I just recently bought a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck.

My problem is this, the rear tail lamps do not light up.

When I press the brake pedal, it lights up.

When I put the vehicle in reverse it lights up.

When I put on the turn indicators for (Left and Right) it lights up.

But when I am drive at night, I have no rear lights at all....

I am seeking some help with this, from anyone who can help.

Thanks in advance.

 

You need a new bulb. There are 2 filaments inside the same bulb, one for braking and signaling, and one for tail lights. The tail light filament is burnt out.

Edit: although if it's both tail lights that are out, it's more likely that it is something else. I was thinking just one tail light. Unplug the connector from the back of the tail light assembly and see if you have voltage to the bulb with the lights on.

 

Dan thanks for the reply. I should have included that I changed all 6 bulbs in the rear, and also changed the fuse for the part of the truck, with no luck.

 

hmmm... maybe someone who's more familiar with the actual setup on the ram will chime in, but have you check for power and ground at the connector? My first step would be to figure out which is missing, power or ground. If it's ground, it may be something as simple as a corroded ground wire somewhere, but either situation would require some tracing unless someone has a better solution.

 

It is most likely the bulb carrier assy. The white part which the bulbs turn in to is actually available as a separate part at the dealer. The metal bars which act as a buss for power corrode and fail.

Or

Your fuse box is pooched

I had an 02 ram with the first problem on one side and then the later problem which took out all my running lights.

Hopefully you have only the first problem, cheap easy fix or upgrade to led

 

Would the "Bulb carrier assembly " go out on both sides simultaneously, and only effect one part of the tail light?

I mean the brake light, reverse and turning portions work fine.
It just doesn't light up when I'm driving.

 

Anyone?

 

I don't know fella's, am I going to regret buying this truck or what...

 

I have an '02 and have this exact same problem but only with one of the 4 bulbs, the top one on the driver's side.

 

Have you checked and swapped out the relay for the park lights?
Do both of your license plate lights work?
If you have a test light or a multimeter, pull the connector from the tail lamp assembly and test for voltage. Here is the pin out info. Left and Right side connectors are identical.



FYI to make sure everything else is wired correctly, the top most bulb is turn indicator and the bottom bulb is the brake light. And ideally both bulbs are at half power when the light switch is on.

I wonder if a bad headlight switch could cause this? There have been a lot of switches going bad lately, but everyone of those complaints involved the parking lights staying on all the time...

**** Well going back thru some old threads, it's probably going to be a problem in your fuse box (PDC). These are known to be susceptible to corrosion. Check out this other thread, member 'rought' posted a couple pics showing the opened up PDC and a fix for the parking light problem.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...ml#post2186258