cluster, I have made two 900 mile trips without a hitch. Plenty of stops along the way. Hard driving. Etc etc...and it has NOT acted up once.
I would suggest the cluster is the problem. My dash guages would flat line while driving, and the start/stall with the eventual no start for days were resolved with the new cluster.
I was initailly giving the dash a good pound...but that only worked twice...but that led me to the cluster.
It's not a cheap part...but it ended the problem...and I installed the battery buddy just in case. So far so good since mid May.

just wondering how much for the instrument cluster??? my mechanic nt chrysler refuses to believe that is the problem with the random starting but, if it worked for you it may be worth a try.

LOL...the Chrysler dealer here wouldn't even acknowledge the problem. My brother ordered the part through Chrysler (about $350), we installed it, and then took the car to them to calibrate it.
I paid approx $150 for them to do that. I know that number sux, but it's the price I paid for it to no longer have any of those weird mysterious problems.
It was like the car was demon possessed !!!! And noone could find the problem. I did a lot of research online in several car forums to make the decision to switch out the cluster with a new one.

thanks for the reply, I just called mechanic and he said that they think its the SKIM (security key Immobilization module) I told him the success you had with yours and he refuses to believe that the cluster would be causing the starting problem, so I'm most likley wasting my money on this skim module they speak of, and if that fails I will be getting new cluster. is it hard to install?