I have a 2007.5 3/4 ton Cummins and also had a problem with the TIPM. In my case it trashed my trailer towing capabilities by turning on my brake lights when the truck was turned off and locked up, and at various and other times. It got to the point I had to disconnect my brake controller to move my trailer as the brake light signal fed back through the TIPM and energized the brake controller, which locked my trailer brakes. This happened just as I was leaving my parking area. I am lucky this didn't occur when I was driving down the hiway as it probably would have ended up putting the trailer into an uncontrolable skid and causing a major accident.

I am totally incensed by the fact that Chrysler says I should pay to fix a critical safety problem that is pure bad engineering (to the point they should be held criminally negligent) and is totally out of my control.

Needless to say I need my truck to work so I paid $1300 to get it back. The next question is when will this happen again?

Trailer lights, head lights, turn signal lights and my brake light problems all have one common thread... the TIPM!

This unit needs to be re-engineered, recalled and replaced. Anyone who got a ticket for faulty equipment related to this please include that info with a report to NHTSA.

 

Hello everyone. I've actually already messaged privately several people in this thread, but I wanted to introduce myself to any lurkers or future viewers of this thread.

I'm a masters student in computer science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I am doing my master's thesis on my experience regarding the TIPM in my PT Cruiser. I had a similar problem, headlight fault followed by reps trying to bully me into buying a new TIPM before eventually getting them to reflash my TIPM resulting in it working perfectly.

As there is very little little published academic work regarding this, I have spent a lot of time on forums like this trying to find people's experiences to prove this is a systemic issue with Chrysler dealers trying to take advantage of their customers.

I'd like to share the information you posted on this forum as well as any other information about your experience that you can share.

If you have anything to share, you can reach me at ngiusti@calpoly.edu.

Thank you for your time,
Nathan

 

Reflashing does not always work.
best fix.....get rid of it. i am happy to say my truck is gone. no more headaches, never another Chrysler priduct. my GMC Sierra does not look as tough but the drive cannot compare and i am getting almost DOUBLE the gas mileage!

 

I just experienced a similar problem. I left for the airport to catch an early flight sunday morning. I'm flying down the freeway at 75 MPH in the dark and the headlights go off. I pulled over, turned pushed and pulled the on/off switch a couple of times - nothing. I pulled the dimmer switch and my high-beams came on so I held it on 'til I got parked at the airport. Upon my return yesterday, the problem still existed, so I bought new bulbs (95's require you change both). I changed them this morning and the problem persists. I pulled out the multi-meter and checked the continuity on the fuse contacts - all good. I unplugged the bulbs, turned on the lights and tested the bulb plugs - all good.

So, what ails my headlights? Did the 95's have a headlight computer that was discussed? Are any years interchangeable? Where is it? How does one test the computer? Has my truck been rendered disposable? KBB values my truck at $4000(+/-) and I don't really want to throw it away.

 

UPDATE:

I gave up and drove to the local auto tech school to see if the students could use my problem as a teaching moment. Two of the students got right on it. They talked it over with their instructor first then ran the same tests I ran then moved on to the on/off switch. After disassembling and removing the dash face, they removed and disassembled the switch down to the rivets. They found one of the blades to be wabbly, actually broken inside the switch. That break apparently caused a short in the plug block and actually melted the block around female receiver where the spade plugged in. I bought a new switch & block (which came with pigtails to splice) and they disassembled the dash front and installed it. But still no headlights. Next, they check the continuity of the wires between the on/off switch and the dimmer switch. All good. So they checked the continuity after the dimmer switch and found no continuity. I bought a new dimmer switch and they changed it out. The thinking was that maybe the short that melted the plug block might have shorted the dimmer switch at the same time. It turned out to be the right guess. They installed the new dimmer switch and it's all good now. There is light! The moral...tech school students need the experience. You're helping them when they help you!

 

I have an 06 Ram 2500 and I know that this is an old thread, but I experienced the same problem. I replaced the bulbs, checked continuity, all were good, but I couldn't get the left low beam to work. I was able to find this thread, so read through and started looking over my TIPM, but it was late, so I decided to resume in the morning. After a little sleep, I realized that I had used a Superchips Tuner to reprogram my chip, so decided that since the TIPM looked ok, instead of taking the truck to the dealer, I would return the program to a stock program, viola, both lights now work fine!
Two things:
1. Thanks for keeping the thread alive.
2. If you have tuned your truck (or Chrysler product) try returning it to a stock program before you spend your hard earned cash at the dealer.

Good Luck!

 

hey i have same issue with headlights on my truck, ive tried everything i can. I just dont have the money. Ill try the dealership here but i cant stand them, from previous issues i wont go back. Anyway more than likly its the TIPM but for now could i splice into the left low beam for power for my right low beam? if the tipm is hooped what harm is it to do that and maybe even put an inline fuse?

 

Hi Axeman
There are a couple things that you can do, I wouldn't splice it though.

First, have you chipped it? If you have, then first connect the programmer and return the truck to factory settings, then check your tuner for available updates before reprogramming it again.

Second, Are you using the high intensity "Blue" lights? If you are, you are probably using HID lights and those take more power than the TIPM allows for. I went back down to the lower intensity (but brightest) white lights.

Third, If you haven't tuned it using a reprogrammer, and you don't have HID lights, then try the dealer first before you try splicing. Take a road trip if you have to in order to get to a better dealership.

If you do splice the low beam over to the other low beam, you will most likely experience a failure of both low beams (eventually if you don't at first). Better to treat the problem than the symptom.

Good Luck!

 

yah i have a bullydog in but due to circumstances (house fire) i no longer have it, next set of days off ill try and drive to another dealer and hope i can get it updated. also no im not using hid lights, just silverstar headlight bulbs. nothin special. kinda need this done quick, its snowing at the moment and dark for most of the time from now til friggin spring.
thanks

 

Go to Rock auto and purchase a new dimmer and multi-function switch install them, if you still have the problem then bring it to the dealer. either way they are going to charge you an arm and a leg so you might as well try and save yourself the trip....