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Derek
Dodge Dakota
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5/15/2005
16:45:46
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 Subject: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
1997 Dakota 4wd
The last couple of months I've had a strange problem with my right side taillight. It started out where the right turn signal started to flash quicker than the left side. The bulbs were all okay so I used bulb grease on all of them. That cured the problem for about 2 months.
Just last week the problem started up again. The bulb grease didn't cure it this time. I put a new flasher relay in and it did slow the right turn signals down to the same as the left side. But I just noticed that the right rear light goes completely out when the lights are on and the brake is depressed. After closer scrutiny I found out that the shorter and brighter filament in the right rear bulb is not burning. I checked to make sure the socket had the same voltage going to it as the left side. The pins voltage were identical on both the right and left side taillight.
All the lights work properly all the way around including the trailer lights. It's just the right rear that isn't working correctly even though a voltage check on each wire looks identical for both the left and right taillight. Anyone have a clue as to how the right side bulb isn't lighting up the smaller(brighter) filament? Thanks a bunch.
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don
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2005
13:42:21
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
sounds like a bad ground. check voltage from socket to ground, should be zero. try a jumper from socket to a good ground. clean all groungs from light.
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Derek
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2005
20:22:25
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Okay after jumpering the socket ground to the frame it does indeed appear to be a bad ground. I searched the wiring harness going up to the front of the truck and can't find where the smaller taillight grounds merge into one. They don't appear to come out separately towards the front where the grounds are bolted to the frame. Would it be an acceptable repair to just permanently splice the taillight bulb socket ground wire to the frame? Thanks for all the help.
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don
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2005
23:02:40
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
I dont have any idea about that. it shouldnt matter but i dont know
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Derek
Dodge Dakota
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5/17/2005
21:34:25
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
I've tracked the problem down to the wiring harness plug that attaches to the bulb holder. After bypassing the plug from bulb socket to wiring harness wires the bulb lights up like it should. Now I just have to locate the plug.
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Dragon
Dodge Dakota
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5/20/2005
08:37:52
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
If you're using one of those plug-in style trailer lighting kits, check the socket for the right side lights.
The dealer used one of these on my truck when I got it and the damned socket corroded really bad within 4 months.
THey ended up cutting the "plug" portions off that side and soldering the two sets of wires together.
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Derek
Dodge Dakota
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5/20/2005
20:31:20
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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Message:
I actually got it fixed today. It was due to corrosion but not because of trailer wiring. The connector that plugs into the lightbulb socket had corroded at the ground terminal internally. It was still connected inside but it showed no continuity. After contacting several junkyards for the connector the best I got was "we may have it but there's a $20 minimum". So I took a wild chance and hit the local dealer knowing there would be no luck. But it turned out they did have the connector kit but it was expensive-$26. I paid the money and now have everything worked out.
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verdesardog
Dodge Dakota
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5/20/2005
20:44:09
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
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you cudda just put a wire to ground it would have woirked fine and cost less than $5
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Derek
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/20/2005
21:43:33
| RE: Right taillight electrical problem.
IP: Logged
Message:
I actually tried that first and that's how I found out the bad connection was inside the plug. There wasn't an easy way to bypass plug from ground wire to the socket.
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