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Head on collision, lost all blinkers/flashers/hazards

931 Views 13 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  DoubleJ, 
D
Got hit head-on recently. Finally had a nice day to start digging into the damage (extensive, frame is tweaked and lower rad mount is collapsed). I got the fan bits away from the pulleys and hacked the bottom of my airbox off so it'll fit in the obliterated inner fender to make the truck at least driveable.

I'll need a headlight/blinkers/parking lots to keep it street legal, but I've found that none of my blinkers work any longer. All of my parking lights come on, driver's headlight still works, passenger headlight is in a garbage can, but I think the connector for it is salvageable.

Headlight switch off, nothing happens with either the stalk or the hazard button. Headlight switch on, the right (destroyed side) dash blinker arrow glows at about half power but the stalk and hazard button continue to do nothing. If I hit the hazard button, it does deactivate the bed brake lights, so the button is doing something.

Swapped the flasher box out for a known good one, no change. Checked the 15 amp fuse by my left knee, it's good. It does say "turn signal 2" but I can't find a turn signal 1, so I'm assuming that just indicates that it controls both sides? 15A does seem a little small for 6 flashing bulbs though, but I can't find anything in either fuse box indicating more turn signals.

Anyone have any ideas as to where to start? This is a weird one for sure and I've not encountered something similar before. Thanks

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I
Glad you survived.

What year is your Dak? (I don't know Daks well enough to tell from the pic.)
I was just on a different thread and the subject of different year circuitries came up (For example, there are differences between '00s and '01 through '04, and I would be willing to bet that '97 through '99 are still another set of schematics).
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D
No injuries, was a low speed ordeal at an intersection so we lucked out there.
Truck is a 2000, and I bet you're right, they changed alot throughout the years. 99 and older had old Dodge small blocks in them, mine had the first 4.7, later years had a better 4.7. I have an ECM and a TCM, newer trucks had both modules in 1 unit I think. Not sure about the switchgear and core electrical systems though, probably some similarities there. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I have a ground issue...but I don't have that type of damage to the harness, just basically crushed connectors where the headlight was pushed back into the inner fender. Seems that my driver's side should work find since there's no damage over there, but somehow they're linked.
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I
Schematics are not a strong area for me, but I am looking at one for the "'00 exterior lighting system (except headlights)" anyway.

For the FRONT it is showing ONE 15A fuse (#14) ("hot at all timers") from which power should travel through the head light switch via a PK/R wire that should get turn signals, brake, tail lights, license plate lights, park lights and side marker lights.

For the rear is "fuse 2" for your back up lights and also "fuse E" for rear turn signals and rear turn signals.

IF I am reading this correctly (and remember, I said "IF") the schematic shows the LEFT FRONT turn signals and park lights connected to a multifunction switch by a light green wire and the RIGHT FRONT turn signals and park lights connected to a different multifunction switch by a wire labeled "T" (I don't know what color that indicates). A black.yellow wire should provide power at ALL the FRONT connectors. Left side FRONT and right side FFRONT each have their own separate ground. .
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I
. . . at the REAR: 15A "fuse 2" should be hot in run or start, and your L & R backups should each have their own separate ground.

20A "fuse E" should be hot in run or start L & R tail/stop/turn lights and your 3rd brake light should all have their own separate ground. Now this ,is interesting: it appears to me as if power through that fuse goes to your brake light switch via pink/dark blue wire (I would think that power should be available to your brake light switch always? So maybe this is a Haynes Typo & the rears should be hot always & the fronts should be hot with key on?) . . . but anyhow, from the brake light switch, vi a W/T wire, still another multifunction switch gets power

AND

from that one switch, the L and R tail/stop/turn lights each get power and each assembly has it's own ground and each has a wire labeled (again) "T" going to the headlight switch. Making me think for sure that Haynes has that reversed and "Fuse E should be hot always for the headlights/taillights.
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Maybe it will help if you are looking at the same thing I am. Computer literacy is another area I am weak on, but I'll try to attach the schematic I was looking at. I apologize that it is crooked & upside down, but if you print it & turn it right side up, you should be able to read it. I tried to scan it right side up, but I couldn't jam the book in very good when it was turned right side up . . . .

