heres me .02

well get your multi meter out..check power to the pull out headlight/running lights/dimmer switch, if you are getting power to that then check power to the blinker switch on the steering column, theres only one wire that takes power to that switch, which has 4 fuses i believe?, 2 for the low beams, 2 for the high beams, check them...if everything seems alright then my guess would be wiring somewhere in your system, eres a thread that might help.. https://dodgeforum.com/m_629010/tm.htm


I hope this helps!!! dont give those shops your money, im sure you can figure it out, dont give up.

 

green rot in the wires under the hood? mine was full of it. whenever something stopped working. so hunting for green rot. expanded wires, as well as exploded wires are a sure sign of the green. hope this helps..

 

Yeah I found the same green rot on the drivers side next to the fuse box, although my truck quit running and wouldn't start is when I found that evil mess. Turned out to be part of the ignition wiring. A new connection and some TLC we were back in business..haha

 

I finally got time to look at my friends Dakota again. The dimmer switch checked out. Power at the headlight switch would be there, but when switched it would go away. The fuse block would not always have power. I figured there was abad connectionsomewhere.
Well, I opened the firewall bulkhead main disconnect junction with the 40+ connections in there. A few drops of water came out and there was green corrosion on the bottom row. Then I pulled on the big red/white wire in the corner and it just pulled out, corrosion/broken from its spade connection. I believe that this feeds a column of the fuse block, including #5 which is my problem. I would put a picture here, but I don't know how. You have to have a url to a picture?
I tried to get the remains of the broken spade out of the big connector without success.
What do you recommend for cleaning out the green corrosion, baking soda water? Then on fixing the crimp-on spade lug? I need to get it out and put on a new one. I may have to jump around this connector? What do do you recommend? There may be another spade about to go, I don't know..
Thank you

 

I pulled the blue plastic bar plug out of the bulkhead disconnect to get the broken spade lug out. I think the others are OK. I dipped the whole pigtail in baking soda water which cleaned it out real good. I think it will fix-up pretty good after I get a new spade crimped on. I will spend some time trying to seal this disconnect better.
As I said this is a friend's truck. I noticed that the auto trans was slipping when I drove it a mile. I checked the fluid and it did not register. The dip stick did not smell burnt though. I don't know anything about adjusting bands. I am planning on topping the fluid and if it works OK, then I will call it good (it is not used for towing or any other heavy or medium use).
Thanks,

 

I just want to finish off this thread with good news and info..
I went to a Dodge dealer (Renton, WA) and they did not have the spade lugs for the bulkhead connector. They only had the main wiring harness... I then went to Schuck's and they did not have anything to order and I was told to just check the general aisle in the store. I figured no way, but I looked and found it. It was in a Chrysler terminal assortment from ConductTite PN85378 also called Motormite, for $7. I borrowed some crimping pliers to put it on. I carefully wrapped the connector's boot to the connector with many, many wraps of elec. tape. It works.
I decided to pull the tranny pan to look for debris and burn smell. I am happy to say that I found neither. I only got 2qts. of fluidout of the pan though. New filter of course. I sure like the 4 small holes in the Fram gasket to make holding the gasket in the right spot a cinch. I put in 4 qts of atf+ and it still does not register. I will get somemore fluid, but I think the tranny is fine.
Thanks,

 

check the rred and white wire where it goes through the firewall mine did the same thing the wire was corroded and the connector broke in the block