I have a 2005 Dakota club cab with a V6. I bought the truck new, it currently has 61k miles, and has always been garage kept and well maintained.

I noticed that my passenger tail light (the one that comes on with the headlights, not the brake light) stopped working, so I replaced the bulb. After that didn't fix it, I discovered that the passenger parking/running light in the front wasn't working either. I checked that bulb as well, but it's good. The brake lights and turn signals both work fine, it's just the running lights on the passenger side.

I checked all of the fuses in the fuse box with an ohm meter and they're all good. I checked and cleaned the harness connector by the spare tire, as well as the connectors on the bulb sockets. All good. The ground on both bulb sockets checks out fine...

The truck is very clean and has never even been on a gravel road, much less abused in any way. I read something about corrosion in the fuse box, but that was on a full-sized truck. Any ideas what could be wrong?

Thanks!

 

I have heard afew people have issues with the Rear Taillight Sockets, I replaced both mine about 6 months ago. But that was because I got another set of Tail lights, bulbs and Sockets for $30

One of them was starting to corrode tho

 

Yeah, but my sockets are fine. Any other suggestions?

 

Check if there is a relay in the fuse box for the passenger running/park lights. I just found that I had 2 relays for the left and right trailer signal lights were broken on the inside (an identical break which leads me to believe it is a common problem). Check out my thread here for pics of the relays https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...r-harness.html If you do find a relay that is questionable pull it out and give it a shake. If it rattles, its toast.

 

Those relays only control Trailer Lights, Not truck Lights. (I think they are like TL and TR on the fuse box cover, one for each side of the trailer/harness)
Most truck lights are control by the computer, even the signals.
The Tick/Tick sound you hear when signalling is only to simulate the sound so you know your signalling.
Most people would have replaced the relay with a LED one so they could use LED Bulbs without the Hyper-Flash issue, But since the computer controls them we need resistors.

Check the connector at the PCM, It might be corroding there. I think someone had this happen with it corroding.

 

the TL and TR is left and right turn/brake relay not parking lights

I would check all fuses, relays, and even if the sockets look good they could be a problem, early 2000 chevy express vans had ALOT of problems with the tail light sockets, just about every one had a problem, sockets look fine but needed to be replaced

 

I was just using the TL and TR relays as an example. I just figured that since I had two relays break in the identical spot that maybe if the park lights use the same kind of relay then that could be the issue.

 

TL and TR are Trailer lights, not truck. You can remove them completely and your trucks signals/brake will work the same, but the trailer harness/a trailer will not function anymore.
I know, I removed them before because I thought they where the trucks.

If you can trace the wires back, maybe there is a break in them, Would be odd for both to not work (Front and Rear on 1 side), which makes me think its a PCM issue (or whatever controller they use)
Im not sure if the Marker Lights have a L/R Relay. Id think they would have a single relay for Both sides if they even have one.

 

Opps left out the trailer part, what I ment, just in to much of a hurry to type

on the trailer end there is only one realy for the parking lights if there is one like you said, Im unsure

I wonder if there could be 2 wires coming out of the headlamp switch for each side of the parking light circuit??? Since the 3rd gens did not have a typical independant side marker I wonder whats the chance of 2 bad sockets???

Either way this seems strange, I cant wait till the OP finds out what it was so we can all find out

 

I'm hoping the original poster is still around and can let us know how this turned out.

I just bought a 2007 Dakota Quad Cab V8 and I'm having exactly the same problem, except on the driver's side. I don't know my way around this truck yet, so I'm hoping someone can give me a pointer or two.

My problem started out somewhat intermittent, which might suggest a loose connection or ground somewhere where the front and back share a common wire. From other posts, I understand that all the lights on this truck are run by some black electronic box. That probably means a bad connection is in a one cent transistor and I have to buy a $200 "Module" to fix it. Am I getting warm? Where is this module/computer that controls the lights?