On my wife's 2002 Durango, if I apply the brakes, the dash lights dim to levels as if the headlights are on. The brake lights all work yet so I'm confused. This started at the same time as the problem with pulling it out of park. It is an SLT Plus, 360, AWD with an automatic. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Chip.

 

First i'd recomend you try checking and cleaning the battery cables/terminals and maybe even the battery/alternator before leaping into the electrical, our D's are fiesty lil buggers when it comes to eletrical

 

I did that this morning before heading to work. I drove about fifteen miles at 70 MPH and it still persists. The terminals appeared to be clean to begin with.

 

Check and clean your ground on the battery (at the post and the frame). I know a lot of people only check and clean thepositive. The negative side is just as important. If that doesn't resolve the issue then get down to an auto zone and get the battery and alternator tested.

Do the lights only dim when braking or does it seem dim when idling as well? One thing to try is after braking and coming to a stop put the D in park or neutral if you are on a flat surface and let off of the brake. See if the lights come back on to their normal level. I know that the alternator is most efficient around 2k rpm's so if the voltage regulator isn't kicking on when it is supposed to it will not be keeping the battery at the right voltage. Also if the battery is sulfated then the alternator is producing all of your electrical needs and drops down to a level that is not sufficient to supply all of your electrical demand the same issue will arise.

 

It does it at idle, running down the road or with the key on and engine off any time I apply the brakes. I'm beginning to think I might need to replace all the bulbs because maybe one's got a wire shorting across to another terminal. Yesterday when I couldn't pull it out of park, it was doing the same thing. I switched it on and off a few times without starting and then started it, I was able to put it in gear but it still had the problem with the dash lights going dim when the brakes were applied. It hasn't been bounced through a field or in any way treated rough. Nobody has tampered with the wiring either. I'm the only one who works on it. We bought it with 132000 miles in July this year and it now has 141000 miles. The only problem it had was a vacuum leak I found a couple weeks ago at a solenoid under the hood right beside the battery. I fixed it and cleared the codes.

 

I think it might be the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock Solenoid, it pulls power from the instrument panel and it has given me problems with shifting from park a couple of times. I downloaded the manual from deerang and traced the wiring back through there on the diagram. I just found out a buddy from high school works at the Dodge stealership and he said he'll get me in touch with their shop foreman this afternoon. I might figure the danged thing out after all. I'll post what I find out.

 

It could very well be your issue. If the resistance inside of it isn't as high as it should be (coil shorted across itself) it will draw excessive current...