Hi guys, it's been a few days, don't think I've stopped thinking about this issue because I haven't. I went out today to see what I could find out as I bought a Haynes manual and I have a pretty exhaustive issue I downloaded to find out about it. Here is something you may be able to help me pinpoint it just a little further.

No key in the ignition, turn the headlight switch to the Parking Lights, the dinger goes off, the radio lights up and plays, and the dash lights up. That brings to mind the orange wire I used to rig up the dash lights but that doesn't figure into it, how I think it should. Naturally without a key, it shouldn't do any of these things. Does this help narrow it down at all?

Thanks for any help at all.

 

The orange wire is the panel lamp feed, it shouldn't feed the radio. Something is crosswired or just plain wired wrong.

You can download the entire 2001 FSM here, with ALL the wiring diagrams, etc.:

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-download.html

You have to convert it to a .pdf but the utility is free.

 

I have the FSM. I'll just have to keep looking. Thanks

 

The radio is turning on because the orange wire from the parking light circuit being connected to the switched power wire at the radio is feeding 12 volts to the switched accessory power input to the radio. Behind the radio the orange wire needs to be disconnected from the red wire in the adapter wire harness. That should put the wiring back to its original state then you can continue chasing down the reason for the odd dash lights and parking light problems.

Parking lights are not supposed to dim down for any reason; they are either on or off. You mentioned faux fog lights that were not connected any longer. The lights may not be connected now but the guy that installed them may have done some hack master bogus wiring that could still be in place and could possibly be the source of the light problem now. Maybe you could trace the wiring back from the fog lights and see if you find any more incorrect wiring, improperly wired fog light relays, etc. You may also want to remove the front parking light assemblies and look for any incorrect wire connections there.

Someone somewhere has done something wrong to the light circuit in your truck. Either they wired the fog lights wrong which might have damaged the CTM somehow, or they cut the wrong wire and did not connect it back correctly, or some where else they did something wrong. If you can't find any problem wiring, you might want to remove the radio and harness and take the truck to a Dodge dealer or a good independent shop that has a DRB-3 diagnostic tool so they can check the CTM, PCM and other electrical components. Maybe they could identify the problem for you and only charge a minimal diagnostic fee so you can fix it yourself. Electrical problems can be very hard to find and fix, which translates into expensive to get repaired.

Jimmy

 

I was thinking in a similar vein Jimmy, to take that orange back off and see what happens after that. The Fog Lights, from what I can see, weren't hooked into the circuit of the CTM or PCM, they were direct wired from the battery to the switch on a fused wired. That of course doesn't rule out any of the other possibilities you mention, so after the orange is removed, it will certainly make sense to see where it leads me. The FSM shows a white wire that runs the head lights also out of the radio but that is the factory unit, not this aftermarket unit, so that may not come into play. I may have 'read' that wrong as well, but I'm open to all possibilities. Thanks

 

I agree all to many wiring hack masters out their.

The shop that installed my security system hacked my wiring bad so much I couldn't get it fixed it was somehow wired into the switch that turned of the passenger air bag it was a mess.

Luckily the Dodge dealership fixed it for me and I never asked for them to fix it and was never changed a penny. They were doing some other work on my truck at that time.

Not sure why they fixed it for me??

 

Will wonders never cease? Maybe with all the work I've been doing on the wiring, the truck reset itself? IDK nor do I care, but after I took the orange off the hot/ignition to the radio, all the lights work like they should! WTF I asked myself, but now that it's correct, I have to thank some Dodge engineer for letting the trucks relearn what they somehow have been untaught! Long story short, took the orange off, reassembled, checked the dash, they work, (didn't when I got the truck, very frustrating) the marker/running lights don't dim anymore and all the lights are just fine All that and for nothing it would seem now. Thanks for all your help guys.

 

Glad to know it's fixed now.

Jimmy