I'm not trying to be a smart ****, but in the one pic, I can see the end of a zip-tie.. of translucent variety.. Is that holding it in? I don't think I've ever seen a zip-tie used from the factory, as they usually use those irritating push pins.. which kinda leads me back to that wiring being tapped for the alarm/remote start..

If you have about a 10~12' stretch of wire, you can check for continuity from the bulb housing in the rear to the switch.. If it's good on one point but not the other when the switch is on, then it's your switch..

can you get a camera in under the dash to share a pic of the harness? And, does the remote start/alarm have a control module of some sort, and can you see the back of it if it does? If it does and you can, follow that wire to see where it splices..

Of course, there is the down and dirty redneck way to do it too... wrap a couple pieces of paper around the harness, turn the ignition and lights on, and squeeze it wherever there is a bunch of tape or wrap.. If it flashes, or something sizzles or pops, you've found the location of your short..

T/S'n things like this over the web are difficult.. I'm tossin' every idea I can conjure at you..

 

I see that too. No way they got it on there without having the switch out a lot farther. So the harness has to be taped or zip tied down lower where it was easily accessible.

 

Ran back out to check again and take pics of the wiring/splicing/taping job from below. It does look like a zip tie in the picture, but it is just a metal strip that is part of the switch side receiver. Lots of zip ties and tape below, though. Would make total sense that it is taped up and therefore no give to remove from housing. It is definitely stuck!!

Am uploading pics now.

 

Drew, thanks very much for trying to help. Don't mind any questions, if they lead to resolving this latest problem.

Please explain this more to me!! There's a way to test the switch without unplugging????

 

just below center of the pic, and laid across whatever metal bracket looking thing that is, are two plastic splice gadgets..

they hinge and cram a piece of metal between two wires, and have a little clip which keeps them together (and the wires spliced together).. It doesn't look to me like either are clasped.. they are finicky.. cut them out..

once you cut them, the three wires will need to be temporarily pig-tailed together.. once that is done, look to see if you have lights.. if you do, there is your problem..

solder them together, and shrink wrap them.. if that is unrealistic for whatever reason, try a new splice gadget.. if those are unavailable, run them parallelto each other as far down the wires as you can get them to reach,and tightly black tape them together.. then black tape the pig-tail as tightly as you can..

 

as far as the continuity test is concerned, I'm thinking you don't have to worry about it now.. I'd love to know where those spliced in wires feed.. they look like two different gauge wires, which means the connect between them is very difficult.. not that I don't do it myself on occasion, but even then I expect there to be future issues because I didn't 'do it right'.. using those splicers and different gauge wires, it is silly easy to sever one wire or the other, and it's under the clasp so it's almost impossible to see...

anyway..

I'm not familiar with the switch.. but a switch in general completes a circuit.. the gate closes and connects wires, via 'points' in the switch which allows the juice to flow and turns the lights on..

if the switch is bad, there will be no power on the wire that feeds the lights.. You can't get to the switch, but I bet you can get to the wire at some place whether it's close to the switch or not..

we KNOW the switch turns on the light.. if you splice a wire on the 'hot' wire that feeds the bulb, and you can get to the LIGHT side of the switches wire, your multi-meter should show you have continuity.. that is good.. that is what is needed..

now if you move the wire that FEEDS the switch, and check for continuity with the switch OFF- you should have none..

place the switch in the ON position, you just bridged the circuit, and should have continuity.. if not.. bad switch..

i told you to use a 10~12' wire, so you could get as close to the rear lights as possible, and check as much of the entire circuit as possible..

follow?

 

those are all blade/spade splices...

splice three and four are not clasped..

splice one and two need to be checked to see if the splice gadget matches the wire gauge they are splicing in to..

 

Holy moly! Thanks!

Should I take pics of any other sets of similar connectors in the other bundles of wires under his driver's side dash? That pic is of the far left side. The blurry bad pic is of the centered bundle, showing the shock sensor (alarm component) ziptied to column, and then the far right has the aux. harness receiver.

 

do you by chance have a Haynes or a Chilton's manual for that truck?

mine is for a third generation.. If you don't, we're going to have to ask for help from somebody who has one..

we need to know what color wire feeds the dash lights, and what color feeds the tail lights.. we need to know if they are on a common wire at some point.. (such as exiting the switch).. we need to look and see if there are any splices on the common wire (which is what we suspect, because they are both out and both went out together, yet the headlights work)- and we need repair that spliced wire which has grown pretty irritated with it's condition and decided to crap the bed on you..

we need a book.. and preferably a Chilton's, on the 'count they have better schematic diagrams..

I bet Zman has one..

 

I have the 2nd gen. service manual downloaded on my computer. I will check colors. I traced the wires you pointed to. They go out the driver's side trim molding and up to a set of alarm lights on side of windshield. There are more sets of both types of splicer pieces. I took more pics. Why does the profile limit me to 4 pics? I keep having to delete pics to upload these new pics.