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I
. . . nobody ever hired me for my brains. I screwed around and figured out a better way to do it & this attachment should be way better:

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DoubleJ said:
Seems that my driver's side should work find since there's no damage over there, but somehow they're linked.
Click to expand...
. . . so if you are looking at one of those schematics, where I see them linked is from the single black/yellow wire from the headlight switch. (I could be wrong, though.)

Going to the preceding page ("Headlight system) in addition to that black/yellow wire there is also a light green wire coming from the headlight switch which feeds a multi-function switch for only the headlights (which would be why fuse #14 is hot always). The '00 headlight system shows a schematic for with and without "DRL" (daytime running lights). As long as I am scanning stuff, I'll throw that at you as well. Ignore my handwritten notes, I don't think they apply to a 2000.

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DoubleJ said:
but somehow they're linked.
Click to expand...
. . . and it struck me that they would also be linked where they go through the headlight switch itself.
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I
. . . well, sorry, but color me stupid.
I was doing some further looking at this, and I found a schematic labeled "turn signal/hazard flasher system 2000 Dakota". This should be more helpful, & I've scanned it & I will attach it.

Anyway, looking at this schematic it seems somewhat contradictory to the previous schematic(s). For example: this shows TWO fuses, fuse #10 (hot in run or start) and fuseD (always hot) and that part does make sense to me; fuse10 would get your turn signals and fuseD would get your hazard flashers (and it is a black/yellow wire from fuseD so maybe the headlights also?). Power goes through both fuses (obviously via separate wires) to a "combination flasher" which has one ground. Within that "combination flasher" is a "timing circuit" which it appears gets power from fuse 10 & therefore would be your turn signals.

The "combination flasher" appears to have two wires out of it to a "multifunction switch" and from that switch, a wire out for your LEFT rear & front lights (except headlight) and another wire out for the RIGHT lights (except headlight) and note that BOTH SIDES show a connection via that black/yellow wire to the HEADLIGHT SWITCH.

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Richie62
immattj said:
. . . so if you are looking at one of those schematics, where I see them linked is from the single black/yellow wire from the headlight switch. (I could be wrong, though.)

Going to the preceding page ("Headlight system) in addition to that black/yellow wire there is also a light green wire coming from the headlight switch which feeds a multi-function switch for only the headlights (which would be why fuse #14 is hot always). The '00 headlight system shows a schematic for with and without "DRL" (daytime running lights). As long as I am scanning stuff, I'll throw that at you as well. Ignore my handwritten notes, I don't think they apply to a 2000.
Click to expand...
Hey buddy
I got a 97 Dakota except for the motor and transmission it's complete. I can get you everything you need . If you're need California I'll hook you up. Glad you're ok and we can fix the rest
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D
I missed all these notifications, sorry for the slow reply. It's been 9 degrees and snowing for a few days but I'm hoping to get back out to work on it this weekend. Not too close to Cali, other side of the Rockies, but thanks for the offer Richie.

I'm going to cut up the wiring harnesses that are damaged and see if something is amiss in there that's causing this, maybe it's just a short/bad ground/back voltage. If that's not the easy fix, I'll start troubleshooting using the info you've supplied Matt, appreciate you putting the time in
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D
Got some work in on it today and got a new headlight assembly ordered, but I have some hammering and pulling to do on the fender before the assembly will even fit. I did cut back some of the wiring and located some damage which I temped back together. The glowing indicator on the dash is gone, but still no blinkey blink anywhere. I do know the light switches on old Dakotas go bad, I've already replaced mine once, so maybe I'll just grab another on ebay and see if that's an easy fix since my fog light portion stopped working earlier this year. If that's a bust, time to get my meter out.
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D
Fender is hammered back into something resembling shape, got a used headlight assembly crammed in there somehow and all the wiring re-done, but still no blinkers or flashers. Everything else works fine, so it's on to the troubleshooting.
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