[Immortalized]

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for stopping in...


I have a 2000 Durango 4X4
4.7L
I been driving it for two years with no problems...

few months back I started having problems with my battery gauge dropping to "nothing" and my check engine light would come on.....right around that time the blinker switch(relay) started making that annoying sound every now and then...

anyway's the battery gauge and check engine light ended up being a bad alternator. I got stuck driving it a couple times at night till the lights were about out and just made it home on the dead battery...blew a couple brake light fuses....alternator checked as good at local auto parts store, but it was not good...so I just replaced the alternator about a week ago...brake fuse has been fine since the new alternator (not sure if that could be linked to my problem or not).

now a week after the new alternator the blinker switch(relay) is never ending with that annoying sound they make...and blowing dash light fuses....

so I replaced the blinker switch(relay) up under the dash.....

NOW...
with the lights off, hit the brakes and the front left blinker comes on like a extra brake light...

hazards and lights work as they should. right blinker works as it should.
If I turn that left blinker on ALL my brake lights blink, even my 3rd light up high in the rear window, BOTH front blinkers and my radio lights(not the sound just the lights),my overhead display(temp,compass,etc)....my milage display and my gear display( P R N D 2 1) all blink with my left blinker...


Now turn the lights on....same thing as above but the radio, overhead display, milage display and my gear display( P R N D 2 1) no longer blink but my brake lights are on(all 3)not touching the brake pedal... but they will get brighter if I apply the brakes (so they're on, just not at full brightness).

I keep blowing dash light fuses....when the dash lights are on, the left blinker indicator on the dash is now on, but it also gets brighter when blinker is turned on....

tonight on my way home the dash light fuse blew again.....with the dash lights fuse blown, lights on(it's dark) hit my brakes and the front left blinker comes on with the brake lights...and my dash lights come on(with a blown fuse!!!) and my milage, overhead display, radio, gear indicator display all go out......let off the brake my milage, overhead display, radio, gear indicator display all come back on and the dash lights and front left blinker go off...


what is causing all this chaos?

did I fry something using the blinkers for so long with a bad relay?
driving on just the battery with the bad alternator? ( I heard that was bad).

I put a new dash light fuse in when I got home....checked all fuses and bulbs, and all are good.....

under the hood I have a trailer light fuse...I pulled that and nothing changed....(I assume factory tow package because it has the trailer light fuse)....

I'm at a loss.....

just too much chaos with all the lights going crazy. :devil:


sorry if that was confusing, but it is to me too :biggrin:


my lights have a mind of their own....

any idea's anyone?

 

[hskrRT]

Check all your bulbs and sockets for your turn signals, front and rear. Something is shorted and back feeding. Might be a bad socket.

 

[Itsarebuild]

Wondering if a solution was found by the OP. My dash lights didn’t come on today with the headlights and pressing brake pedal illuminates the left blinker dash indicator. I haven’t checked exterior lights or fuses yet as I am driving alone to an appointment. Hoping the fix was easy!

 

[Itsarebuild]

Follow up.....

I checked exterior lights after dark. None of the exterior parking lights come on with the lights. But all work (flashing) when the blinker is activated. When I depress the brake the passenger rear brake light doesn’t work but the rest do. And when the pedal is depressed the drivers side parking lights grant and rear burn bin like the dash indicator.

Looking at the Haynes diagrams I’m stumped for a cause. Except maybe connector c213 right after the light switch? It seems to connect to both the taillights and the instrument cluster “display dim signal” input? But this input (black and yellow) is distinct from the cluster illumination from the 5 amp fuse (orange).

I’m going to replace the right rear stoplight bulb first and see what happens.

 

[radioactive]

Probably just low on blinker fluid.

 

[RalphP]

Looking at the Haynes diagrams I’m stumped for a cause. Except maybe connector c213 right after the light switch? It seems to connect to both the taillights and the instrument cluster “display dim signal” input? But this input (black and yellow) is distinct from the cluster illumination from the 5 amp fuse (orange).

That's part of your problem.

Pick up a factory service manual.

The Haynes is a "One Size Fits Nobody" wiring diagram. And at best makes terrible toilet paper.

RwP

 

[Itsarebuild]

So it appears to be fixed..... mostly. Replaced the burned out 15 A fuse 12 for the taillights. I also replaced fuse 5 but I don’t know for certain if it was blown since it was lost in the grass. And replaced the right brake bulb. That didn’t quite fix it and the right brake light still didn’t work. So I swapped the right back up light socket with the right brake socket and it works. Still had some weirdness as everything works as intended except that the right brake light pulses slightly when the left blinker is on. It does not have this problem with the right signal and left brake light.

