Recalls
 

Hello - I recently brought my 1995 Ram 2500, which I just purchased this past November, into the dealership to have recalls taken care of. One of them was installing the ignition switch wiring overlay harness. I get the truck back and that night I had no headlights. I was stuck at work and couldn't figure out what happened to my lights. Then, without any explanation, the headlights came on and it's been fine ever since. I'm concerned that they will go off again while driving at night or there may be a short related to the recall.

Yesterday, I go to beep my horn and it doesn't work at all. Fuse is okay and the air blower on the same fuse works. I contacted Dodge to see what they can do, since both the headlights and the horn worked prior to the recall installation and they said there was no relation to the overlay harness install and the lights and the horn not working. I feel this is not the case and need to know if this harness install in any way can effect the headlights or horn, as there is no other explanation as to why both would stop working after the recall was done.

Thanks for your help ...

What was the recall number?

Recall #875
Part #CBXR8750AB

Ok, both the horn, and the headlights are not involved in the recall at all. (both are powered even with the ignition off, so that doesn't even matter.) Likely two separate problems, and the timing is just coincidence.

For the headlights, have a look at your headlight switch. (careful taking the dash bezel off, they break easily.) This is a know problem area on these trucks. See what the back of the switch, and the connector looks like. (they like to get hot, and melt......)

For the horn, do you hear the horn relay clicking when you press the button?

This is the recall for the switch in the 3500's but a lot of the 2500's have the same issue due to the extra lights.

My concern is that they may have damaged wiring that relates to the headlights or horn. But here is where I am with this as of now ...

The headlights did not go on the first night I got the truck back. I was stuck at work and it was late. Then suddenly, shortly thereafter that same night, the headlights came on and I didn't do anything other than tried to turn them on again. They came on after not going on and that is my concern, that is, they might go out again while driving at night and here in Upstate NY it gets really dark on winding and hilly roads, which can be hazardous if my headlights cut out on me.

With the horn, yes, I do here the relay clicking. I did not find any fuses under the dash, but under the hood there is a 50 amp fuse marked park lamp/horn and when that is pulled there are no dome lights and no buzzard when my keys are left in the ignition. Put it back in and all is well, except the horn. I switched out the relay with two others and nothing. The horn still doesn't work, but as mentioned above, I do here the relay clicking.

If you hear the relay clicking, the horn buttons are working, it's the horns that are having an issue. (mine don't work right either...... I don't use the horn, because it is more embarrassing than attention getting......)

Check the headlight switch, and also the connector at the multifunction switch. If you have tilt wheel, tilting the column all the way up can pull the harness loose from the switch. (and I wouldn't be surprise if that isn't exactly what they did when they worked on it, to get it out of the way.)

As a followup relating to the Recall and my horn and headlamp problems, HeyYou was correct in that these were not all related. I replaced the horn and it now works. In pulling the headlamp switch, it was fried as was the connector. I replaced the switch, connector and also installed a relay harness to lighten the load on the switch. The only problem I see is that the switch still heats up slightly, but hopefully with the relay harness, it won't over heat and burn out like it did before.