Lamp Out!

[JasonCzerak]

So, cruising home for lunch and the dinger starts dinging, look down at the guages, "Lamp out". ohh ok, about time I think, 60,000 miles, 2 years. .



So I get home and look around, running light wise I they are all working. couldn't get the backup lights with out shuting the truck down (duuuh). head lights work.



I found a brick and placed it on the break peddle and have a peek, 3 of the 4 break lights are out. . the middle one on the cab is fine.



Now as I'm driving the dinger digs based on the the bumps in the road. So since 3 of the 4 are out, It's a wiring issue. The bulbs check out, they have the filaments in place and look fine.



Where to start is my question? under the dash? near the back of the truck? I'll have to study the service manual here to track down the correct harseses.

 

[pwr2tow]

wiggle the wire harness at the 7 pin wire hookup for trailer. Had that happen once on my 99 and never happened again.

 

[prestonmck]

I know It sounds odd to have more than one bulb out at a time but it is possible and I have had it happen. I had also thought the bulbs I replaced looked good( filament intact,no black spots any where) but they were faulty. It may not be your problem but would be easy to make sure before tearing into anything.

 

[vciesielski]

Rear light modules need to be replaced, because of burnt contacts.

 

[magothy1]

Do a search on this one, there's several things, but it sure is fun listening to that &*)@*^^(!! alarm bell, isn't it. With mine it was a loose bulb in the tail light assembly, it only came on with the bumpy roads at 60 mph plus.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Rear light modules need to be replaced, because of burnt contacts.

define "modules" the things that hold the bulbs in place?



I'm debugging the 3 bad bulbs theory right now with the one working blub.

 

[vciesielski]

The module's are the gray piece that the three bulbs(stop,trun,marker,backup) plug into. The contacts in one or all three sockets will burn or not make clean contact.

I had one go out because of an accident, and another did the intermittent thing only when my gooseneck trailer was in tow.

 

[TW1]

I had an intermittant problem like this... the light and dinger would come on, mostly on rougher roads, but sometimes on the freeway too. The problem came to a head when the light and dinger stayed on... the problem was the taillight bulb had fallen out of its' holder and was rattling around inside the housing. When I went to put it back, the little locking tabs holding the bulb in the housing broke off. I have temporarily fixed that problem with toothpicks wedged in the slot, but I now carry a tube of silicone seal in the truck and will use that to fix it more permanently next time.

 

[JasonCzerak]

The module's are the gray piece that the three bulbs(stop,trun,marker,backup) plug into. The contacts in one or all three sockets will burn or not make clean contact.

I had one go out because of an accident, and another did the intermittent thing only when my gooseneck trailer was in tow.

The driver side lamp screw (that holds to the bed). are well, normal screw, the passenger side, they are star bits. WTF? I have a limited amount of tools, and no star bits. I'll pick some up tomorrow. The test this will prove if it's really the "grey modules" or infact a relay or something.



If I plug the passenger side tail light (no blubs work with break applied) into the socket on the drivers side and just the one blub lights up, then the modules can't be bad. it has to be in the wires or relays.



I flip flopped the light bulbs tho on the driver side, moved the top to the bottom bottom to the top. same light deal.



So, I have 1 working break light bulb out of 4. Running lights work, and blinkers work (the top bulbs).



wouldn't all the operations not work with that grey module was broke?



So, current to the "brighter fillament" is operational based on the fact that the blinkers blink. Current for running lights work, so the "less brighter" part of all 4 bulbs work.



This sounds more like a relay or the module that is connected to the break peddle. I'm going to test that for current when I get a tester based on what the service manual suggests.



I jiggled all kinds of wires under the frame, nothing, not even a flicker from the break lights. So I'm going to rule out wiring for now.

 

[Got HO?]

You only have 3 bulbs for brake lights. The upper bulbs in the tail lights are for park and turn signal only, the lower bulbs (middle) are brake and tail light. Sounds like you just have a single bad bulb...

