I have a 93 dodge Dakota 2 wheel drive with the 2.5L the problem I am having is no tail or front marker lights, headlights only. The brake lights turn signals and 4 way flashers work just fine. Oh and no dash lights either. When the problem first developed I could get the lights to work by pulling headlight switch all the way out and pushing it back in until dash lights came on then I knew I was good to go. It was a tricking little spot in the switch where if you done that all the lights would work. I thought the headlight switch was going bad by the way you could play with it and get all the lights to work so eventually I bought a brand new headlight switch and put it in. The wiring plug to the light switch looked good, no signs of it having ever been hot, not melted or cut wires, all the connections look good. everything looks as it should. After I installed new headlight switch the running lights or dash lights wont work at all now even if you play with the switch. I have checked all the fuses and every thing I can think of and cant find anything wrong anywhere. Everything else works just fine, dome light, radio, cigarette lighter and all works, just no dash or running lights. any help on where to look next would be greatly appreciated, Thanks, Kevin

 

Radio plays, or radio lights work? ("All else works, radio ... " is not specific enough when describing lights.)

But let's take a swot at it without the FSM handy. (Broken Record: If you're going to work on your own truck, a Factory Service Manual or a subscription to AllDataDIY or EAutoRepair, the 1 Mitchell DIY solution, is just about mandatory. Without it, you might as well be one of those monkeys at the start of 2001 ... )

Nearest to a 1993 I have is a 1995, so I'll use that; specifics MAY be different.

There should be a 20A fuse, fuse #8, in the inside fuse block that does the parking lights. Check that one first; use a trouble light on the visible side to make sure there's 12V on both sides if it's got the exposed tangs; if it's sealed, then pull it and check continuity with a multimeter. Or just replace it; 20A fuses aren't THAT much money (I keep an assortment I paid $20 for in my truck, and another in my car, because they ARE cheap ... ) Shucks, I'm not sold on Harbor Freight quality, but they have a nice assortment also for about $7.50 (and for today, if you hit their web site, they have a 25% off coupon ... only good if there's one close to you, but still!)

If that's good, check the pink/red wire in (pink wire with a red tracer on it); make sure it's got 12V. With the parking lights on, then check the black/yellow (black with yellow tracer) wire; that's the power out.

At which point it fails is where the problem is; if you've got 12V into the switch but no 12V out, you bought a new switch that was defective. If you have no 12V IN, then the switch doesn't matter. If the fuse is cracked, or if you weren't aware of the under-dash fuse block, you may just have a bad 20A fuse. (Pro tip: I've replaced my light fuses with circuit breakers; they're pricier, but they will reset when I shut the lights off, so ... You can buy ATC-sized circuit breakers, and that's what I used to replace the ATC fuse.)

RwP

 

Thanks for the help, the pink wire with the red tracer was not hot, the fuse was good so not sure why the power was not getting to the headlight switch. I ended up cutting the pink wire with the red tracer and making it hot again from another location from fuse box and everything works like it should now. The running lights have not worked in that truck for 6 years but are working like new now. Thanks for the info on the wiring. BIG HELP, THANKS...

 

A bad connector in the fuse block; and how did you test the fuse? Eyeball does not tell you it's good; you can have a hairline crack that opens the fuse, but isn't visible.

(It can tell you it's blown, ESPECIALLY if you shorted its output to ground on a big fuse ... I'm old enough, I remember flashbulbs in cameras!)

RwP

 

I tested the fuse on top with a test light where its made to test each side without pulling it