hey guys, i'm new here, but not to wrenching.

i just installed a new heater core in a friend's 01 dakota using the instructions found here https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...e-no-pics.html and everything came apart and went together just as was described there. started the truck warmed it up, and then the turn signal indicators on the dash both turned on solid, though the exterior lights were all off. i also noticed that the heater blower had turned off. after a minute, the dash lights turned off and the blower turned back on.
after a minute, it started jumping in and out of this problem mode, with a click that resembled a relay clicking on and off.
we also have erratic action of the power locks. sometimes they decide to lock at random, which made for quite a fight getting my friend back into his truck the next day

any insight for what i might have screwed up?
i'm about to hit the road to see him, and was hoping to have a little guidance. i double checked all the ground wires after this started happening.

 

Sounds like your Central Timer Module (CTM) as to what has screwed it up I cant say something connected wrong or grounded out

 

Check the grounds again.

You should see them near where the dash "pivots" on both sides. It sounds like they aren't tight or connected. The dash isn't grounded directly to the body since it "floats."

The turn signals are not run by the CTM neither is the blower motor.

 

thanks for the input guys. when i got to it, it was doing all the things described in my first post, as i'd been told. it certainly felt like a grounding problem as you guys suggested. so i pulled off the kick panels and rechecked the ground wire connections on both sides, finding them clean and tight as i remembered. so then i disconnected the battery, removed the instrument cluster and a couple things, wondering if some loose connection in there might be related, but found nothing.
then for some reason i decided to check the dash "pivot" bolts themselves, and found that the right one was loose. i tightened it and all the problems went away. several times i screwed around with lights on/off, engine on/off, door locks up and down, etc. and everything worked fine.
as a result of this, i suspect you may be mistaken in saying that the dash isn't grounded, though i'm sure you know these trucks a lot better than i do. it would appear that the left and right sides of the dash are separate pieces of steel, and the piece on the right does indeed get used for a ground.
i'll post back if i have any more news of issues from it
thanks again

 

Sound like a ground not on or you missed something

 

There should be a jumper between the dash and body. Check the picture.

Sounds like it's missing.