? for you car people

[Phantomz]

I have a 2002 Dodge dakota  v6 .... The outside inside dome light and dash lights make a clicking sound and flicker. Tested the battery altenator cables fuses and just took the headlight switch out today and they still flicker. Ive read online that it could be a Control Timer Module which is 267 bucks at the dealer. Who wants 115 bucks an hour to diagnose it then more to put it in. My ? is can you buy the part and put it in without it being reprogrammed? Or are they trying to hose me? I havent been able to find the part outside of the dealer unless i go to a junkyard and even then its a 50/50 shot at it not having the same issue. Anyway if anyone has any answers id appreciate it. 

[MaSonZ]

Not sure what websites youve checked, but Try Summit Racing (www . Summitracing . com), JCWhitney or a local Napa store or something. Can get MANY things cheaper from Summit if they have it then you would pay from a dealer. Any mechanic near you (outside a dealer) would be a lot less then 115 an hour I'm sure too.

my .02.  Good luck sir.

[TwinBoom]

Try runnin a new ground to engine and or battery just a thought

[smoe]

Mke sure the battery cable clamps are tight.

[CAP1]

I have a 2002 Dodge dakota  v6 .... The outside inside dome light and dash lights make a clicking sound and flicker. Tested the battery altenator cables fuses and just took the headlight switch out today and they still flicker. Ive read online that it could be a Control Timer Module which is 267 bucks at the dealer. Who wants 115 bucks an hour to diagnose it then more to put it in. My ? is can you buy the part and put it in without it being reprogrammed? Or are they trying to hose me? I havent been able to find the part outside of the dealer unless i go to a junkyard and even then its a 50/50 shot at it not having the same issue. Anyway if anyone has any answers id appreciate it. 

first off...when you say "outside", are you meaning the headlights? if so, do you have automatic headlights, or auto-off headlights?
 none of the lights should be able to work without the headlight switch removed.('cept the brake lights, and turnsignals).

gimme a bit, and i'll try to pull you up a wiring diagram.

[CAP1]

ok.....looks like you wanna take a serious look at the CTM(central Timer Module). it is(according to my diagrams) mounted behind the kick panel on the drivers side of the truck, next to the parking brake pedal.

 this diagram should do ya.


check all of those wires......the powers and grounds. the diagram shows when there should be power to them. if you've got all of your powers and grounds, then the module is bad.
 if any of the powers are bad, check the corrosponding fuses, and the wire itself. if any of the grounds are bad.....something may have rubbed through.

hope this helps some. 

[tokenjo]

I have a 05 Suburban that was did the samething, took to dealer.  They said it was one of the battery screws/bolts was bad.  Not sure if it was the pos/neg one?  Its a red top optima bat with the no terminal posts, has the bolts on the side

Tokenjo

[Phantomz]

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen but after messing with it i ended up puttin it in the shop and 410 bucks later the short from the wiring harness to the computer is fixed.

[icepac]

Let me guess..........a short on a harness going to a sensor?

[CAP1]

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen but after messing with it i ended up puttin it in the shop and 410 bucks later the short from the wiring harness to the computer is fixed.

where was it shorted at? to which computer? what caused it?

[icepac]

I'm thinking the "flickering" of his dash lights can describe more than one type of event.

In chryslers, many dashboards will flicker when the ecu is in crisis from a short in any circuit where the ecu is providing either power or even a ground.

Some will simply not light or display "no bus" in the information display.

In the case of power being shorted, it is usually a short on the 5v reference circuit (some have both 5v and 8v ref. circuits but probably not that year car mentioned) to ground whether through sensor or harness or.....through the harness itself.

I've seen the dashes flicker from...

1.   An idle air control device shorting unresisted 12v back to a driver that is attempting to supply ground to actuate the device.

2.  The ASD relay doing the same thing.

3.   The O2 sensor heater circuit, an injector, or a coil shorting +12 v back up a line to a driver intended to provide a ground to said devices.

4.  Either the map sensor or the thorttle position sensor sending the reference voltage they usually share either to engine ground, sensor ground, or the sensor return line being grounded.

5.  The crank angle sensor and sometimes the distributor and, in some cases, the vehicle speed sensor which often share the same reference voltage being shorted to engine ground, sensor ground, or sensor return line being grounded.


What I mentioned above is only one possibility of many that experience has shown can  cuse the symptoms mentioned.

Of course, anything shorted on the +12v that the asd relay supplies can also cause this issue.

[CAP1]

the asd relay doesn't supply this circuit.

[icepac]

I posted possible causes of flickering dash lights.

Now this "circuit" you reference?

I don't remember being told which circuit was found to be shorted so how can you possibly know whether the asd relay is involved or not?

You seem to disagree with me just because you want to rather than anything based in fact.

You are also disagreeing with someone who has more experience in this field and has worked on or troubleshooted thousands of computers from 1976 cadillac bendix computers to the latest lexus computers and aftermarket performance computers.

This includes reading data in hexadecimal format using all modes of obd2 as well as manufacturer specific data streaming from pre-obd ecus from as far back as 1982.

That's what I do.......I am an ecu test specialist as well as an automobile electrical diagnostic specialist.

For ever 2 cars the average technician does detailed diagnostics into the engine management or electrical system, I have done about 100.


One of my computers has had a wiring diagram either in alldata, mitchellondemand, or factory manuals 24/7 for the last 6 years....up until last month.

[CAP1]

I posted possible causes of flickering dash lights.

Now this "circuit" you reference?

I don't remember being told which circuit so how can you possibly know whether the asd relay is involved or not?

You seem to disagree with me just because you want to rather than anything based in fact.

You are also disagreeing with someone who has more experience in this field and has worked on as well as troubleshot thousands of computers from 1976 cadillac bendix computers to the latest lexus computers and aftermarket computers.

 i'm only disagreeing, because it is the lighting circuit. they are controlled by the ctm, which is powered directly from the ignition switch(fused of course). look up the page to the wiring diagram.

 and you've got me on any computers older than about 83. but then like i said.....if it can fit in my bay, and burns gasoline, or diesel, i can diagnose and repair it. 

[icepac]

I'll refrain from posting on car threads here since I can get my fill posting on IATN.

This way you can float an opinion without being called on it.