I have a new to me 2006 2500 Cummins and have discovered the first time I hooked up the boat trailer lights, the right turn signal and right running lights do not work. Last weekend I pulled a Uhaul trailer and all the lights worked on it. I also have a 2006 Tundra so I tried plugging the lights into it and they all work fine.
The Ram has an electric brake installed in it. Could that be the cause of my problem? I have rung all the wires and plugs out and power is coming out of the plug to the correct pins. For some reason the power does not continue past the plug, on the boat trailer only, to the right turn signal.

 

Fish,

There was one TSB involving the trailer lights that I have found. I am posting it in case it could be of any help on your issue.

NUMBER: 08-021-06 REV. A
GROUP: Electrical
DATE: October 13, 2006

SUBJECT:
TIPM Flash - DTC's Indicating Short Circuits In The Wiring On The Trailer Or No Engine
Crank With DTC P1277 - Starter Control Circuit 2 Low
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves a discussion and reprogramming of the Totally Integrated Power
Module (TIPM).
MODELS:
2006 (DR/DH/D1) Ram Truck
NOTE: This bulletin applies to vehicles built prior to April 03, 2006 (MDH 0403XX).
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
Customer may experience any of the following TIPM Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC's):
B166B - Left Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit Low. Trailer harness left lamp circuit
is shorted to ground.
B166C - Left Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit High. Trailer harness left lamp circuit
is shorted to battery voltage.
B178C - Left Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit Over Current. Trailer harness left
lamp circuit is intermittently grounding.
B166F - Right Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit Low. Trailer harness right lamp
circuit is shorted to ground.
B1670 - Right Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit High. Trailer harness right lamp
circuit is shorted to battery voltage.
B166E - Right Trailer Tow Lamp Control Circuit Over Current. Trailer harness right
lamp circuit is intermittently grounding.
B1667 - Back Up Lamp Feed Low. Trailer harness back up circuit is shorted to
NUMBER: 08-021-06 REV. A
GROUP: Electrical
DATE: October 13, 2006
ground.
B2215 - Front Control Module Internal (TIPM). An internal fault code counter has
exceeded its limit of 250 counts and one or more electrical outputs controlled by the
TIPM have been disabled.
P1277 - Starter Control Circuit 2 Low (TIPM). The output feed current to the starter
solenoid has exceeded the upper current limit of 75 amps. This may result in a
no-crank condition.
DISCUSSION:
DTC's B1667, B166B, B166E, B166F, B178C and B2215:
1. These DTC's indicate that a (hard or intermittent) short circuit to GROUND exists in
the wiring of one or more of the TRAILER electrical harness circuits.
2. The TIPM retries the output on each ignition cycle or request (brake or turn signal
activation) in an attempt to enable the output in case the fault is intermittent.
3. DTC's B1667, B166B, B166E, B166F, and B178C may occur individually or in
combination with each other.
4. For the two over current DTC's, B166E and B178C, the fault is set when the TIPM has
detected electrical loads on the circuit greater than 15 amps.
5. If DTC B2215 is also present with one of more of the above DTC's, then this fault code
indicates that the TIPM has detected the faulted condition (short) on one or more of
the trailer circuits more than 250 times. When detected more than 250 times, the TIPM
disables the electrical output (turns off) to the respective faulty trailer circuit to protect
that circuit and the system.
6. Short circuits can be intermittent and will require diagnosis and repair of the trailer wire
harness.
7. Once the faulty circuit has been repaired, the dealer must use a scan tool to enable
the respective trailer circuit that was previously been turned off (disabled) due to DTC
B2215.
8. The new TIPM software raises the TIPM circuit trigger point from 15 amps. to 20
amps.
DTC's B166C and B1670:
1. These DTC's indicate that a short circuit to BATTERY voltage (12 volts) exists in the
wiring of one of the TRAILER electrical harness circuits.
DTC B2215 - Front Control Module (TIPM):
1. This fault code occurs when the TIPM detects a short (to ground or to battery) on one
of the trailer circuits more than 250 times.
2. When B2215 is present with one of the above trailer circuit faults the TIPM will turn off
(disable) the respective faulty trailer circuit or circuits.
3. This internal fault DOES NOT mean that the TIPM module is defective.
4. The TIPM memory can be cleared, this action will turn on a previously disabled trailer
circuit. If possible, the fault in the circuit should be repaired first before clearing the
TIPM memory.
5. DO NOT replace the TIPM without first attempting to clear the TIPM memory.
6. The dealer will need a scan tool to clear the TIPM memory.
7. If one or more of the TIPM outputs are disabled due to one of these conditions, normal
operation can be restored a maximum of five (5) times.
8. The TIPM will be rendered inoperative on the sixth attempt to clear the TIPM memory.
At this point the TIPM must be replaced. The DTC(s) that indicates the problem and
DTC 2215 will both remain ACTIVE. Neither fault code will can be cleared at this point

 

Yeah, common issue with 2006's. The newer programming has upped the current ratings as the old initial ratings would cause tipm errors.

You'll need to go to the dealer for an updated revision of the tipm. They'll have to do a re-configure and I believe what is called a map update of the tipm? Not sure if that's what they actually call it?

I would print out exactly what DodgeCares has provided which will definately help you out when you go in for service. There is no other way around this and I reccomend not even trying or wasting your time on anything.
Don't let the dealer tell you that you need a new tipm either. Only way you would need a new tipm is if you had other faults that were Active as well which would cause you other problems. 2006 tipms aren't cheap because this problems is common.

Nice find DodgeCares

 

The running light and turn signal are two different pins. The trailer has a common brake and turn signal. Maybe your pin is not making contact with the trailer connect.

 

2005 is different than 2006+.
2005 has mechanical relays. 2006+ are ALL electronically controlled by the tipm. No such things as "seperate pins". They are Multiplex controlled by the tipm through the cluster.
I'm 99% sure it's the tipm programming.

 

90% + of all trailer lighting problems are linked to a bad ground usually on the trailer. Since you pulled another trailer and everything worked fine, I'd start looking at the trailer wiring rather than trying to find a truck problem. If you ever rewire the trailer, most kits are designed for each light to be grounded through the trailer frame. I run a ground wire from the pigtail to every light and never have to worry about ground problems.

 

I understand what you are saying, but since he said that the lights worked when he plugged into a different truck.....this is where the tipm issue stemmed from. I think you may have overlooked that?

 

Bass + Dirty,

I think you both could be right. It could be that a short in the trailer wiring could be occurring and has finally exceeded the maximum number of faults the TIPM allows. It's seems that you could reset the TIPM and it would work but if the short is still there it may happen again at some point, although the flash used as the fix will raise the fault amps from 15 to 20 and could eliminate the ground short from even triggering an error in the future. I tend to believe that if the TIPM flash works, you probably have a ground short occurring somewhere on the trailer wiring.

 

Thanks for all your responses. I should have added this to clear up any confusion.

The boat trailer is new. All the lights worked from the first day I got it, with my Tundra pulling it.

Next came the Uhaul trailer being pulled by the Dodge. All lights worked.

Then came the Dodge and the boat trailer. Now I have the problem.

So...if all the trailer lights worked with the Dodge pulling the Uhaul, doesn't that eliminate the TIPM flash fix?

 

Thanks for all your help! I am lucky to have neighbors, one is a diesel mechanic for Greyhound. He stopped by the other day and fixed the problem by jumping a wire from the right turn signal hot wire to the right turn signal wire on the plug for the trailer lights. Obviously there is a break in the wire we could not find.