I know i have a minor issue with key switch because sometimes the radio, turn signals and tach dont work. So im not sure if the following problem is also because of key switch. Passenger turn signal / stop light when you look at rear is not as bright as driver and when you step on brake while turn signal activated it flashes rapidly. Driver side works fine. So far have swapped lamps and sockets didnt change anything. Also swapped relays in fuse compartment.

 

Moving this to Third Gen Dak section for ya.

 

How fast? Because between 60-120 cycles a minute for an indicator is considered within factory/legal parameters. If not annoying tho. Usually accelerated rate is a faulty bulb or something in the controller/voltage issue. Since the other dash components are occasionally failing. My brain says you've probably got an electrical short in the console somewhere. Effecting everything intermittently. Which could be as simple as a fuse or coupling is shaking loose or battery terminal/instability, or as complex is finding a rat eating the wiring harness. Also a repair job with spliced wiring could very much the cause.

Any mods or past repair, environmental exposure, etc.

 

Someone mentioned it might be a bad ground so tonight i took a piece of wire and went right from the neg of battery to the ground wire of the light socket. This did not fix the issue.

Right now here is the big issue i am attempting to fix. Brake/turn light passenger side, if i turn the signal on it starts flashing at an appropriate speed, however as soon as i apply the brake it flashes at a very rapid speed, almost the same way as if a bulb is burn out.

On the driver side everything works perfectly, apply the signal, it flashes at the appropriate speed, apply the brake no change

So the drivers side is working but the passenger side is being a pain. Been looking for a electical schematic for the truck but some of the ones i have found dont seem correct.

 

Could be the actual indicator switch/arm/assembly needs to be replaced. The old forum searches state that there were some problems with the assembly from the generation but were typically on the Rams. Something about a faulty resistor in the indicator.

 

These symptoms 100% mimic a bad ground, the taillight boards are terrible. I would get a good volt meter and check the power in and out of the light for voltage drop, indicating a bad supply or ground. Possible a TIPM issue, or whatever they call them in the dakotas, do you have a trail plug? 4 prong or bigger? could be a short there causing amp draw straight to ground bleeding off power.

 

I have a question that i have yet been able to find the answer to, i have talked to two dodge dealers, i have looked over this forum, i have been to rock auto, autozone, advance auto and other places, and like i said no answer yet. FIgured why not post it maybe someone might know.

So as you can see by this thread i have a 2006 Dodge Dakota Larame Crew Cab, and i have come across a thread on here and some google notes that say that there is a module called the FCM, or flasher control module, it has 14 pins, the inputs are left and right turn signal, hazzard, brake sw, power and ground, then it has 6 output 1 to each rear light, 1 to each front light, and then the dash. Rock auto, autozone, advance auto, ebay, amazon, all have this part and say it will fit from like 2002 to 2011 dodge dakota and durango. but none of them tell me where to find this device, some say the fuse panel under the hood, some say a kick panel by drives side, some say behind the radio, some say behind the dashboard. So i dont know, i do know i did the easy places like the kick panel and fuse panel but there was no device that looked like the photo.

So i called the dealers mentioned above they asked for the last 8 digits of vin number, one said he thought that the module was in the truck and that it was up near the radio, the other said no this truck does not have this unit instead it uses some sort of FCM called a front control module that is mounted near the fuse panel under the hood.

So i dont know if i have the flasher control module or the front control module or what and if i do have the flasher control module where on gods green earth it is located. I am not even sure the dealers know what i have as i said two dealers given the same info the one who said he felt it did have said he would call me back with further information and still has not. So who knows maybe he found out he is wrong i just dont know.

I know i used my fluke meter and have check the condition of the ground from the lamps. all grounds appear good, i have checked the ground straps between the engine and the body, i have checked the ground from the battery to the frame, i have swapped bulbs and sockets, i have ran a ground directly to the bulbs on the passenger side, i have removed the fuses so the bulbs would not function on that side, i have swapped the relays in the fuse panel. But so far no matter what when i have the passenger side turn signal on and i press the brake petal it starts flashing at a very high rate of speed.

Figured if i can find out which module i have i can maybe do some checking of the module maybe even get one from a salvage yard see if that is whats causing the issue.

any help thought guidance or anything greatly appreciated the last 8 of vin in case you need it 6S507487

 

Would you be willing to have a phone/discord/etc call/text chat with a stranger? I actually just got my FSMs in the mail today. For my 2006 Dakota, and I have a Laramie trim personally. We can try to narrow down what your looking at. Instead of us working this out slowly via forum messaging. And we will just post the official solution later. Because we have sister trucks and I'm now invested in this.

If you don't want to, that's perfectly fine. But I suggest you consult the pdf 2005 sticked to the main and start trouble shooting using that. The sections will most likely be in volume 1.

 

Sorry if this sounds the wrong way.

You know that there is a pinned post at the top that has the same manual in PDF form right? all 5249 pages of it.

if you would have asked about the manual, someone would have shared the sticky post.

the lamps section has the diagnostics you need. page 1138 on the PDF version.

 

Yup, I made that edit change so he is aware of it. My plan was gonna just walk him through it online. An yes I know it was free. But for $100, I now have the books, forever and a day. So I can use them in the garage where a PDF or small screen isn't ideal for me. An I couldn't print 5,000 page for $100 dollars if I tried in today's economy. So it made sense for me, doesn't for everyone. Also unfortunately after 2005, the 2006 and later years. Actually have improvement changes made to the transmission and the transfer case changed from Generation 1 and Generation 2.

Since he is having such a bizarre issue, if a part, a part name or a wiring changed, having the 2006 manual would have that noteably different. There were quite of few mid-production life changes/updates made to a lot small pieces in the 06 and later. Unfortunately this being from parts bin era Chrysler. There are a ton of random oddities. Like my old 2001 dakota with a 4.7, had a 545fre transmission from the factory. But they were software locked. An just swapping it out with a 4.7 545fre module, I had my transmission working with all 5 gears. It's was a weird time. Like it had a 9.25 rear axle but 3.55 and my 2006 top of the line is a 8.25 rear axle with 3.92 gears.