You can incorporate a lot of "bling" type functionality with a bit of integrated circuitry for a fraction of the price it would take to use discrete components, such as your timed lights, the fog-light/high beam setup, etc. You can also build in all the bus functions that can be turned on or off depending on what options were selected/payed for when truck was built. Things like this are usually incorporated as manufacturing money savers that can give the manufacturer the ability to offer a lot of these fancy but essentially useless features that appear to sell cars.

Some of the functionality can be re-routed by adding the discrete component circuitry. For example, the windshield washer can most likely (I haven't looked very closely at the schematics or front-end control module description) be made to work with a bit of wire and a cheap relay. The switch wire looks like it should go to the module, or a connector before it that goes into the "through firewall" wiring harness - I would disconnect this wire at a convenient point and use it as a feed for the re-routed circuit. You could use this switch to activate the lo-amp side of an automotive style relay & have the hi-amp side of the relay attached to the washer pump motor - just make sure that your grounding for both circuits is good and it should all work. Wired this way, the washer pump should keep working as long as the switch is pressed - there would be no timing or any other features for this. To make this work, the power going to the switch needs to be available & I haven't checked to see where it comes from I don't have the time tonight, but the schematics and description of all the existing circuitry is in section 8 of the factory service manual.

Hope this helps for a start.

 

Thanks for the suggestion on the fuse box. I checked and it is set up so that the power to the cigarette lighter is only on when the truck is on, so that is not the problem. I just disconnected the battery for a few hours and reconnected it and am having the same issue with the radio staying on. This truck is seriously starting to **** me off!

[QUOTE=erau;2689490]Just throwing this out there...Maybe he changed the position of this fuse during the diagnostic, which in one position allows the key to control power to certain accessories, and in the other position allows those accessories to get full-time battery power?

 

Hey Chiralion, did you ever get the windshield washer issue resolved? If so, how did you repair it? I have the same symptoms in my 2005 Quad Cab SLT.

 

I am still trying to resolve my windshield washer issue. I have read the troubleshooting section of the Dodge service manual and attempted to understand the wiring schematics.

I sort-of understand, but the schematics are a bit foreign to me.

I have removed the pump and checked it out - it runs fine. I have verified that the pump has a continuous clear ground to one terminal. That means the breakdown is in getting the positive voltage to the pump terminal.

According to what I have read, the multi-function switch sends a specific resistance to the instrument cluster when the "wash" function is actuated by pushing the end in towards the steering column.

Next, the instrument cluster sends a signal out to the "Front Control Module". The Front Control Module then sends the signal to the Power Distribution Center where the positive 12v signal is generated that travels to the pump.

The service manual says "normal" troublshooting methods may not be able to reveal the fault and that the special scan tool is the way to go.

I have no such scan tool, nor do I understand how to identify various connectors to try and execute the troublshooting steps contained in the manual.

It looks like it is either the multifunction switch, instrument cluster, front control module, or the power distribution center.

This is not the place to shoot from the hip. Everything but the multifunction switch is really expensive. Surely, someone else has encountered this problem and solved it. I would buy a new multifunction switch if necessary, but if it is one of the other modules, I will try and go the junkyard route. This truck is too nice to cobble up some aftermarket switch and jury-rigged wire from a fuse tap to the washer pump.

An help in understanding where the front control module is (supposed to be by the battery) and what it looks like would even help some. Better yet would be some help in understanding the schematics and which connectors are which.

 

I have been troubleshooting this problem for hours and hours over the past week. I have the Factory Service Manual and the hardcopy of the wiring diagrams, but lack both the specific scan tools and the knowledge to decipher the wiring schematics to do a full and proper analysis of why my washer pump refused to work.

The Service Manual says that normal troubleshooting techniques may not reveal the problem and the best place to start is with a scan tool.
I managed to figure out that the multifunction switch sends a specific resistance signal to the instrument cluster, which then sends a signal to the Front Control Module, and then signals the Power Distribution Center to power the brown wire that provides the (+) voltage to the pump.
I couldn't figure out how to determine which connector and which wire to be testing for what value, so I was out of luck.

I had posted on 2 other forums searching for advice, and nothing productive was offered. Tonight, I discovered on another forum, the solution was a missing fuse in the #29 slot. I suspect there were a number of vehicles shipped from the factory that are missing this fuse.

Just last night I had prepared an Excel spreadsheet with all the fuses and relays, what their function is, their slot location, and their amperage value. I took pictures of my fuse-box (ahem, Power Distribution Center) and the inside cover (how I made my spreadsheet). I still don't know what a CNN is or an FCM4 (but I bet it is for Front Control Module). I do know that in the wiring schematics, just about every fuse is shown, except there is no fuse for the "Washer Pump". Now we know, the washer pump is fuse #29! Note that the inside cover will not tell you this: it will say "FCM4 (wiper).

I believe this 2005 Dakota was shipped with no fuse #29, just like you suspect. I installed a spare 15amp fuse in the empty #29 slot and my washer pump worked like a charm. Tomorrow I will install the proper 20amp fuse.

 

I think mine actually says #29 is a spare which I realized it's not when I took the fuse to replace something else and my washer pump stopped working.

 

Figured I'd share my recent windshield pump problem. One day it just stopped working so read this thread and a few others and no solution. So bought a new pump and installed and still nothing. I then pulled the hose and tried to blow air through it and couldn't. So I then blew compressed air through it. At first it wouldn't then something gave and poof problem solved! Bought the new pump for nothin! So if you are having issues included this step in your problem solving.

 

I had to register just to say thanks to this old post! Bought an 05 Dakota QC and no washers. Checked everything, then found this and sure enough I was missing fuse #29 listed as spare. Well now I have washers. Thanks again!