 

[JasonCzerak]

You only have 3 bulbs for brake lights. The upper bulbs in the tail lights are for park and turn signal only, the lower bulbs (middle) are brake and tail light. Sounds like you just have a single bad bulb...

Are you SURE just the middle is only for break and not the entire side?



Heck, it's a UPS truck, but I did focus on the break lights, and out of the 4 red lights on the back, 4 of them went on as he slowed down, and only the top one blinked for a blinker.



I have yet to get at the other side, I need to get the star bits. We'll see tho, it could be loose





EDIT:

Just went out side, and took a real close look at my right side lights. yep, broken fillamnet.



BUT I SWARE! all 4 come on when you apply break. . I think...



I'm an idiot

 

[Got HO?]

Are you SURE just the middle is only for break and not the entire side?



Heck, it's a UPS truck, but I did focus on the break lights, and out of the 4 red lights on the back, 4 of them went on as he slowed down, and only the top one blinked for a blinker.



I have yet to get at the other side, I need to get the star bits. We'll see tho, it could be loose





EDIT:

Just went out side, and took a real close look at my right side lights. yep, broken fillamnet.



BUT I SWARE! all 4 come on when you apply break. . I think...



I'm an idiot

If you have stock Ram Tail light assemblies, the brake light bulb is the center bulb only, so just 1 per side & the 3rd brake lights total 3 bulbs for brakes...

 

[JasonCzerak]

If you have stock Ram Tail light assemblies, the brake light bulb is the center bulb only, so just 1 per side & the 3rd brake lights total 3 bulbs for brakes...

ok, I"m a dummie. this thread should be deleted.



I'll get some star bits and a bulb tomorrow thanks Got HO.

 

[Scrappy]

The brakelights are controlled by the computer and the third brake light is controlled by the switch on the pedal.

 

[RDyson]

First off, an allen wrench will fit the star head. As for how I know? After 20 miles of listening to that stupid dinger go off, I had all I could take and I was going to get the tail light off if I had to chisel that screw out!! I had previously had a brake bulb go out. The bulb was fine, but the contacts in the module were not making a good connection. I have tried reach down in there and bend them to make them tighter but it hasn't worked. I'm finally going to get another module and hopefully be done with it. And by the way, your not the only one who felt spupid about the lights. I took mine to the dealer because I didn't know the blinkers and brake lights were not the same. I turned my flashers on and thought that should cover it--like the old ones were made. But I did feel better when the tech hooked up the ODB to find it and couldn't. At least I wasn't the only one standing there with egg on my face!

 

[JasonCzerak]

First off, an allen wrench will fit the star head. As for how I know? After 20 miles of listening to that stupid dinger go off, I had all I could take and I was going to get the tail light off if I had to chisel that screw out!! I had previously had a brake bulb go out. The bulb was fine, but the contacts in the module were not making a good connection. I have tried reach down in there and bend them to make them tighter but it hasn't worked. I'm finally going to get another module and hopefully be done with it. And by the way, your not the only one who felt spupid about the lights. I took mine to the dealer because I didn't know the blinkers and brake lights were not the same. I turned my flashers on and thought that should cover it--like the old ones were made. But I did feel better when the tech hooked up the ODB to find it and couldn't. At least I wasn't the only one standing there with egg on my face!

while the dinger was driving me nutz with the first miles that it started to go out I get home and look at each bulb. it looked like each one was fine. The fillaments looked correct, the second leg of my trip it wasn't blinking as much. The post where I call my self an idiot, that's when I looked again and then you could see that the filamnet broke loose.



If it broke correctly the first time, then I wouldn't of bothered to post

 

[RDyson]

On mine, the filament was fine. The wire on the bottom of the bulb that makes contact in the module somehow got embedded in the plastic of the bulb. All I can figure is that it got hot somehow and buried itself.

From now on I'll check both ends of the bulbs!