1982 Dodge d150 - electrical short fried dash wiring and then made worse by supposed experience 23 year old mechanic attempt to install electric trailer brake controller, then kinda went nuts looking for the fault.
Started this job yesterday. what a mess. Only wire marked was a white wire with a black colored thin stripe down it called a tracer. A little tape tag with the word "Hot". Problems just got worse from there. That color code on this truck just happened to be the negative lead to every component in the cab. I chased that lead to the melted headlight connector, fried switch was already removed and sitting on the seat next to a new one. The fuse box was pulled down near the floorboard. 2 fuse slots were melted with wires missing. Found several live 12v bare wires in the mess. I followed burned white wire lead to the gauges, door switches, seat belt buzzer, heater, lighter socket and glove box light. Replaced about 4' of it, soldered and shrink wrapped it. Chased down a plug for the light switch the hard way. Check out how I found a part not sold new, that no used parts yards saved.
After searching CL for someone parting one, local pull your own part yards for an early '80's dodge truck, nothing. I went on my commercial account O'Reilly's website and looked up the switch. Got the part #. Then click on this little link that says compatibility. That same switch was used in Chrysler., Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth and even 1 year of Mercedes! From 1973 to '99. Looked those up at the nearest yard, found about 10. Took maybe 45 minutes. Last row, found a match in a '94 Cherokee.
I soldered about 15 connections in all, pulled matching coded wire from one of the huge harnesses I held onto outback. All circuits up and going. Of course the Power Probe III, a wiring diagram found on this Dodge forum, printer helped. The wiring diagram is actually 4 pages and the repair were done on 4 separate leads that ran through all 4 pages. I still have to fix the 2 line missing from the fuse box with inline fuses, and reinstall covers.
I had to get into this and get it done because if I put it off it would be around for weeks. I don't have space. Hopefully the info here will help someone.

 

http://www.bbbind.com/tsb-wiring-diagrams-database/

 

"As of January 31st, 2020, the TSB & Wiring Diagram Database is no longer a service offered by BBB Industries."

Thank you to O.P. for the wiring diagrams

 

Wow, that is a major bummer. That site was invaluable.....

 

86 Dodgeman the diagrams you have up are a great help..would you have pages 4 of 6 an 5 of 6 the rear of the truck..thanks, Egor

 

Sorry, I do not, but they are pretty easy to figure out for the back, as it is lights and your gas tank. Literally all you should have running to the bed is power for lights, and ground wires. if you run them the same as the head light pig tails you should be fine.

 

new here. 1993 D250, electric windows don't work. Switch passes power thru, and the motor works when jumped from battery. Suspect bad ground. Can you tell me which wire going into the switch is the ground for the system, and where it is actually grounded? Or, what else it could be? Is that also the ground for the px door?

Thank you for any help

 

Figured I’d share this since I read that the data base closed.

I have the actual 86 service manual. If anyone needs anything out of it uploaded let me know in a PM. And once I’m able I’m going to actually scan it into a PDF so we can potentially put it on the server or I can leave it in a link in my signature for people to go view in google or Dropbox

 

From The 86 FSM.

 

Thank you kind sir. May the Flying Spaghetti Monster speed all your journeys. May you be touched by his noodily appendage.