Hello everyone, this is my first time posting on this site.. I did browse the site and didn't find anything like im looking for, but I may have missed something. If so im sorry...

here is the problem, I just got a 99 ram 1500 sport with the 5.9L v8...

The lights are funky and im not sure what the problem is....

I can turn on the low beam and get nothing, but if I turn on the high beams
I get both lights on (all four) at the same time...

the driving lights work... it looks like the switch was just replaced because I found the old one under the back seat....

So for the time being I have unplugged the high beams thus making my low beams work, the high beam light is on on the dash when they should be...

im kinda lost here so any help would be greatfull

 

Our 1999 2500 4X4 did the same thing two different times and it was 2 different problems. First time it was the relay for the FOG lights (not headlights) that was causing the low beam headlights not to work. New relay fixed the problem, for a while. Next time I found a wire had pulled out of the connector on the multifunction switch (turn signals, high beams, wiper, etc). I added a short length of wire and soldered it onto the connector, which solved that problem. We have since traded it in but it was working fine when traded in last summer.

Chuck

 

when it was the relay for the fog lights did the low beams work at all?

I looked over the mulitfunction switch and didnt see anything out of ordinary..

is there a way to test the relay?

 

Look for the wire pulled out in the steering column as mentioned, happened to me and several others, fairly common problem.

 

I will double check on that wire, thanks for the help guys

 

MLJ,

On our truck when the fog lamp relay was going bad, the low beams would work OK until you turned on the high beams (which turns off the fogs) and then turned the high beams back off. Then, the lows would not come back on, so you were left with just the fogs on. Strange symptoms - I tried replacing the headlight relay but the problem didn't go away, so out of desperation I replaced the fog lamp relay and that solved the problem. I suppose if I hadn't done that, the low beams would have eventually quit working all the time.

On our truck when the wire had pulled out of the multifunction switch the lights would work when the steering wheel was tilted to the up position but would go out when tilted down. Yours may be different depending on how far the wire has pulled out if that's the problem.

One other thing I've learned over the years is that a new part (eg your new headlamp switch) isn't always automatically ruled out as the cause of further problems. New parts can go bad or be bad from the start; granted, rare but it does happen.

The easiest and cheapest way I've found to test a relay is to replace it temporarily with one of the other ones and see if your symptoms go away.

Chuck

 

Ok dumb question how do i get to the wires on the multifunction switch? I took off the plastic piece around the stearing column and got no where? I rules out the relay problem by using one that I knew was good

 

If you have access to an auto parts store, grab a Haynes or Chilton manual. It will explain how to get the steering column apart. Its not to terribly hard, just a multi-step process.

The Haynes/Chilton are a good reference for future projects as well.

Another resource is located in the 2nd Gen FAQ section off the main 2nd Gen page. In there, you'll find a thread stickied at the top titled "Factory Service Manual..." Download that, its also a good reference to have on hand.

 

MLJ,

If you have taken the 2 piece plastic cover off the steering column you should see, at the base of the turn signal lever, the big multifunction switch. There is a big connector that plugs into the switch; on our truck there was one wire that had obviously pulled out of the connector and there was one on its way out. IIRC the 2 wires closest to the back of the truck - the wiring harness looks to be about a quarter inch too short so repeated use of the tilt column eventually causes the wire to pull out of the connector. I have some pictures on my old computer that I'll post for you tomorrow so you can see the affected wires and my solution for fixing them.

Chuck

 

Best advice I can give you is to read through the book from cover to cover.
That will give you the best idea of the BASICS of how the truck does what it does. Now for the headlights, all you need to do is to remove the shroud that covers the column itself. BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that you have removed the Negative terminal from the battery; YOU DO NOT WANT TO SET OFF THE AIR BAG!!! I have done it which is why I disconnect the battery. All of these trucks, like others have stated incorporate a switch that controls many different functions INCLUDING the headlights eg.; MULTIFUNCTION switch this switch controls the high/low selection of beams from the headlights, check to verify that ALL terminals are CLEAN and tight, as in no loosy goosy, if all seems well then move on to the fuses and associated relays that encompass the headlights. MY bet is that the switch is starting to go bad. Another check to verify that the switch is OK
is to turn on the hazards if they turn on & OFF without having to fuss with the button then the switch should be fine. this switch gets ALOT of use and it is not uncommon to see it worn out. Hope this helps