On my '06, there's no backlighting for the headlight switch, power mirror controls, power window & locks. I assume this is "correct" from the factory

This thread https://dodgeforum.com/m_158261/tm.htm mentions the same ...

Is it true there are sockets for bulbs behind the headlight switch? Has anybody added bulbs here?

Has anyone installed some "custom lighting" here? It looks like a good job for an LED or two ...

TIA,

GHL

 

Merry Christmas.

Anyone have any feedback?

 

I swapped in a headlight switch from an 02 into my van. It has the bulbs in the switch but they don't light up. There doesn't appear to be a wire in the headlight switch connector for the lights.

 

Thanks. Is there a separate "power" line to the light (that a hot could be run to in order to make it light up), or is it just the main connector that plugs into the switch?

 

It appears that the wire is missing from the connector.
Could you run a new wire? I don't see why not but I haven't investigated that far.

While we are on the subject of interior lighting does you van (or anybodies) rear wiper switch light up. On mine the washer button is lit up but not the rear wiper switch.
Everything works fine otherwise.

 

thanx for the info, good to know...

I just upgraded from a 96 Sport caravan.. to a 06 Grand caravan SXT.. and was wondering why it's so dark in that drivers side corner at nite! (I think everything lit up in the 96)

 

Yes, on my 06 the rear wiper switch lights up.

IIRC, the change was between 2001 and 2002.

I'm wondering if there's a way to have an LED light up that whole side from somewhere ... any thoughts?

 

Thanks
Looks like I have some investigating to do...

 

I have done some investigating here.

My '04 Grand Caravan has never lit up. when I noticed it the local dealer told me I'd need a new body control module. Nice eh? I'm not sure they ever looked into the problem at all, if they did they outright lied to me.

So I did my own troubleshooting. This is what I have found:

1) The headlamp is missing the bulbs that it was designed to have installed.
2) The nessesary contact ( pin#8) has no contact soldered into the circuit board at all. This contact should be designated as the backlighting + voltage from the BCM.
3) The FACTORY wiring diagrams show NO wire to be in that connector in the pin 8 location.
4) However in my van there is a wire (orange w/ black stripe) in the connector in location 8. I have confirmed that this wire does go from 0-12 volts when adjusting the dimmer. So in my case the wire is there.

Following the traces on the circuit board from pin 8 this would feed the + side of the lamps. The ground is already existing.

In conclusion, for my van all that would have to be done is to solder a contact in pin location 8 on the circuit board of the headlamp switch and then install the lamps (i believe they are PC74 lamp as are most of the other instrument lamps), and it should then work fine.

I conclude that this must have saved Dodge about $.50 per vehicle not to do this. Ironic, the one control that you would need to brighten up the instrument panel at night is the only one without a lamp in it. I would imagine that the engineers at Dodge couldn't believe it when the bean counters came up with this "cost cutting measure".

If anyone would like pics and wiring diagrams relating to this case in my '04, email me.

BTW, I realize it's Grand Caravan not Garnd Caravan. Typing is not my specialty.

Mike

 

I soldered in a contact at pin 8. Tried to find the right bulb. The PC74 bulb that is utilized in the rest of the instrument cluster is too large. So I soldered the bulbs on the PC board for test. It works great and dims just fine. The downfall-The color is white instead of the green like the rest of the dash. I cannot find the correct bulbs yet. I am assuming that possibly a green LED in a bayonet mount base is utilized or an incandescent with a green filter over it. I just haven't found the right lamp yet. But the mod does work.

Mike