We will see it this holds up...

 

[Itsarebuild]

ok.... it didnt hold up.

Today I went to move it and noticed that the left blinker signal lit up a little when i put my foot on the brake. bummer, but maybe not the end of the world. Kept fiddling with blinker and brake combinations.... then the odometer started flashing in an out!.... not quite on time with the blinker... or as rythmic...... but flashing. Then the tailights and guage lights went out again. Blew fuse 12 again.

Got out of the truck and could smell electrical type smoke... followed it as best i could to the rear of the vehicle... and under the bumper.... I think i found the culprit. the trailer light adaptor brain box is oozing black crap out of it and is hot. removed the harness from the truck and replaced the fuse. everything works as it should and the blinker signal dosent light up with the brake.

I'm trying to figure out whose harness this is but I don't see any labels on it .....Guess they didn't want to advertise. I know I got it from e-trailer and it was a major hitch manufacturer's product. It is my second one to fail though the first one just lost trailer lights and didn't mess up the truck functions. I will try to figure out brand and will post here if I do.

Now to make my own harness........

 

[Itsarebuild]

its a tekonsha

 

[Rob_M]

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for stopping in...


I have a 2000 Durango 4X4
4.7L
I been driving it for two years with no problems...

few months back I started having problems with my battery gauge dropping to "nothing" and my check engine light would come on.....right around that time the blinker switch(relay) started making that annoying sound every now and then...

anyway's the battery gauge and check engine light ended up being a bad alternator. I got stuck driving it a couple times at night till the lights were about out and just made it home on the dead battery...blew a couple brake light fuses....alternator checked as good at local auto parts store, but it was not good...so I just replaced the alternator about a week ago...brake fuse has been fine since the new alternator (not sure if that could be linked to my problem or not).

now a week after the new alternator the blinker switch(relay) is never ending with that annoying sound they make...and blowing dash light fuses....

so I replaced the blinker switch(relay) up under the dash.....

NOW...
with the lights off, hit the brakes and the front left blinker comes on like a extra brake light...

hazards and lights work as they should. right blinker works as it should.
If I turn that left blinker on ALL my brake lights blink, even my 3rd light up high in the rear window, BOTH front blinkers and my radio lights(not the sound just the lights),my overhead display(temp,compass,etc)....my milage display and my gear display( P R N D 2 1) all blink with my left blinker...


Now turn the lights on....same thing as above but the radio, overhead display, milage display and my gear display( P R N D 2 1) no longer blink but my brake lights are on(all 3)not touching the brake pedal... but they will get brighter if I apply the brakes (so they're on, just not at full brightness).

I keep blowing dash light fuses....when the dash lights are on, the left blinker indicator on the dash is now on, but it also gets brighter when blinker is turned on....

tonight on my way home the dash light fuse blew again.....with the dash lights fuse blown, lights on(it's dark) hit my brakes and the front left blinker comes on with the brake lights...and my dash lights come on(with a blown fuse!!!) and my milage, overhead display, radio, gear indicator display all go out......let off the brake my milage, overhead display, radio, gear indicator display all come back on and the dash lights and front left blinker go off...


what is causing all this chaos?

did I fry something using the blinkers for so long with a bad relay?
driving on just the battery with the bad alternator? ( I heard that was bad).

I put a new dash light fuse in when I got home....checked all fuses and bulbs, and all are good.....

under the hood I have a trailer light fuse...I pulled that and nothing changed....(I assume factory tow package because it has the trailer light fuse)....

I'm at a loss.....

just too much chaos with all the lights going crazy. :devil:


sorry if that was confusing, but it is to me too :biggrin:


my lights have a mind of their own....

any idea's anyone?

I'm starting to have the same issues you are having I replaced battery terminal wires alternator alternator fuse on the next thing I have to replace the battery cuz coming home all my gauges went out and felt like it was loss of power when I finally got into my driveway turned off the car went to restart it and click click click click like the battery is dead so I'm at Los myself it's only vehicle I got and I can't get to work I can't get it fixed going nuts over a 2000 Dodge Durango with 4.7 l in Kinston North Carolina anyone have any ideas cuz everything else alternate is good when I got it and they said all the fuses were good so I'm thinking maybe it's the battery that was faulty and I know my ignition switch I can pull the key out while I'm driving it so it might be that too I don't know