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98 dodge Durango - head light switch


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dennishazard
User

Mar 18, 2014, 4:53 AM

Post #1 of 19 (1875 views)
  post locked   98 dodge Durango - head light switch  

I have a 98 dodge Durango 5.9 engine with 160,000 miles on it
it seems like every couple of months my tail lights go out, turn signals and brake lights work fine, I have replace the head light switch several times, but it only lasts a few months, could I really be getting bad switches or is there some thing else be going on with my truck ?it's beginning to be a pain in the a** having to take the dash apart to replace the switch, if anyone has any ideas that I can look into it would be appreciated very much, thank you, Dennis from Milwaukee


(This post was edited by carjunky on Mar 18, 2014, 12:57 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 18, 2014, 5:43 AM

Post #2 of 19 (1864 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

? What do you mean by the term tail lights? I think you mean what I call either "running lights" or "Parking Lights" - right?


Do the front ones work? If so I doubt the switch and think you have a dedicated ground for those lights and a wired ground that goes with the turn and brake lights which is why those keep working.


If you back probe with a test light when not working checking for ground at a socket bet you find it missing but power there?


T



dennishazard
User

Mar 18, 2014, 5:57 AM

Post #3 of 19 (1859 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

ok running lights, we call the tail lights here, yes everything else works just fine, ok so i'll take it to someone to see if they can figure out what it is and let you know,Thanks !


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 18, 2014, 6:10 AM

Post #4 of 19 (1854 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

Good luck. I can just smell that a ground wire for just those is bad or broken off clean and might be visible. My thinking is it's part real truck some can be purchased with nothing out back but mandatory lights or in wait for an alteration? Can't know.


Some places require amber lighting and some don't. Get's confusing and even trailer lighting could be involved as so far I haven't seen a trailer with a third brake light which could be involved now and not a chance I could see (my view) the diagram if it was here anyway.


Should (famous last words) be a simple fix?? Tom


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Mar 18, 2014, 6:20 AM

Post #5 of 19 (1851 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

If a new switch resolves the issue, it means you are in the right area. It could be low quality parts or it could be a connection issue with the wiring plug at the switch. Look for discolored plastic or contacts.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dennishazard
User

Mar 18, 2014, 6:54 AM

Post #6 of 19 (1845 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

ok I will, thanks !


dennishazard
User

Mar 18, 2014, 9:05 AM

Post #7 of 19 (1832 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

took out switch and found a black wire with a yellow stripe looks burnt and the terminal looks all black, could it be something shorting this out ? maybe by the socket like you said ?,thanks Dennis


kev2
Veteran
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Mar 18, 2014, 9:19 AM

Post #8 of 19 (1831 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

intermittent ?
first be sure the correct fuses are installed -NEVER go up in amp rating.
Second check if there is a tow/trailer harness - experience would have me start there.
any added lights or modified wiring DRL's would be suspect.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 18, 2014, 9:41 AM

Post #9 of 19 (1827 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

No, that's an indication of a loose contact. The resistance makes it get hot and that makes the problem even worse. Get a pick and see if you can tighten the spring contact in the terminal to make a tighter connection.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



dennishazard
User

Mar 19, 2014, 12:50 AM

Post #10 of 19 (1787 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

ok thanks ill try to see if I can fix the terminal, do you think my switch is still good? I did notice when the switch is good that when I do turn on my lights at night the lights on my factory radio go dim,that was on way I noticed something was wrong because the radio lights didn't dim when I turned the headlights on, is that normal ?, its done this since ive had the truck for 3 yrs,,is there another problem that would cause that terminal to burn like that ?,thanks for your help, Dennis


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 19, 2014, 2:23 AM

Post #11 of 19 (1786 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

The radio lights are supposed to dim when the headlights are turned on. The LCD display is always brighter in daylight and dimmed in low light conditions.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 19, 2014, 3:07 AM

Post #12 of 19 (1782 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

Back some pls. Does this have trailer wiring either used or just there in the back? "Milwaukee" = tons of junk, sand and salts gets packed up where all that is unseen. OE near certainly left a plug possibly wrapped up waiting for an adaptor for what a trailer might require.


That plug would have power for running lights and a ground wire used or not empowered. If that is corroded or messed up it could be just a constant draw just a tad too much for the switch but not enough to blow a fuse. I'd at least take a look there,


T



dennishazard
User

Mar 19, 2014, 6:45 AM

Post #13 of 19 (1772 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

yes it does have a hook up for trailer wiring in the back that needs an adaptor, I will check that out, thanks ill let you know


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 19, 2014, 7:51 AM

Post #14 of 19 (1766 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

So easy to rule it out is my reason. I'm in a snow belt as well. Dang clots of snow, ice, with the sand and salts gets tossed all up in there so bad sometimes it pulls whole wiring harnesses down dragging in the roads a tank couldn't navigate about nowMad


OE stuff too even untouched. Doesn't matter but have a GM Winter vehicle and the OE wiring was just all electrically taped up and on the service wires for rear lights. I needed to add just a stupid 4 wire brush trailer plug AND extra back up light and with all the wire ties and efforts still find it down or moved dammit.


That stuff has power hidden or not. What I think you should check is right at and inside that plug that may have a rubber seal cap that's long gone or who knows? Grease that stuff if still good anyway or clean or replace if you even think it is or will be a problem.


Too common. Clue was you said Milwaukee up in top post - same basic road and Winter bull here, MA inland and tons of places as well,


T



dennishazard
User

Mar 19, 2014, 9:13 AM

Post #15 of 19 (1762 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

I replace 2 sockets ,they didn't look bad I got a new switch too,replaced that and it worked for a second they didn't, I tried to crimp the terminal closed more the one that was burnt up and it broke, so now I have to replace the switch connect


































































































































I replace 2 sockets in the back , trailer wiring looked good, I replaced the head light switch again , it worked for a minute, I also tried to crimp the one terminal that was burnt to get a better connection but ended up breaking it, so now I have to replace the switch connector, what is the best way to connect the wires ? should I solder them or use them wire crimping things ? some how I blew a fuse for the inst. lights too, other wise who would I look for to take it in to a shop


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 19, 2014, 9:44 AM

Post #16 of 19 (1751 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

Arggh! You are having a hard time with this now looking for a shop and agree. Any decent shop should be able to find and be done with this. Most will want to use their parts.


What has set this back is it just doesn't blow a fuse right away and some attempts lasted. Tell the shop tech that and be done with this problem,


T



dennishazard
User

Mar 19, 2014, 10:02 AM

Post #17 of 19 (1745 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

yeah, I found a shop to look at it at 8:am tomorrow, going to leave this one to the pros, but thanks for all your help once again, I'll let you know what it was ,Thanks Dennis


dennishazard
User

Mar 20, 2014, 1:31 PM

Post #18 of 19 (1724 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

it was they wiring harness, had to have it replaced after the wire burned up, works fine now, thanks for your help,Dennis


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Mar 20, 2014, 2:27 PM

Post #19 of 19 (1722 views)
  post locked   Re: head light switch  

Sounds great and glad it's found and fixed.


I'll close thread to keep the spammers out and YOU can ask any moderator to open it if you wish. Good luck, Tom







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