My dash light does not work, and lately when I turn on the lights, both turn signal arrows on the dash as well as the high beam indicator light up faintly. I don't know exactly what caused this to happen, but sometimes when I turn the truck on, the oil gauge goes all the way to the high side, the fuel reads full, the battery thing is all the way to the left and the temperature jams all the way hot. Then when I use my turn signal they all go goofy in rhythm with the signal (like the temperature will "tick-tock" between normal and high). Also when my lights are on, the seat belt buzzer will not turn off after a few seconds like it normally does. It just stays on if the lights are on. What could be the problem?

edit: it is a 93 Dakota by the way

 

Sounds like the headlight switch. Had that happen on my 88 and that was the problem. Unfortunately all of the wiring throughout the interior goes through this switch, so it's a big job. Do the headlights and signals work?

- miggity

 

A similar thing happened to me but it went away after an hour. But I do agree that its the headlight switch cuz when i turned my headlights on it would cause all of the gauges to go crazy.

 

The headlights and signals work. What does a "big job" mean? Is this switch hard to get to or is it just a lot of busy work? More info please! I just don't like having to take my car in to the mechanic.. He takes forever haha.

Out of the blue it happened. I know it started during the daytime, not with the headlights on, because that's how I noticed the needles going everywhere. Right now, if I turn the headlights on, most of them will jam to one extreme and then kind of wave around when i use the turn signal. Without the headlights on, only the temperature gauge goes back to normal. Thanks for the help guys

 

The switch is just that, the switch and the block. You have to pretty much run every interior wire into and out of it. Just time consuming, that's all.

- miggity

 

Miggity, thanks for the responses, but I'm confused as to how you fixed this. I'm having the exact same issue on a 1995 Dakota.

I would hope it would be as simple as replacing the headlight fuse or switch (under the hood). However, you're suggesting that you actually had to rewire elements to fix it.

Can you be more specific?

Lizzieod, what did you do to fix it?

 

mine did this too...its a 96....i put a ground from the motor to the frame then from the frame to the body...it solved it...