Just had an issue crop up today with my 2011 Dodge Dakota 4.7

The wipers and windows work fine immediately after starting the vehicle, but stop working shortly after. Or if they do work, do so veeeerrry slowly and produce something of a humming noise. I have also noticed this noise come when letting off the brakes.

My guess is bad bcm or relay somewhere. Has anyone had a similar issue with this model Dakota?

The only possible trigger is a left signal light started going bad yesterday and is flashing fast. I don't see how this could cause the issue.

 

My left window motor is faster than the right. No weird noises though.

Not sure about the fast flasher involvement. That's usually a light itself. I've had intermittent fast flashers a couple times, it's almost like the system can sense when a light is going to fail.

 

I would test the battery and then the alternator before assuming a computer issue. Most of the electrical components run off the battery, which is charged by the alternator. The fact that everything is good when you start up but then acts up after some driving indicates to me it may be an issue with battery maintaining a charge. It could be the battery is going bad or the alternator is no longer able to keep up.

The light sounds like a separate issue and is just a bulb that has gone out.

 

Same, similar, or different issues with our Dakota.
No problems with wipers
Power windows: They go down kinda ok. Going up they are really sloooooow. Especially the passenger side. When it gets cold, the windows may or may not go up at all. Have to pull up on the window and push the button at the same time. I do not know yet if it is electrical or mechanical. I suspect it is mechanical, meaning the levers, pins, guides, track need to be cleaned and lubricated. When I find a spare roundtuit, I will take the door panels off and figure it out.

This is a pretty good video that should help get in and out of there in a jiffy.

 

+1, just for showing an SMA video.

Don't think it's electronic. I have a feeling my truck was in a right side collision before I bought it, and suspect something is up with that entire side of the vehicle. Nothing crazy. Just the weirdest stuff comes from the passenger side. Though the wipers randomly getting stuck in a half position is a fun one, and only happens when it snows.

 

Thanks for the responses.

I'm now noticing accessory doesn't work AT ALL. No power, nothing happens when going into ACC.

Changed all the signal bulbs, front and and back except for the right front one. Here's the funny thing. Left blinker is blinking fast, but left rear blinker works and front doesn't (even after changing.) Right blinker doesn't flash fast, but rear signal is not working and front is.

I now am stuck with the window down here in canada and no wipers LOL.

I'm starting to think it may be relay 75. Still at a complete loss to explain this. I do notice a little bit of a high pitch sound under hood near alternator but I'm getting 14.5V

 

Hmm, a rat eat away at your wiring or what? Good thing it was chinook-y today!

When in ACC, do you have power to the cigarette lighter?

Time to grab a wiring diagram and see where all those suckers meet, me thinks.

 

Alrighty, fingers crossed.

Went back out to start the darn thing. After one hour sitting. It WORKS!!! LOL

Bad ground? I don't know? I pulled the #75 relay out a few times and put it back in after changing the bulbs and not noticing any changes. Let it sit an hour. Now all of the signals, windows and wipers work. Still need to do more testing, but fingers crossed. Accessory works too.

And yes pilotsmack, could have been much worse if it happened this time last week. If you're from Calgary you know what I'm talking about hehe.

 

On a hill in the NW. Gets pretty sporty out there when it snows. Could probably start charging for every time I have to pull a neighbour out of a snowbank!

How were the contacts on the relay, and the relay plug? Sometimes corrosion from salt and air gets in there and forms a green crystalline mess that prevents proper electrical contact.

Hope it's fixed! Electrical gremlins suck.

 

Mr Coffee. For your consideration. One thing I have noticed, repeatedly, about the Dakota is that the electronics in it seem very sensitive to the quality and condition of the power supply. Specifically the battery. The battery not only supplies power when the engine is off, but it also acts as a reserve and sink which fliters/cleans the power for the truck when the engine is running. This is one of those trucks out there that demands a good clean power and can do some weird stuff. When electronic and electrical gremlins are popping up randomly and unexplicably, the recommended goto is to assess the age and condition of the battery. Have it fully charged, checked, and load tested. If in doubt replace it. If / when you go shopping have in your mind at the outset that there is no cheaping out on the battery for a Dakota.
( ...... the slow window issue is a common problem. Take the door apart to clean and lubricate the tracks. )