1998 Dodge Ram 2500 Electrical Problems

HAZZARD: INTERMITTENT HEAD LAMP OPERATION (LOW AND/OR HIGH BEAM CUT-OFF) CAUSE: UNKNOWN. SAFETY ISSUE: KEEPING THE HEADLAMPS ON WHILE DRIVING (DODGE RAM 1998.5 2500 4X4 QUAD CAB SLT; 5.9L 24V CUMMINS DIESEL; 47RE; STOCK (NO FOG LIGHTS); 170,000 MILES). PROBLEM: HEADLAMPS (LOW AND/OR HIGH BEAM), AND OCCASIONALLY, BUT NOT CONSISTENTLY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, CUT-OFF INTERMITTENTLY -- ACTUATING THE DASHBOARD MOUNTED HEADLAMP SWITCH (PUSH-PULL) RESTORES THE LIGHTS. TROUBLE SHOOTING/REPAIRS (EXECUTED BY A CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FACILITY): (1) CHECKED MULTIPLE GROUNDS (CLEAN AND TIGHT); (2) CHECKED FUSES; (3) CHECKED OUTPUT FROM GENERATOR (STEADY - APPROX. 14.5 WITH "NO LOAD"; BATTERIES - NEW 6/18); (4) CHECKED CIRCUITS (VERIFIED CONTINUITY AND RESISTANCE); (5) REPLACED STEERING COLUMN MOUNTED MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH; (6) REPLACED "HEADLAMP/SECURITY" RELAY; (7) REPLACED HEADLAMP/DASHBOARD LIGHTING COMBINATION SWITCH (REPLACED 22 MONTHS AGO (167,000) - ORIGINAL FAILED. NOTE: DASHBOARD ABOVE SWITCH - WARM TO TOUCH. (8) REPLACED HEADLAMP BULBS (BOTH). NOTE: NO DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES SET. NEXT ACTION: REPLACING THE HEADLAMP/DASHBOARD COMBINATION SWITCH AGAIN. OEM REPLACEMENT SWITCH INSTALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 167,000 MILES MAY BE MALFUNCTIONING. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE SWITCH DID NOT INDICATE SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. ACTUATING THE SWITCH INDICATES NORMAL OPERATION. SPECULATION: A "CCD BUS COMMUNICATION ERROR" IS OCCURRING; PULSE FROM PCM (?) TO HEADLAMP CIRCUIT MAY NOT YIELD THE LEVEL OF RESISTANCE REQUIRED RESULTING IN THE INTERMITTENT "CUT-OFF". TECHNICAL ADVICE/GUIDANCE/ASSISTANCE EITHER DIRECTLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER (FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOTIVE), OR THROUGH THE DODGE RAM DEALERSHIP NETWORK IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

NHTSA ID

11176318

Incident

Oct 15, 2018

Mileage

170,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN SOUNDED WITHOUT BEING PROMOTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE METAL PARTS THAT HELD THE WHEELS WERE CORRODED AND CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO DETACH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10851566

Incident

Jan 16, 2012

Mileage

200,000 mi

HORN DOES NOT WORK. IT IS VERY HARD TO MAKE THE HORN GO OFF. YOU HAVE TO PRESS VERY HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE BUTTON IS INSIDE OF THE AIRBAG. IF IN AN EMERGENCY YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HONK THE HORN AND WILL POSSIBLY CRASH. *JB

NHTSA ID

10151670

Incident

Feb 1, 2005

Mileage

100,000 mi

HORN FAILS TO SOUND APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE TIME. FORCE REQUIRED AND SIZE OF ACTIVATING AREA ON STEERING WHEEL WERE SEVERELY OVERLOOKED BY DESIGN ENGINEERS. I AM A 6' TALL PHYSICALLY ACTIVE MALE AND I HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME SOUNDING HORN (VERY DANGEROUS) *JB

NHTSA ID

10095899

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

Mileage

1 mi

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER BECAUSE THE HORN OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MUST BE REPLACED TO FIX THE HORN. *AK HORN HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO OPERATE SINCE CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE. HORN HAS TO BE DEPRESSED ON THE RIGHT SPOT TO WORK. VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOR ITS REPAIR. CHRYSLER OFFERED TO SPLIT (50/50) THE COST WITH THE REPAIR ON HORN AND AIRBAG ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER FELT AT THAT TIME AND GIVEN THAT THEY HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THEIR VEHICLE THE SITUATION SHOULD BE CORRECTED. VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES AND CONSUMER SAID THAT CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE MATTER. *LA

NHTSA ID

10057432

Mileage

40,000 mi

VEHICLE FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HORN. CONSUMER REPORTED THE DEFECT TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10043990

Incident

Oct 15, 2003

THE HORN DIFFICULT TO PRESS IN TO HONK IF NECESSARY. VERY DIFFICULT TO SOUND HORN WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SOUND IN AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE NEED TO EASYILY SOUND HORN TO WORN ANIMALS OUT OF MY PATH AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUE TO THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10005310

Incident

Feb 4, 2003

EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, BUT NO SIGN OF LEAKAGES. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTERNTIONALLY WITH HELD THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH V-10 ENGINE TO AVOID RECALL. ACCORCING TO THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM INTERNET, THE MANUFACTURER HAD INDICATED THAT THE V-10 HEADS AND CRANKSHAFT COULD EXPERIENCE HAIR LINE CRACKS CAUSING INTERNAL COOLANT LEAKAGE. SPARK PLUGS FAILED. FRONT BRAKE PADS FAIED. LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

884967

Incident

Jul 28, 1999

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELT SOLENOID SHORTED OUT. *SLC

NHTSA ID

556727

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE AND TURNED OFF THE HEATER. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER PULLED INTO THE DEALER SHIP, AND THE DEALER PUT OUT THE FIRE. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

836301

Incident

Mar 5, 1999

LOOSE FIREWALL TO HOOD GASKET. YH

NHTSA ID

606733

HORN BUTTON HARD TO LOCATE THROUGH THE AIR BAG. NLM

NHTSA ID

606329

SOUND SYSTEM SPEAKERS FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

605957

Incident

Sep 3, 1998

HORN DESIGN MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TO FIND THE HORN AND PRESS IT HARD ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE WITHOUT TAKING HANDS OR EYES OFF THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

542378

THE HORN PAD REQUIRES EXESSIVE AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO OPERATE.

NHTSA ID

781461

HORN IS VERY HARD TO OPERATE.

NHTSA ID

781365

HORN REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE TO ACTIVATE.

NHTSA ID

781349