Lost trailer left turn and brake light

[LLGood]

Read the several threads regarding the right side. I pulled my trailer to MO with my 06 3500 RAM and lights worked well. Parked the trailer for a week at a meeting and when I hooked up for the return trip, these lights did not work. Checked the fuses and lines with a tester and there was no power to either of the three plugs-ins on the truck. I hooked the trailer to another truck and all the lights worked. I spliced a wire from the truck turnlight wire to the plug-in so I had a left turn signal to drive the 1200 miles back to my home on the interstate. This trick did not work with the brake light, so I travel with a single stoplight. Is this a "controller" problem? I am taking the truck back to DODGE to have the problem fixed. Luckly I still have warrently on the truck. From earlier threads, has Dodge been contacted by TDR to get a solution that works and we do not have to shell out $285 - $400.



5. 9L, 06 3500, stock with air bags.

 

[cwsoules]

When we had a similar problem it turned out to be a defctive turn signal switch in the truck.

 

[HBarlow]

Chuck,



Your '01 is much simpler than the '06 the original poster has. The '06 lighting is monitored by a computer, the TIPM, I think. It is not as simple to repair as earlier trucks.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

yep its the tipm, very common on the 06's to go out, very poor design, we are fighting my dads 06 with the same problem, you will have to go to the dealer and have them change the tipm.

 

[LLGood]

When I took my 06, 3500 Dodge to the dealer to have the left stoplight and left turn signal fix, I indicated on the service order that it is most likely a problem with the TIPM. Four hours, the mechanic informed that the TIPM was bad and would have to order a new one. He asked who diagnosed the problem because it was correct. I showed him the pages from the TDR forum and told him this is a known problem on the 06. Thanks to Mopartech for your input. A new TIPM was installed the next day, only two hour wait this time. Once I got home, I took the cover off the unit and found that there were no fuse listings embossed like the original one. Instead there was a statement to check with the owner's manual for fuse identification. My manual does not have any fuse information. I now wonder, do I have a TIPM which is used on the 07/08 and the problem of the 06 has been fixed. I went to the web and did searches on TIPM and found some interesting articles, many written by Chrysler/Dodge Certified Technicians. There were discussions about interjecting a relay or fuse between the TIPM and the trailer pigtail to keep the surges from blowing the TIPM. I would like to hear from anyone who has done this.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

yep thats exactly what I did on my dads boat trailer and I am thinking about building harnesses for the 7 pin connector so that he can use it on any trailer he pulls and then all he has to do is hook this harness inbetween the truck and the trailer and it will be protected.

 

[Andersonville]

That happened to me in BC! I had to get it reflashed at Dodge in Pendleton OR. Wasn't anything I could do to fix it. I had to run a jumper from the right rear tailamp to the trailer plug so I could leave the Yahk BC scale. Out of service violation in BC!