02 Dakota 4door V6 SLT Electrical Issues
When my grandfather passed he left me his 02 Dakota. I've had the common issues with it, ball joints etc. This last week I'm starting to get strange electrical issues that I can't track down. I figured I'd just try to list them as specifically as I can and see if anyone has had a similar problem. The longest problem I've had is a "Door Ajar" light illuminating. It used to flicker but now is almost always solid. I figured that it was in the driver door as this was replaced after an accident he had a few years back. When I opened it up I saw that the sensor is connected to the lock mechanism? Does that mean I would have to replace the lock itself? the wire ( green and black if i remember correctly) looked pristine. Suddenly this week I've had a handful of problems arise, first that the right turn signal would dim the dash lights and yes it blinks bright to dim as the turn signal flashes. Then applying the brakes would do the same thing. Once the brake is released the lights brighten again. Now when I turn the right turn signal on it will turn on but not flash from dark to light, its a bit hard to explain. It will go on, be on with a slightly brighter click but not dim in between flashes as it should. My left turn signal is fine. Finally, my dash lights will sometimes not brighten at all when I start the truck, headlights dim mode on consistently but may suddenly pop bright as I'm driving down the road. Aside from the door ajar light, this has all happened in a matter of days. I'm worried something is shorting out other areas and its growing to be a bigger problem. I replaced all the fuses, most original, in the dash by the driver door and this made right turn signal normal for about a day, though the dash lights still dimmed and brightened with the flashes. I bought a 56049018AB relay, which I plan to swap for the one in the turn/ light port but haven't yet, it came in yesterday but the weather is bad. I've never had issues with starting or stalling. The battery and alternator seem fine, but I haven't had them tested yet. It all seems like a short somewhere, not a low battery issue but I can't be sure. The only place I can find that does electrical work around me is a dealership.
Thank you for reading/replying.

 

Ground issues on these trucks are common. What happens is that absolute ground is lost, so various circuits which share that void ground, will ground through eachother, or jointly become a "floating ground". This is typically characterized by an oxidizing/corroding/broken ground connection/wire.

 

Thank you for the reply! a little research today was leaning me toward a bad ground wire. Any tips on where to look? I've tried to find some diagrams but so far have come up empty. I should probably also pick up a voltage meter.

 

Get yourself a good multi-meter, I like ExTech (cheaper than Fluke for same quality) and check your private messages.