help needed : 2001 dakota electric problem

From : clare snyder on ca

Q: on 22 nov 2003 105619 -0800 phredmund@yahoo.com phredmund wrote i have a 2001 cc 3.9l v6. recently ive been having rather odd electrical issues. when i open the door the interior lights come on but as if they are on a dimmer - they are very dim. if the truck was locked and i open it with the remote keyless entry fob the lights come on as normal but when the door is opened they dim dramatically. starting the truck with the door still open usually not always makes the lights come back normal. the auto door locks set to lock at 18 mph quit working. ive tried inactivating and reactivating them as per the manual - no luck. they will lock by using the switch on either door if the engine is running. if the engine is off the switches no longer lock the doors. keyless remote still locks them when not running. occasionally if i open the door before shutting off the engine the horn repeatedly burps. the vehicle does not have an alarm system. ive got just under 38k on this truck so my guess is im sol under warrenty if i take it to a dealer. anyone got any ideas about this is there a control module that could be the culprit the dim dome light with the door open points to either a bad door open indicator switch or a bad wire to the switch. when you use the remote lock the light is turned on by the lock control not by the door open monitor switch so comes on full bright. now if the door open monitor switch does not tell the lock control unit the door is closed the power lock will not automatically lock when you reach 10mph because it thinks the door is still open manual lock over-rides - you can lock the door with the door open using the lock button but not using the remote. as for the alarm i suspect part of the alarm hardware is there regardless whether you have the alarm option or not and is integrated into the lock control in some way. .

Replies:

From : john doe

clzre that sounds like a perfectly logical explanation! good deduction skills! got one more to try to stump you my dakota quad 2000 has a lock problem. the vehicle is equiped with keyless entry but original fobs were lost. i want to get the problem below fixed before i get new ones programmed. drivers door lock will lock / unlock with key or by using the interior lock knob. no electric lock functions work on the drivers door but all elctric locks work on all other doors. the drives master control works other doors as well. i have tested the power leads to the lock actuator and seem to have power going to the actuator but nothing happens. i would like to get the fobs programmed but wonder what the other probelm is and want to make sure the drives door probelm does not prevent the programming. thanks in advance on 22 nov 2003 105619 -0800 phredmund@yahoo.com phredmund wrote i have a 2001 cc 3.9l v6. recently ive been having rather odd electrical issues. when i open the door the interior lights come on but as if they are on a dimmer - they are very dim. if the truck was locked and i open it with the remote keyless entry fob the lights come on as normal but when the door is opened they dim dramatically. starting the truck with the door still open usually not always makes the lights come back normal. the auto door locks set to lock at 18 mph quit working. ive tried inactivating and reactivating them as per the manual - no luck. they will lock by using the switch on either door if the engine is running. if the engine is off the switches no longer lock the doors. keyless remote still locks them when not running. occasionally if i open the door before shutting off the engine the horn repeatedly burps. the vehicle does not have an alarm system. ive got just under 38k on this truck so my guess is im sol under warrenty if i take it to a dealer. anyone got any ideas about this is there a control module that could be the culprit the dim dome light with the door open points to either a bad door open indicator switch or a bad wire to the switch. when you use the remote lock the light is turned on by the lock control not by the door open monitor switch so comes on full bright. now if the door open monitor switch does not tell the lock control unit the door is closed the power lock will not automatically lock when you reach 10mph because it thinks the door is still open manual lock over-rides - you can lock the door with the door open using the lock button but not using the remote. as for the alarm i suspect part of the alarm hardware is there regardless whether you have the alarm option or not and is integrated into the lock control in some way. .

From : phredmund

on 22 nov 2003 105619 -0800 phredmund@yahoo.com phredmund wrote i have a 2001 cc 3.9l v6. recently ive been having rather odd electrical issues. when i open the door the interior lights come on but as if they are on a dimmer - they are very dim. if the truck was locked and i open it with the remote keyless entry fob the lights come on as normal but when the door is opened they dim dramatically. starting the truck with the door still open usually not always makes the lights come back normal. the auto door locks set to lock at 18 mph quit working. ive tried inactivating and reactivating them as per the manual - no luck. they will lock by using the switch on either door if the engine is running. if the engine is off the switches no longer lock the doors. keyless remote still locks them when not running. occasionally if i open the door before shutting off the engine the horn repeatedly burps. the vehicle does not have an alarm system. ive got just under 38k on this truck so my guess is im sol under warrenty if i take it to a dealer. anyone got any ideas about this is there a control module that could be the culprit the dim dome light with the door open points to either a bad door open indicator switch or a bad wire to the switch. when you use the remote lock the light is turned on by the lock control not by the door open monitor switch so comes on full bright. now if the door open monitor switch does not tell the lock control unit the door is closed the power lock will not automatically lock when you reach 10mph because it thinks the door is still open manual lock over-rides - you can lock the door with the door open using the lock button but not using the remote. as for the alarm i suspect part of the alarm hardware is there regardless whether you have the alarm option or not and is integrated into the lock control in some way. thanks clare a little more info. the symptoms are the same when either door is opened. also the horn now sounds with a sputtering sound when either door is opened - even when the engine is not running. does each door have its own door open indicator or is there a common component .

From : phredmund

on 22 nov 2003 105619 -0800 phredmund@yahoo.com phredmund wrote i have a 2001 cc 3.9l v6. recently ive been having rather odd electrical issues. when i open the door the interior lights come on but as if they are on a dimmer - they are very dim. if the truck was locked and i open it with the remote keyless entry fob the lights come on as normal but when the door is opened they dim dramatically. starting the truck with the door still open usually not always makes the lights come back normal. the auto door locks set to lock at 18 mph quit working. ive tried inactivating and reactivating them as per the manual - no luck. they will lock by using the switch on either door if the engine is running. if the engine is off the switches no longer lock the doors. keyless remote still locks them when not running. occasionally if i open the door before shutting off the engine the horn repeatedly burps. the vehicle does not have an alarm system. ive got just under 38k on this truck so my guess is im sol under warrenty if i take it to a dealer. anyone got any ideas about this is there a control module that could be the culprit the dim dome light with the door open points to either a bad door open indicator switch or a bad wire to the switch. when you use the remote lock the light is turned on by the lock control not by the door open monitor switch so comes on full bright. now if the door open monitor switch does not tell the lock control unit the door is closed the power lock will not automatically lock when you reach 10mph because it thinks the door is still open manual lock over-rides - you can lock the door with the door open using the lock button but not using the remote. as for the alarm i suspect part of the alarm hardware is there regardless whether you have the alarm option or not and is integrated into the lock control in some way. i heard about a possible bad central timer. can i test the functionality of it before investing a new one .