Headlights intermittent flickering, turning off

[AEdelheit]

Hoping to get some insight here that I have not been able to find searching the internet on an odd problem my truck has.

2006 2500 with halogen headlights, no LED or HID. While driving the headlights will randomly flicker for a fraction of a second or sometimes turn off for a good second or two then turn back on, both headlights do it at the same time so its not the typical TIPM one headlight not working and its usually on smooth roads nothing rough.

I can not duplicate it with the truck parked, even leaving the headlights on for an hour straight doesn't seem to make them act up so I have had to replace some parts without properly diagnosing the problem. The TIPM, Multi-function switch, headlight switch and headlamps have been replaced and no change. The fog lights are not effected and if the brights are on it will still flicker or turn off. I have pulled the cluster, checked all connections and grounds between the headlights, TIPM, cluster and switch as well as wiggling every wire and connector I could find with not a single flicker or dim of the headlights, everything looks clean and tight so I dont think it is a bad connection or broken wire. No other odd electrical issues anywhere on the truck.

Looking at the service manual the headlight switch gets its signal from the cluster then sends the command back to the cluster , the cluster then sends it to the TIPM via Can Bus, I highly doubt its a Can Bus issue as there are no other problems so I am leaning towards an issue with the cluster but have never heard of a cluster causing head light issues and could not find any issues like it searching online so that part is odd.

Anyone ever heard of or dealt with a similar issue before?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ozymandias]

Disconnect your headlight switch, then the lights will be on as soon as you start the engine - by default from the TIPM.
If they still flicker, then it is not the switch.
Just for a first test.

 

[AEdelheit]

Thanks Ozy, I didint know they defaulted on but makes sense!

 

[AEdelheit]

Update - I looked up when the headlight switch was replaced and verified it was after the headlight issue started so decided to replace the cluster as it was the last component in the headlight circuit I did not replace, found one on Ebay where they would set the Odometer to where mine was so happy about that. Installed it almost 2 weeks ago and have not driven it every nights but enough to where the headlights would have acted up many times by now and so far so good.

I did talk with a retired Mopar tech as well and he agreed it could be the cluster , very rare failure but possible.

Ill update if anything changes but as of right now my problem was the Cluster itself.

 

[JStrause]

I have a 2006 3500 with the Cummins and 87K miles. I've had the exact same issue for the last couple years. Both headlights occasionally flicker or go out. I tried replacing the headlight switch and going over every ground/connection, and nothing has fixed the issue. A couple of times, all the instrument cluster lights have come on while driving and the gauges all go to zero for a second and then it goes back to normal.

Who did you go through on eBay to get the odometer set properly on the new cluster?

 

[AEdelheit]

The seller was " speedo_nation " not sure if the link will work https://www.ebay.com/itm/183926244864?ul_noapp=true . You do need to make sure the cluster is from an 2006 , one from a 2005 or 2007 will not work.

 

[mwilson]

Something going bad in the cluster may be pulling the Can Bus down and that next level may be the headlight signal....I've seen some weird stuff on big rigs when something electrical starts to go South....

A whole different theory at play now in electrical troubleshooting....